Ahead of November's US Presidential Election, Suzanne Lynch discusses the state of play of the campaign less than 50 days out from polling day. She reflects on the respective outlooks of President Trump and Joe Biden, what the outcome of the election may mean for Ireland and transatlantic relations, and for the future of US politics.

About the Speaker:

Suzanne Lynch is currently Washington Correspondent for the Irish Times, a position she has held since February 2017. She leads the paper’s coverage of the White House, Capitol Hill and US politics. She previously served as Europe Correspondent leading coverage of the euro zone crisis, Brexit and refugee crisis. Suzanne began her career in journalism as a financial journalist with RTÉ and the Irish Times. She holds a PhD in English from Cambridge University as well as a BA in English/Music.

The COVID-19 crisis will have profound and long-lasting implications for the way we live, work, consume and communicate. As the economy begins to recover from the initial shock, the structural changes wrought by the crisis will become more evident. In his address to the IIEA, Governor Makhlouf discusses how the ECB’s strategy review will be an important way to take stock of these structural shifts in the economy. He provides some reflections on issues such as globalisation, the accelerated pace of digitalisation, as well as how this crisis affects inflation and how we measure it.

About the Speaker:

Gabriel Makhlouf took up his position as Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland on 1 September 2019. He chairs the Central Bank Commission, is a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, a member of the European Systemic Risk Board, and is Ireland's Alternate Governor at the International Monetary Fund. Before joining the Central Bank, Gabriel was Secretary to the New Zealand Treasury and the Government's chief economic and financial adviser from 2011 to 2019.

At a formative moment in the negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and the UK, Michel Barnier addresses the IIEA on the state of play, the obstacles on the road to an agreement, and the key issues that will shape the relationship in the years to come.

This event is co-organised with the European Commission Representation in Ireland.

About the Speaker:

Michel Barnier is the European Commission’s Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom. He was previously the head of the Commission’s Article 50 Taskforce, charged with negotiating the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. In a long career in European and domestic politics, Mr Barnier has served in many roles, including as Minister of European Affairs of France; Minister of Foreign Affairs of France; European Commissioner and Vice-President in charge of Internal Market and Services; and European Commissioner for Regional Policy and the Reform of European Institutions.

In the first presentation of the 2020 ESB/IIEA lecture series, entitled REthink Energy, Mr Buchel discusses the important role of European system operators in accelerating the smart grid revolution. This transformation will ensure the reliability and security of Europe’s electricity supply to consumers and enable the digitalisation, decentralisation and decarbonisation of the electricity grid. Mr Buchel outlines the ways that the E.DSO has taken a prominent role in guiding EU research and innovation to support smart grid development for a sustainable energy system.

About the Speaker:

Christian Buchel is the Chairman of E.DSO for smart grids, the European association representing leading electricity distribution system companies. He is a Member of the Board of Enedis, France’s largest electricity provider, where he also serves as Director of Market Development, Customer Relations, and Territories & Concessions Activities. Prior to this, Christian Buchel held various top-management positions within the EDF group. He has been COO of Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) in Germany as well as CEO of Electricité de Strasbourg.

With the deadline for extending the UK’s post-Brexit transition period now passed, the negotiations between the EU and UK have taken on a new urgency. MEPs will have a vital role to play in the process, as an agreement on the future relationship can only enter into force if it is approved by both the European Parliament and the European Council. In his address to the IIEA, David McAllister discusses the state of play in the negotiations, and provide a European Parliament perspective on the future relationship.

This event is co-organised with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland.

About the Speaker:

David McAllister is the Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Chair of its UK Coordination Group. He has been an MEP since 2014 and has been a Vice President of the European People’s Party since 2015. He has held a variety of political offices in Germany, including Prime Minister of Lower Saxony; Mayor of Bad Bederkesa, his hometown; and Chairman of the CDU Group in the State Parliament from 2003-2010. He was also Party Chairman of the CDU in Lower Saxony from 2008-2016.

