In her speech, Minister Raouna acknowledges that enlargement has long been one of the EU’s most powerful transformative tools, and a driving force for reforms, progress, security, and prosperity. She discusses how the EU is navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. She also argues that it is clear that enlargement is a geopolitical investment and necessity for stability, peace, and security for the European Union.

It is widely accepted today that Enlargement has gained new impetus, and that this is a clear statement that Europe’s response to aggression lies in greater European unification, and deeper integration. According to Minister Raouna, Enlargement also re-emerges as a key policy for strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy and global influence. She calls for the current momentum for enlargement to be seized, pointing out that by integrating new partners, the EU will reinforce its collective security and capacity to respond to emerging challenges. She concludes by underscoring that the incoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU is committed to driving forward the EU’s enlargement agenda with ambition and a results-oriented approach based on merit.

About the Speaker:

Marilena Raouna is the Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs, in charge of the preparations and political oversight of Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026. She studied Jurisprudence (Law) at Oxford University, holds an LLM in Public International and European Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science (Chevening Scholar) and a Diploma in French language and civilization from Sorbonne University.

The UK is confronting a series of interlinked challenges - domestic, international, political and economic. This lecture by UK in a Changing Europe Director Anand Menon will explain what these are and how they interact.

Speaker bio:

Anand Menon is Director of the UK in a Changing Europe and Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London. He has written widely on many aspects of EU politics and policy and on UK-EU relations. He is a frequent contributor to the media on matters relating to British relations with the EU.

Originally recorded on the 6th of November 2025

Since the Global Financial Crisis, central banks have made significant changes to their monetary policy operating frameworks. Notably, the Federal Reserve and other central banks have expanded their balance sheets, altered their reserves regimes, and adopted new tools to set their policy rates. President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Mary C. Daly, discusses the costs and benefits of conducting policy under different regimes.

About the Speaker:

As President of the San Francisco Fed, Ms. Daly serves the Twelfth Federal Reserve District in setting monetary policy. Prior to her current role, she was the executive vice president and director of research at the San Francisco Fed, which she joined in 1996.

Ms. Daly has served as an advisor to the Congressional Budget Office, the Social Security Administration, the Institute of Medicine and the Library of Congress. She has also been a visiting professor at Cornell University and the University of California, Davis. Ms. Daly holds a Ph.D. in economics from Syracuse University, an M.S. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The United Kingdom has set an ambitious target to achieve a decarbonised power system by 2030 as part of its broader Net Zero commitment. Delivering on this goal is central to strengthening energy security, enhancing resilience, and ensuring affordable, clean power for households and industry. In his address to the IIEA, Chris Stark, Head of the UK Government’s Mission for Clean Power, outlines the UK’s pathway to Net Zero and discuss the role of interconnectors, infrastructure, and investment in delivering a secure and sustainable energy system. Drawing on his leadership of the UK government’s “Mission Control” for clean power, Mr Stark also reflects on the challenges and opportunities of transforming the UK’s energy landscape amid an increasingly complex global environment.

This event is part of the IIEA’s REthink Energy series, organised in partnership with ESB.

Speaker bio:

Chris Stark was appointed head of the UK’s Mission for Clean Power in the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in July 2024. Previous to this, he was Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee from April 2018 for six years. Under his leadership, the committee recommended a UK net zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – a target that is now in law. He was Director of Energy and Climate Change in the Scottish Government from May 2016 to April 2018. He has also served as Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust and is currently Honorary Professor at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and is on the board of climate charity Murmer.

In his remarks to the IIEA, Thant Myint-U reflects upon the future of world peace and the United Nations. Through the lens of his new book Peacemaker: U Thant, the United Nations, and the Untold Story of the 1960’s, Thant Myint-U explores safeguarding global peace, preventing great power war, and reimagine the United Nations. In his book, Thant Myint-U tracks the history of U-Thant, the first UN Secretary-General of colour, who became the Cold War era’s preeminent ambassador of peace, and played a crucial role in preventing conflict such as during the Cuban Missile Crisis. His remarks will reflect not only upon the events of the 1960’s, but the lessons which U-Thant’s tenure may offer us now during a moment of escalating global tensions.

About the Speaker:

Dr Thant Myint-U is an award-winning author, historian, and international public servant. He has written five books, most recently Peacemaker: U Thant and the Forgotten Quest for a Just World (forthcoming September 2025). He was educated at Harvard and Cambridge Universities and taught history for several years as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He has also served on three United Nations peacekeeping operations (Cambodia 1992-3 and the former Yugoslavia 1994-6) and from 2000-2007 at the UN Secretariat in New York. From 2011-2021, he helped lead reform efforts in Myanmar, including as a presidential adviser, the Founding Chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust, and the Chairman of U Thant House. He currently lives in Cambridge and is an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College.

