Webinar: Political Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for the EaP Countries
With the second wave of the COVID-19 already hitting the majority of the EU’s Eastern neighbours and exacerbating existing socio-economic problems and political grievances, the EaP leaderships find themselves under extreme pressure. The effectiveness of governments in combating the pandemic and its economic consequences may shape trajectories of the political regimes in the region in the near future, and not necessarily in a democratic direction.
On July 1, the “3 DCFTAs” Project, in cooperation with the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and the Ukrainian Think Tanks Liaison Office in Brussels (UTTLOB) with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, organised an online-webinar “Political Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for the Eastern Partnership Countries”.
Experts from six EU’s Eastern partners evaluated the latest developments with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, and the impact it is having on the overall political environment within each country, some of whom are facing elections.
In particular, the following issues were touched upon:
- State of emergency & concerns for civil liberties
- Governments’ handling the pandemic
- Impact on political parties, civil society and media
- Foreign policy orientations of leadership and populations
AGENDA
Moderators:
- Michael Emerson,CEPS, Belgium
- Olena Carbou, Ukrainian Think Tanks Liaison Office in Brussels, Belgium
Speakers & Panelists:
● Tamara Kovziridze, Reformatics, Georgia
● Benyamin Poghosyan, Political Science Association of Armenia, Armenia
● Shahla Ismayil, Women Association for Rational Development, Azerbaijan, Steering Committee EaP CSF
● Denis Cenusa, Expert-Grup, Moldova
● Veronika Movchan, Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, Ukraine
● Andrei Yahorau, Centre for European Transformation, Belarus, EaP CSF
Discussant:
● Natalia Yerashevich, Director of the Secretariat of the EaP CSF, Belgium
READ THE REPORT
WATCH THE VIDEO
“3 DCFTAs” project is funded by
the Government of Sweden
This event is organised with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation
