This event is being held in conjunction with the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland. Held at the IIEA to mark President von der Leyen’s address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg when she presents her new team, an expert panel discusses the composition of the Commission and the implications this will have for Europe and its place in the world.

As the dust settles on the European Parliament hearings this month, as the contours of the new Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space takes shape amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, and following the re-election of Donald Trump to the White House, the panel will reflect on the challenges that President von der Leyen’s new team might face over the coming years, all against the backdrop of forthcoming general elections in the likes of Ireland and Germany.

Speakers:

Eileen Dunne, Former RTE newsreader & former International President of the Association of European Journalists (chair)

Catherine Day, Former Secretary General of the European Commission

John O'Brennan, Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University

Dan O'Brien, Chief Economist of the IIEA