A Keynote address by Martin O'Malley

About the Speaker:

Martin O’Malley is a former Mayor of Baltimore and a former Governor of Maryland. Most recently, he served as President Biden’s Commissioner of Social Security. He is also a Patron of the Killarney Global Economic Summit 2026.

As a public servant and top executive, Martin O’Malley has pioneered a new way of performance-driven government at all levels including local, state, and national. Having worked for Grant Thornton, Guidehouse Advisories and a number technology companies, O’Malley brings a blend of private and public sector experience to some of the greater challenges facing humanity the world over.

His accomplishments in public service include putting Baltimore on the path to the largest ten-year crime reduction of any major city in America; enabling Maryland’s public schools to rank first in the US for five years in a row; and reversing a 300-year decline in the health of the waters of the Chesapeake Bay - the largest estuary in North America.

Martin O’Malley has taught at several leading universities in the US including Boston College, Harvard, Georgetown, Boston College Law, the University of Indian Kelley, Johns Hopkins Carey School of business. He is the author of Smarter Government — how to govern for results in the Information Age.

In his remarks, the Director General of the EU Military Staff (DG EUMS) will underline the need for a more strategic, coherent, and adequately resourced Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). He will stress that EU military missions and operations are effective only when guided by a shared political vision among all twenty-seven Member States and aligned with the priorities of Host Nations. He will highlight the importance of developing an Integrated Campaign Plan to ensure coherence across all EU instruments and closer coordination with international partners. Finally, he will emphasise that under-resourcing and limited participation undermine effectiveness, and that genuine political will must translate into collective responsibility and tangible contributions to safeguard the EU’s credibility as a reliable security partner.

Speaker bio:

The Director General of the EU Military Staff (DG EUMS) is the European External Action Service’s (EEAS) senior military adviser and the principal source of its military expertise. He directs the EU Military Staff (EUMS), providing military advice and expertise to EU institutions. In a dual-hatted capacity, he also serves as Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC). As DG EUMS, he oversees early warning, situation assessment, and strategic planning for EU military missions, ensuring the effective operational planning and conduct of non-executive missions through the MPCC. He further supports crisis management, capability development, and maintains close coordination with the European Defence Agency (EDA).

In an online address to the Institute, Dr Joana Portugal Pereira considers the environmental and social complexities of the EU's Green Deal beyond the EU's borders. She explores how the EU's Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Strategy may have adverse consequences on third countries, such as Brazil, should the EU rely on them for land-based carbon offsets. Dr Portugal Pereira argues for the adoption of a more equitable approach to climate action that supports global climate goals, while safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of communities in the Global South.

Speaker bio:

Dr Joana Portugal Pereira is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Instituto Superior Técnico, ULisboa and Research Fellow at the Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research (IN+). She holds a PhD in Urban Engineering from The University of Tokyo (2011). Dr. Portugal Pereira has made significant contributions to global environmental assessments, serving as a lead author for several influential UN reports such as the IPCC Sixth Assessment Cycle, the UN Environment Programme's Seventh Global Environmental Outlook (GEO7), and the UNEP Emissions Gap Report. Her expertise lies in energy and land-based innovations for environmental mitigation and climate change adaptation.

This talk explores the future of unionism in Northern Ireland, examining both the opportunities and challenges facing those who wish to remain part of the United Kingdom. Drawing on polling data, historical context, and political strategy, Professor Pete Shirlow and Lee Reynolds highlight the shifting identities beyond the traditional unionist–nationalist divide, the need for a positive message, and the importance of engaging with the younger generation. Promoting the Union makes a case for building a forward-looking, persuasive vision of the Union.

About the Speakers:

Professor Pete Shirlow is Director of the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool. He is an expert on conflict, peacebuilding, segregation, and post-conflict transformation, with a distinguished record of research, policy engagement, and public commentary. He serves as Independent Chair of the OFMDFM Employers’ Guidance on Recruiting People with Conflict-Related Convictions Working Group and is a board member of the mental health charity Threshold.

Lee Reynolds is the former Special Adviser to DUP First Minister Arlene Foster and previously served as the party’s Director of Policy. He also directed the Vote Leave campaign in Northern Ireland during the 2016 referendum. Drawing on his experience designing and interpreting opinion poll data, Lee is recognised for his strategic insight into shifting voter identities and the future of unionism and is often asked for his political commentary.

A fireside chat with Tony Connelly.

About the speaker:

Tony Connelly is RTE’s Europe Editor, covering European affairs since 2001. He has reported extensively from Ukraine on the Russian invasion, and on the Middle East conflict. Tony was awarded an honorary doctorate for services to journalism by the University of Galway, is the recipient of two ESB National Media awards and a New York Festivals radio award. He received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the UCD Smurfit Graduate School of Journalism, and an Irish Law Society Justice Media Award, for his coverage of Brexit.