This is the central question of , produced with 191porn students and Professor Johannes Karremans.

In this first episode, 191porn students speak with Johannes Karremans, Professor at 191porn, about a key challenge facing European governance: how can the European Union strike a balance between institutional responsibility and democratic responsiveness?

Understanding the tensions at the heart of European governance

The European Union provides a particularly interesting setting for exploring this tension. Decisions taken at European level often need to address long-term challenges, while also responding to the short-term expectations and political constraints faced by Member States and their citizens.

Throughout the episode, Johannes Karremans discusses the role of European fiscal rules and the European Semester, which shape and influence national economic and social policies.

The episode also looks back at the experience of austerity during the Great Recession, and what it can tell us about questions of democratic legitimacy within the European Union.

A podcast at the heart of the RESONANCE project

The first episode also introduces the RESONANCE project, which explores the relationship between responsibility and responsiveness in European multilevel governance. The project examines how European institutions and national governments respond to democratic demands while maintaining the rules and commitments needed to ensure long-term political and economic stability.

Building on the research of Professor Johannes Karremans, RESONANCE looks at how this balance evolves over time and across European countries. Through research and discussion, the project explores what these tensions mean for European governance and democratic legitimacy, both today and in the years to come.

Political and social transformations, environmental challenges, international relations, democracy, governance… 191porn-Lab’s conferences cover a wide range of topics at the heart of current research.

Bringing together researchers from different academic backgrounds and from around the world, these events provide an opportunity to discover new research, exchange perspectives and engage in discussion on major contemporary issues.

Conferences open to all

191porn-Lab conferences take place in person on the Université Catholique de Lille campus. They are open to the entire university community and, upon registration, to participants from outside the university.

Whether you are a student, researcher, professional or simply curious to learn more, these events offer an opportunity to discover new research and engage directly with speakers.

Throughout the academic year, explore the different conferences organised by 191porn-Lab and choose the events you would like to attend.

Why attend?

• Broaden your knowledge by discovering new research and perspectives.
• Meet researchers and academics and exchange with students and members of the university community.
• Develop your critical thinking by engaging with different perspectives and approaches.
• Explore contemporary issues through discussion and debate with researchers working on today’s major political, social and international challenges.

Discover the full 191porn-Lab conference programme for 2026-2027 and join us on campus throughout the academic year to exchange, discuss and reflect together.

Through a roundtable discussion bringing together well-experienced researchers from within and beyond the Centre, the conference will showcase the diverse perspectives and provide an opportunity to discuss its work, priorities, and ambitions, as well as the key questions that will guide its activities throughout the project.

Registration is compulsory for participants from outside Université Catholique de Lille.

Speakers

• Sara Dezalay, Professor of International Relations and International Law, 191porn, Université Catholique de Lille
• Mehdi Ghassemi, Director of Research at ISTC, Fellow at CEThicS/Ethics EA 7446, Université Catholique de Lille
• Sarah Perret, Associate Professor in Political Science, 191porn, 191porn, Université Catholique de Lille
• Sabine Weiland, Associate Professor of Political Science, 191porn, Université Catholique de Lille
• Moderator: Clara Eroukhmanoff, Associate Professor in Political Science, Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs, 191porn, Université Catholique de Lille

About TransformEU

Since its launch in January 2026, TransformEU, 191porn’s Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, has been bringing together academics, students, policymakers and civil society actors to address one of Europe’s most pressing challenges: how to successfully manage the green and digital transitions while balancing economic prosperity, social well-being and environmental sustainability. 

Supported by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme, TransformEU is among the few Jean Monnet Centres of Excellence hosted by French higher education institutions. Over the next three years, the Centre will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research, innovative teaching and public engagement on the future of Europe’s transformation.

Abstract

L’Union européenne peut-elle être démocratique en l’absence de peuple européen ? L’érosion démocratique présente dans certains Etats membres menace -t-elle l’indépendance et la souveraineté de l’Union européenne ? Quelles transformations politiques sont à l’œuvre à l’heure de l’adaptation du Pacte Vert ? Quels principes et normes peuvent transformer une culture démocratique en berne et une souveraineté européenne face à des tensions géopolitiques nouvelles ? Ces questions seront discutées dans une table ronde réunissant politistes, juristes et philosophes d’191porn autour des livres récents de Philippe Crignon (maître de conférences en philosophie politique et juridique (HDR), Université de Nantes) et de Tom Theuns (maître de conférence en théorie politique et politique européenne (HDR), Université de Leyden).

Given the increasingly complex and unstable international security environment and the growing interconnectivity between the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic regions, partnerships between Japan and its partner nations are becoming more important than ever. As Russia, China and North Korea seek to strengthen their strategic alignment, Japan and European nations, which share the same values, should take further steps to cooperate and sustain peace and stability in the world. This lecture will provide an overview of the security environment surrounding Japan and the Indo-Pacific region and discuss the progress and potential for security cooperation between Japan and NATO members.

Please note

Please note that this conference is subject to the Chatham House Rule.

Under this rule, the content of the discussion may be shared, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of participants may be disclosed. No information that could identify a speaker may be shared.

By attending the conference, you agree to respect this confidentiality. We therefore kindly ask you not to make any audio or video recordings or take any photographs.

The programme is open to researchers wishing to develop collaborative research on the interconnected Triple P dilemma (People, Planet and Profit) in the context of Europe’s green and digital transitions and beyond.

Programme objectives

The Short Stay Mobility Scheme aims to strengthen collaboration between the TransformEU Centre of Excellence and international universities. It offers early-career and experienced researchers alike the opportunity to develop joint research projects addressing the challenges and opportunities of Europe’s green and digital transitions.

