SNES Spring Conference 2026

Join the Spring Conference 2026 of the Swedish Network for European Studies in Political Science (SNES) at Campus Norrköping (Linköping University), March 19-20!

This year’s theme is European and Global Cooperation in Turbulent Times

The European Union is challenged by recent global events. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is only one of many actions by authoritarian regimes which demand coordinated responses by the European governments. Under president Trump even the United States has become a source of instability. The rule-based world order is under heavy strain and so are established models of trade, migration, security arrangements and so on. The challenges call for revised strategies and coherent action, including the possibility of the EU taking a global leadership role.

The broad portfolio of foreign policies of the EU has been under reconstruction since the Lisbon Treaty. One such element is the ambition to form a partnership with the African Union. In today’s turbulent times the partnership with Africa may be the most stable and promising for the EU. At the same time, Africa is an arena where the global battle for influence is taking place. The recent trade agreement with Latin America (Mercosur) indicates a similar desire by the EU to form new alliances and economic partnerships.

The global events put strain on European cooperation while it creates a need for action. An optimist may think that this provides opportunities for further integration of the EU, perhaps in partly new ways, while pessimists see limitations. For example, the trade agreement with Mercosur was made in spite of heavy French resistance. Countries like Sweden may need to search for new alliances. This means that traditional views and theories of European integration may need to be revised.

The aim of the conference is to explore the challenges and possible ways forward. We especially invite papers on the external and internal challenges of the European Union, while all topics related to European politics and the European Union are welcome. The deadline for submission and for registration is Friday, February 20th.

Panel discussions

We plan for two panel discussions, at the beginning and the end of the conference. The first will focus on external challenges and the second will focus on internal challenges, especially the ones caused by the external challenges. We well have plenty of room for papers. Working groups will be formed after the submission deadline, when we know the topics of the papers.

Keynote

Liezel Badenhorst, Eyescapethe Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, 2024.

The keynote address will be presented by Professor Adekeye Adebajo of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He will give us an introduction to the African Union and the African perceptions of the European Union. Adekeye Adebajo has published extensively on African integration and the role of African political leaders, for example the political program of Panafricanism, the life and works of South African president Thabo Mbeki and a comparison of the political cultures of South Africa and Nigeria, his country of origin. He also has great knowledge of the European Union and makes comparisons between the EU and the AU. Adekeye Adebajo is a frequent visitor to Sweden, where he is affiliated with Nordiska Afrikainstitutet in Uppsala. He is a columnist in The Guardian.