Public Lecture “Democratic Resilience in Europe in Times of Polarisation”

The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies invites all interested to an open lecture by Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Foundation, on Tuesday, 19 November 2025, from 16:15 to 17:45, in Lossi 36–214, Tartu.

Mr Giuliani, one of the most respected voices on European affairs, has served as Special Adviser to the European Commission, Chief of Staff to the President of the French Senate, and Maître des Requêtes at the French Council of State. He is the author of numerous works on European integration, including "Européen, sans complexes" (2022) and "La grande bascule - Le XXIème siècle européen" (2019).

The lecture, titled “Democratic Resilience in Europe in Times of Polarisation,” is organized in cooperation with the French Embassy in Tallinn and the Institut français d’Estonie, as part of the French Week in Tartu. The event will be opened by Ms. Sophie Coumel, Director of the Institut français and Cultural Counsellor, and will be moderated by Dr. Stefano Braghiroli, Associate Professor of European Studies at our institute.

This event also marks the concluding activity of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “REPAIR - Rejuvenating Democracy in the EU”, led by the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies and supported by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme.

Over the past three years, REPAIR has strengthened teaching and research in EU Studies by analysing and seeking solutions to the growing challenges facing democratic politics and governance in the European Union – from citizens’ declining trust in institutions and the rise of populism to political polarization and instability. The Centre has fostered dialogue between academia, civil society, and policymakers, while generating policy-relevant knowledge about threats to democracy and ways to strengthen civic education and participation.

According to Dr. Stefano Braghiroli, coordinator of the teaching related activities of the Centre of Excellence, “the occasion of this lecture, together with the conclusion of the REPAIR project, reminds us that the quest to keep democracy strong across Europe in these troubled times is all but over – and that academia, together with civil society and engaged citizens, can make a real difference.”