Arena Europa

Hvordan kan EU holde sammen politisk i en krevende geopolitisk situasjon? I episoden har vi med tre kapittelforfattere i boken «Europaperspektiv 2026 – Sammanhållning för ett slagkragftigt EU». Kapitlene handler om høyrepopulismens transatlantiske forbindelser, EUs forsvars- og beredskapssamarbeid, samt regulering av digitale teknologigiganter.Episoden er opptak av et seminar på Sveriges ambassade i Oslo i samarbeid med ARENA Senter for europaforsking.I episoden hører du: Mikael Eriksson, Sveriges ambassadør til NorgeAnn-Cathrine Jungar, Professor i statsvitenskap ved Södertörns högskolaKatarina Engberg, Filosofie doktor i freds- og konfliktforskning og seniorrådgiver ved Svenska institutet för europapolitiska studier (SIEPS)Niousha Nademi, Lektor i europarett, Det juridiske fakultet, Stockholms universitetModerator: Pernille Rieker, senterleder ved ARENAProdusenter: Dag Backer og Tyra Kristiansen Stave, UiO

How can the United Kingdom make deals with EU member countries after it left the Union in 2020? And how are EU member states constricted by the Union in making these deals?Guest: Hussein Kassim, Professor, University of Warwick.Host: John Erik Fossum, Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of OsloProducers: Tyra Kristiansen Stave and Dag Backer

In this episode of Arena Europa, Vlad Makszimov and Alida Steigler discuss Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary elections and what they mean for democracy. The episode explores what elections can—and cannot—change in a system shaped by years of democratic backsliding.Guest: Alida Steigler, Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Public and International Law, University of OsloProducer: Dag Backer, University of Oslo 

How is the EU responding to a changed global context? And what are the consequences for Norway?Guests in this episode are Craig Parsons, University of Oregon and ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo, and Guri Rosén, Department of Political Science and ARENA, University of Oslo.Host: Pernille RiekerProducer: Dag BackerRead more in the policy brief "The Path to a New European Economic Order (and Norway’s Place in It)"

Is the EU institutional system fit to solve crises? And do the member states have too much power over EU decisions?Guest: Sergio Fabbrini, professor of political science and international relations at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome.Host: John Erik Fossum, professor at ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of OsloProducer: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, adviser, ARENA

Over the past decade, Hungary has slid into a competitive authoritarian state. Courts are formally independent, but that independence is hollowed out in practise. Learn about how judges are controlled, and why it is difficult for the EU to intervene.Vlad Makszimov interviews Etienne Hanelt, researcher at Verfassungsblog and Masaryk University, and Attila Vincze, assistant professor at Masaryk University.This episode is part of a mini-series on Hungary.Full transcript available. Read more: Managing courts in competitive authoritarian regimes: Co-optation, repression and resistance in Hungary.

Discussions about the situation in Hungary are often centered on the effectiveness of any possible action. However, we rarely evaluate the correct course of action in terms of values. In this episode, we ask: what should the EU do? Vlad Makszimov interviews Antoinette Scherz about democratic backsliding in Hungary to find out what is normatively the right choice — suspension, expulsion, or something else?This episode is part of a mini-series on Hungary.Relevant literature:Antoinette Scherz (2024), How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding? A normative assessment of expulsion and suspension of voting rights from the perspective of multilateral democracyTom Theuns (2022), The Need for an EU Expulsion Mechanism: Democratic Backsliding and the Failure of Article 7Vlad Makszimov (2025), ARENA Policy Brief: Safeguarding EU values in Hungary: Navigating next steps amid increasing repression

How are new security threats influencing Europe? And how is international cooperation and peace the pragmatic solution? Federica Mogherini is former High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, now Rector at the College of Europe.This is a recording of the ARENA Lecture 2025.Find the recorded panel discussion that followed the lecture and read more on arena.uio.no.

How does Europe work to safeguard the future of humanity? Mai’a Cross, Dean’s Professor at Northeastern University, emphasises the need for strategies with a long-term perspective. Host: Pernille Rieker, Centre Director, ARENA Centre for European Studies Producer: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, Adviser, ARENA  Centre for European Studies

Hvordan vil den nye regjeringen jobbe for å sikre Norges interesser i Brussel? Og hva er begrensingene i EØS-avtalen? I denne episoden møter du Maria Varteressian, statssekretær i Utenriksdepartementet. Programleder: Pernille Rieker, senterleder ved ARENA Senter for europaforskning Produsent: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, rådgiver, ARENA Senter for europaforskning