The COVID19 pandemic has turned everything upside down. In many instances, the crisis has only served to highlight existing shortcomings, not just in health and housing but also in our economic model and our underinvestment in the arts and cultural sector. The loss of live sport and its behind-closed-doors return has also highlighted the trade-offs between balancing public health concerns, television money and the sporting integrity of competitions. To examine all of these issues and discuss the way forward, we’re delighted to bring together such a knowledgeable panel of experts and commentators to share their thoughts.

About the Speakers:

Ken Early is Co-Presenter of the Second Captains podcast. He’s also a Columnist with the Irish Times.

Nadine O’Regan is Founder and Presenter of My Roots Are Showing, an arts, culture, and politics interview-based podcast. She is also Arts Editor and Columnist with the Business Post. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she has presented the Business Post’s Coronavirus Ireland Podcast. She’s a contributor to RTÉ Radio and previously, she was a presenter with Phantom FM and Today FM.

Barra Roantree is an Economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). His work at the ESRI focuses on taxation, welfare and pensions. He has been very active in examining the impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on unemployment, consumption and tax in Ireland.

In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) entered into effect in the European Union. This legislation was introduced to strengthen the data protection rights of European citizens and to give citizens greater control over their data. Following the recent 2 year anniversary of the GDPR, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), Helen Dixon, addresses the IIEA on: “The GDPR at Age 2 – Reflections of the Irish DPC.”

This talk by the Irish DPC covers reflections on the GDPR as a legal framework. This includes reflections on the enforcement and litigation experiences, on challenges relating to harmonisation at the European level, on individual complaint-handling and on international transfers of personal data. The complexities of the “one-stop-shop process”, under which the Irish DPC is responsible for regulating many multinational corporations which engage in cross-border data processing, are also discussed.

About the Speaker

Helen Dixon was appointed as Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland in September 2014 and is responsible for upholding the rights of individuals regarding how data about them is used. Since the GDPR came into effect, the role and remit of the Commissioner for Data Protection has deepened to include a stronger enforcement focus and the Irish Data Protection Commission is the EU Lead Supervisory Authority for many of the world’s largest tech companies that are head quartered in Ireland.

Previously Irish Registrar of Companies, Helen has also held senior roles in a key economic government department working and holds postgraduate qualifications in European Economic and Public Affairs, Governance, Computer Science, Official Statistics for Policy Evaluation, and Judicial Skills and Decision Making.

Following Ireland’s recent election to the UN Security Council, Ambassador Byrne Nason addresses the IIEA on the key elements of Ireland’s successful campaign and looks forward to where Ireland hopes to make a difference during its membership of the Security Council in 2021 and 2022, including as an advocate for multilateralism at a time of global instability and uncertainty.

About the Speaker:

Ambassador Byrne Nason is the Representative of Ireland to the United Nations in New York. She took up this position in August 2017 on completion of her term as Ambassador of Ireland to France and Monaco. She joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1982 and has previously served as Second Secretary General in the Department of the Taoiseach, Ireland’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU, and Director of the National Forum on Europe.

Lord Patten addresses the IIEA on the topic of the actions of China in Hong Kong and his thoughts on how the UK and international community should respond. He also reflects on China's international role and discusses its evolution in recent decades in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About the Speaker:

Chris Patten, Lord Patten of Barnes, is a British politician who served as the 28th and last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997. He was also Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992. Lord Patten served as European Commissioner for External Relations from 1999-2004 and led the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland from 1998-1999, playing a significant role in the implementation of the peace process. He was made a life peer in 2005 and has been Chancellor of the University of Oxford since 2003.

In his presentation to the IIEA, Tony Connelly offers his insights on the latest state of play in the negotiations between the EU and the UK, in which the two parties continue to differ on a number of key issues. He examines some of the sticking points in the negotiations and assess the prospects of reaching an agreement before the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.

About the Speaker:

Tony Connelly is an award-winning journalist and author. As Europe Editor for RTÉ News, he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award for Journalism at the UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards for his coverage of key events in Europe in 2018. He has written for numerous national and international news agencies and publications, including Time, United Press International and the Irish Independent. His most recent book, Brexit and Ireland: The Dangers, the Opportunities, and the Inside Story of the Irish Response was published in October 2017.