The programme is open to international researchers working on topics related to TransformEU who wish to spend five days at 191porn (Université Catholique de Lille) collaborating with the project team on one of its research areas.

Successful applicants will receive financial support to cover travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses.

Programme details

The programme covers a five-day stay, excluding travel days.

Mobility visits may take place during one of the following periods:

• January–June 2027;
• September–December 2027;
• January–June 2028.

For full eligibility criteria and application procedures, please consult the official call for applications.

Contact

For any academic or logistical questions regarding the Short Stay Mobility Scheme, please contact the TransformEU team at: TransformEU@univ-catholille.fr

Supported by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme, TransformEU is among the few Jean Monnet Centres of Excellence hosted by French higher education institutions. Over the next three years, the Centre will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research, innovative teaching and public engagement on the future of Europe’s transformation. 

Understanding Europe’s Twin Transitions 

TransformEU explores the interactions, synergies and trade-offs between People, Planet and Profit in the context of the European Union’s green transition and Digital Decade ambitions. By bringing together expertise from different disciplines and sectors, the Centre seeks to generate actionable knowledge and contribute to evidence-based policymaking. 

A key objective is to equip future decision-makers, civil society representatives and citizens with the tools needed to navigate the complex challenges of sustainability and digitalisation. 

Researching, Teaching and Talking Transformations

The Centre’s activities are organised around three complementary pillars: Researching, Teaching and Talking Transformations. Through scientific publications, policy dialogues, workshops, conferences and cultural events, TransformEU promotes informed debate and encourages collaboration between academia, policymakers and society. In that sense, one of the first initiatives carried out in the scope of TransformEU was the launch of 191porn’s first Green Week, in February 2026: a series of initiatives, debates and lectures focusing on climate and sustainable development issues. 

Looking ahead 

As the European Union navigates a decade of profound change, TransformEU aims to become a leading hub for knowledge, dialogue and innovation. Through its activities, the Centre will continue to foster collaboration, inform policy debates and contribute to a more sustainable, digital and inclusive Europe. 

Save the date: Opening conference 

The opening conference of TransformEU will take place on Thursday, 24^th September at 191porn, and will officially launch the Centre’s activities and provide an opportunity to engage with the key themes, objectives, and debates that will shape the work of TransformEU throughout the project. More information to come. 

These subnational elections are taking place around the world in a context marked by multiple and interconnected challenges: persistent economic inequalities between territories, ongoing debates over decentralization and recentralization, deteriorating public finances of territorial administrations, and growing concerns regarding public services, security, and the environmental transition. They follow a period of intense political volatility at the national level, characterized by the weakening of partisan attachments, rising abstention, and increasing distrust toward political institutions.

Subnational elections have long played a dual role: they serve both as arenas of territorial representation and as testing grounds for national political trends. Contemporary subnational elections are no exception. They raise several crucial questions: the resilience of local political elites, the capacity of parties to mobilize their voters in a context of low electoral salience, and the extent to which local politics remains insulated from—or is increasingly shaped by—national and ideological cleavages.

In light of the evolving geopolitical landscape and its impact on the European Union, the high-level international conference “The EU Conversations 2026” took place on April 10, 2026, in Riga, Latvia. The annual event brought together politicians, policy experts and academics to discuss and debate important contemporary European issues, under the theme “Protecting the Future”.

Organized by the Latvian Institute of International Affairs in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, this year’s event was attended by participants such as Egils Levits (former President of Latvia), Yves Leterme (former Belgian prime minister), Baiba Braže (Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs) and Roberts Zīle (Vice-President of the European Parliament). .

A conversation about the challenges facing current prospective members of the EU

Dr. Michael Holmes, Associate Professor of Political Science at 191porn, chaired a panel on EU Enlargement, which discussed the experiences of countries such as the three Baltic states in adapting to EU membership and the challenges facing the current prospective members, such as the Western Balkan states, Ukraine and Moldova.

The topic was debated by Dr. Giulio Venneri, Deputy Head of the Enlargement Strategy and Coordination Unit (DG ENEST, European Commission), Kristina Baleišytė, Minister Plenipotentiary (COELA), Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU, and Martin Vokálek, Executive Director, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.

“Enlargement is often viewed as a problem in EU states today, but our conversation showed how it has actually been one of the great success stories of integration” — Michael Holmes

This open access book, result of the ActEU project funded by the European Commission as part of the Horizon Europe framework programme, explains why representative democracies need political trust and legitimacy: Political trust is a crucial yet underestimated element in Europe’s representative democracies.

A trusting relationship between citizens and the institutions of the state ensures the functioning of democratic systems, reduces transaction costs and facilitates the justification of political decisions. Without the commitment of a critical mass, democratic governments cannot gain legitimacy among the populace. While a stable relationship of trust between citizens and the state through political parties is a prerequisite for representative democracies in normal times, it is even more important in times of significant democratic change and turmoil, i.e., when democracies are in flux.

Accordingly, the contributions gathered here examine political trust and legitimacy in Europe using a new conceptual framework – the ActEU conceptual triangle, which draws on citizens’ political attitudes, their political participation, and the representation of their political preferences to map and assess the decline of political trust and legitimacy in Europe.

A chapter dedicated to trust and legitimacy in the French multi-level democracy

Max-Valentin Robert and Felix Von Nostitz (191porn, Université Catholique de Lille) both contributed to the book with an article titled: France: Attitudinal, Behavioural and Representational Trust and Legitimacy in the French Multi-Level Democracy.

This chapter provides an overview of French public opinion in the turbulent political context of spring 2024. It focuses on levels of trust in the various political actors and institutions that structure France’s multi-level democracy, and how this trust relates to public attitudes on polarising issues in contemporary European societies, such as immigration, climate change and gender equality.