Room for Discussion

The Netherlands looks like the richest and most stable country in Europe today. We all moved here for a reason…However, reality looks very different: Dutch households carry nearly double the EU’s average debt. House prices keep climbing. A trillion euros in pension assets is mid-transition to a new system, one deadline at a time. And on interest rates, the country is just one vote in Frankfurt on a policy built for an economy that isn’t theirs.On October 9th, we sit down on the Room for Discussion couches with President of the De Nederlandsche Bank, Olaf Sleijpen, in the hopes of getting to know whether the DNB can actually change anything.

Societies today face issues far more wicked than those of their predecessors. From the environmental crisis to artificial intelligence to mass misinformation, policymaking has never been harder. As the modern state struggles to handle it all, one question remains: How can an increasingly powerless state elaborate and implement effective policies to handle increasingly complex grievances?Join us in a discussion with Prof. Christoph Knill from LMU, one of Europe’s most-cited political scientists and the continent’s leading expert on public policy, as we deconstruct the 21st century’s most pressing issues.

From exposing the Sackler dynasty’s role in the opioid crisis to investigating the Northern Irish Troubles, Russian oligarchs, and organized crime, Patrick Radden Keefe has built a career uncovering stories that powerful people would rather keep hidden.

We were thrilled to welcome Patrick Radden Keefe, award-winning investigative journalist at The New Yorker and bestselling author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing.

In this discussion, we explore the art of investigative journalism, the challenges of uncovering deeply buried secrets and how Keefe transforms stories of crime, power and institutional silence into compelling narratives.

Investment bank or political organ? Climate bank or war chest?The European Union is asking the European Investment Bank to do more than ever, and all at once: finance the green transition, strengthen European infrastructure, boost competitiveness, and now even help rebuild our defences. Where does the money for all these projects come from? Who determines which projects across the Union deserve financing? How does an economic entity with political directives decide what happens when political priorities collide with economic reality?In our first interview this academic year, we sat down with EIB Vice President, Robert de Groot, to try and find an answer to all these questions. Join us for a conversation about Europe’s money, its priorities and its struggles to finance its own future. ---------------------------------Do you want to see more interviews and be the first to hear about upcoming guests? Follow us here:Website: http://roomfordiscussion.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/RoomforDiscussionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/roomfordiscussion Twitter: http://twitter.com/Room4Discussion

🎙 Together with Laurent Richard, investigative journalist of 25+ years, Emmy-winning documentarian for his series on Pegasus, and founder of Forbidden Stories, we will discuss the implications of declining press freedoms and increasing threats to journalists around the world.

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Grocery prices are increasing, Meta flaunts its dominant position on the market, and the Paramount acquisition of WarnerBros marks an era of massive media consolidation. It seems that companies hold all the power, but who can hold them accountable?Join us on 20th of May, 13:00-14:00 at the REC E-Hall for an interview with Martijn Snoep, Chairman of the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). We will zoom in on consumer protection, discuss how to regulate without stifling innovation, the political implications of regulatory policy, and look at ongoing cases currently handled by the ACM.Whether an avid shopper or a competition policy enthusiast, do not miss the chance to understand what is done to protect your consumer rights!

Few academic concepts have travelled as far as intersectionality. Coined nearly four decades ago, it transformed how we think about race, gender, power, and inequality, while also becoming one of the most debated ideas of our time.

We were thrilled to welcome Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar, author of Backtalker: An American Memoir, co-founder of Critical Race Theory, and the person behind intersectionality.

Drawing on both her personal journey and decades of academic work, we explore the origins of intersectionality, the backlash against Critical Race Theory and what the ongoing debates around race, identity and democracy reveal about the United States and Europe today.

Palestine, Sudan, Iran. Global conflicts dominate the headlines every day. But what does it actually take to build lasting peace? And who gets to decide what that peace looks like?

Together with Paige Alexander, the CEO of the Carter Center, we explore the role of the international community in conflict resolution, democracy promotion, and the politics of peacebuilding. Founded by former US President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter to advance human rights worldwide, the Carter Center is now active in peace and development efforts across the globe.

Drawing on decades of experience, Alexander will discuss how peace is negotiated, how local communities shape outcomes, and what it would take to achieve lasting peace in Palestine.

With war at its doorstep, Türkiye is once again in the middle of geopolitical turmoil. Whether it’s the Syrian refugee crisis, the war in Gaza, or the closure of the strait of Hormuz, Türkiye has had to consistently re-balance and re-negotiate its partnerships. 

Turkish Ambassador H.E. Fatma Ceren Yazgan will join us to talk about how Türkiye does this in practice. With a long career as a high ranking diplomat and civil servant, she offers firsthand experience into the complexities of Turkish politics.

Germany has been Europe’s economic engine for quite some time, both its industrial powerhouse and fiscal anchor in times of deep uncertainty. While Southern Europe suffered deep recessions during the Eurocrisis, Germany maintained low unemployment and a massive trade surplus. After 5 years of economic stagnation induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, that role is now under strain. 

In a conversation with Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research, we examine whether Germany can still fulfill that role or whether structural pressures are permanently reshaping its role within Europe. As its export-driven model comes under strain and fiscal constraints limit large-scale investment, a key question emerges: Will Germany continue to be the economic engine Europe can look up to?