Convened by SPS Professor Filip Kostelka, the EUI Workshop on Political Behaviour in Central and Eastern Europe gathered scholars from the East and West to analyse political situations in the CEE region through within-country, between-country, and between-region comparisons.
Throughout the two days, the participants presented their papers and exchanged ideas on issues including public opinion and attitudes, voting behaviour, elections, political parties, and political participation in Central and Eastern Europe.
The event concluded with the awarding of the Jacques Rupnik Prize 2024 to two doctoral researchers for the best papers presented at the workshop. Researchers Tadeas Cely (Masaryk University Brno) and Robert Lipinksi (Oxford University), received the Prize for their papers 'New Threat of Culture Wars? The Religious Roots of Public Opinion Polarization on Culture Wars Issues in Europe', and 'Over the Finnish Line. Understanding the Role of Foreign Media in the Democratic Transition in Estonia', respectively. The jury was composed of Professor Natalia Letki (University of Warsaw) and Professor Daniel Bochsler (CEU and University of Belgrade), and presided by Professor Kostelka.
For Tatiana Lupacheva, PhD Researcher at the University of Tartu, the workshop offered a unique opportunity to engage with studies "on a region still underrepresented in political behaviour scholarships." She added, "the guidance of experienced scholars combined with the curiosity of early-career researchers created a fruitful environment for discussion and networking. I am leaving the workshop with thorough feedback on my paper, kind encouragement on my doctoral project, and hopes of seeing the scholars I met again soon. I am very glad the workshop was part of my PhD studies, and attending it was possible thanks to the funding from the EUI Widening Europe Programme."
The stimulating panel sessions and in-depth discussions on the various papers were highly appreciated by the participants. "The workshop format, with ample time for focused discussions on each paper, as well as the mix of junior and more experienced scholars, created a perfect environment for learning. I very much appreciated the thorough feedback I received for my paper, and overall, the work of all discussants and participants who shared their thoughtful comments in a constructive and kind way," pointed out Marta Kołczyńska, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
"The relatively small size of the event allowed us to actually get to know other participants, which made for a friendly and collegial atmosphere, and one that is conducive to forming new collaborations. It’s been a wonderful experience," added Kołczyńska.
Reflecting on the positive impact that the workshop had on the academic collaboration between scholars across Europe, SPS Professor Filip Kostelka concluded, "the event was genuinely pan-European, featuring participants from diverse regions and universities, from Oxford to Tartu and from Stockholm to Belgrade. The unifying aspect was their shared academic interest in the political realities of Central and Eastern Europe. This event fulfills a vital need for a forum where scholars from both East and West could meet and learn from each other."
The two-day workshop was organised in the framework of the EUI Widening Europe Programme. Backed by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States, the workshop’s programme was designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in targeted Widening countries, and thus foster more cohesive European Higher Education and Research Areas.