Europe in an Age of Risk | Dr Lewis Dijkstra
Thursday, 23 June (12:00 - 14:00) | Brussels Press Club
Following the 'Age of Anger', it seems an 'Age of Risk' is slowly emerging as the dominant paradigm for Europe and the EU.
Dr Lewis Dijkstra
We are delighted to announce the second speaker in our series on 'Europe in an Age of Risk' will be Dr Lewis Dijkstra, Head of the Economic Analysis Sector of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy in the European Commission,who will speak to the question:
"What drives EU discontent in regions and rural areas?
Discussants: Professor Bogna Gawronska-Nowak, (Institute of Urban and Regional Development, Warsaw and Cracow University of Economics) and Professor Dimitris Ballas (University of Groningen)
More about this event:
Eurosceptic voting and distrust of the EU have increased substantially over the last two decades. Economic decline, education, migrants, age all affect Eurosceptic voting, but their impact depends on the degree of urbanisation. EU
Cohesion policy investments over the last two decades have reduced Eurosceptic voting, in particular investments in health care infrastructure.
Yet more needs to be done to show that the EU listens to the concerns of its (rural) citizens, to highlight how it has improved our quality of life and to explain what it can and cannot change.
More about Lewis Dijkstra
Dr Dijkstra is the Head of the Economic Analysis Sector of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy in the European Commission. In this role, he is the editor of the Cohesion Report, which analyses economic, social and environmental issues in EU regions and cities.
He is also a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from Rutgers University, New Jersey, an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in Political Science from the University of Ghent, Belgium.
