CfP: Ten Years of Hopes for a New Europe: Moscow and Brussels from 1985 to 1994

Deadline:  31 maggio 2022

To be held on 26-27 January, 2023 Department of Political Science, University of Pisa

The conference is organised by the Department of Political Science of the University of Pisa in the context of the University Research Project «Ten Years of Hopes for a New Europe: Moscow and Brussels from 1985 to 1994»

The main research question to be answered is to what extent the current crisis in relations between the European Union (EU) and the Russian Federation has its roots in the complex transition between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. This symposium, in particular, aims at evaluating whether and in which manner the relationship between the European Community (EC) and the Soviet Union in the last phase of the Cold War and between the EC/EU and the Russian Federation in the early stage of the post-Cold War period influenced the subsequent evolution of Euro-Russian relations. This research question, in turn, will be divided up into three distinct but closely intertwined sub-questions.

The first sub-question concerns the EC/EU and their attitudes towards the Soviet Union/Russian Federation. The aim is to analyse how the Community and its institutions and Member States perceived and intervened in the reform, unravelling and collapse of the Soviet Union between the mid-1980s and early 1990s. The aim is also to investigate whether, at least until the mid-1990s, Brussels considered Russia as an integral part of its own stabilization strategy for Central and Eastern Europe. Russia, of course, has been never considered by the EC/EU as a potential candidate for membership. It remains to be seen, however, whether Russia was considered as a possible EC/EU’s partner in the geopolitical reorganisation of the European space resulting from the end of the bipolar confrontation and the political division of the continent.
The first sub-question concerns the EC/EU and their attitudes towards the Soviet Union/Russian Federation. The aim is to analyse how the Community and its institutions and Member States perceived and intervened in the reform, unravelling and collapse of the Soviet Union between the mid-1980s and early 1990s. The aim is also to investigate whether, at least until the mid-1990s, Brussels considered Russia as an integral part of its own stabilization strategy for Central and Eastern Europe. Russia, of course, has been never considered by the EC/EU as a potential candidate for membership. It remains to be seen, however, whether Russia was considered as a possible EC/EU’s partner in the geopolitical reorganisation of the European space resulting from the end of the bipolar confrontation and the political division of the continent.
The third sub-question, finally, deals with the relationship between the EC/EU and the Soviet Union/Russian Federation. In this context, the main aim is to examine whether, at a time when Central and Eastern Europe was undergoing post-Communist uncertainty, the dialogue between Brussels and Moscow was conceived in terms of a true partnership. The conference, too, intends to examine to what extent, in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, relations between the EC/EU and the Russian Federation followed the old Cold War logic or a new spirit of collaboration, aimed at offering lasting stability to the European continent in the grip of potential chaos.

Although there is an extensive and rich literature on these issues, it is still missing a systematic and interdisciplinary reconstruction of the socio-economic, cultural, political-diplomatic and legal aspects of the historical relations between the EC/EU and the Soviet Union/Russian Federation in the crucial transition years. This conference wants to fill this 3 gap in scientific debate and literature by bringing together young and more experienced scholars from a range of disciplines, who share an interest in the historical approach.

Proposals in English should be submitted to Prof. Elena Dundovich (elena.dundovich@unipi.it) and Prof. Simone Paoli (simone.paoli@unipi.it) by 31 May, 2022. The selection will be finalized by 30 June 2022. Proposals must include: • Name and Surname of Applicant • Position • Affiliation • Contact: Postal Address, Phone Number, E-Mail Address • Title of Paper • Abstract of Paper; it should be 250 words long with the key argument, research methods and main sources and findings.

Participants’ accommodation costs will be covered by the organisers. Travel costs will be reimbursed on the basis and upon receipt of the original invoices, up to the amount of 250 euros. There will be no participation fee.

Selected papers will be published in an edited volume by an international academic publisher.

Scientific Committee: Claudia Cinelli, Elena Dundovich, Andrea Giannotti, Luca Michelini, Marinella Neri Gualdesi, Simone Paoli, Anna Pau, Giovanna Pizzanelli.

Author: Aisseco

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