Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus on May 17, 2023, as part of a mission “to establish and deepen the political dialogue with the U.S. administration and meet counterparts in Congress, following the U.S. mid-term elections.” The delegation was led by Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (European People’s Party/Christian-Democrats, Germany), David McAllister, and other high-ranking Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), including Chair of the EP Delegation for relations with China, Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens, Germany), relations with Ukraine, Michael Gahler (European People’s Party, Germany), relations with the U.S. Tonino Picula (Social-Democrats, Croatia), Artificial Intelligence, MEP Dragos Tudorache (Renew/Liberals, Romania); and the former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Poland and Estonia, respectively Anna Fotyga (European Conservatives & Reformists) and Sven Mikser (Social-Democrats).
Thanks in part to the University’s long-standing relationship with the European Commission as a recipient of competitive grants to study the European Union, the European Parliament’s delegation on foreign affairs chose Wisconsin as its only stop outside Washington, D.C. this year. The Committee also conversed with important figures in the Wisconsin Legislature, Governor’s office, and other venues in what they consider to be an important “swing and bellwether State.” The members also held meetings with government and Congressional representatives in D.C., in part to discuss the war in Ukraine and its impact on U.S./EU relations and coordination on relations with China and Iran.
Professors Mark Copelovitch and Nils Ringe, both recipients of European “Jean Monnet Chairs,” hosted the campus event in conjunction with University of Wisconsin-Madison leadership and the European Studies team. Recent important scholarship and community outreach on populism and global economics, the topics of expertise for our stellar faculty, academic staff, and graduate students, were relayed to this important delegation of members of the European Parliament. We are grateful for the opportunity to have showcased Wisconsin interest in and cooperation with the European Union in transatlantic affairs, along with state, local and federal dignitaries.
Elizabeth E. Covington, Ph.D.
Executive Director, European Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison