In this podcast, which is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project and kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, IIEA Researcher Dylan Marshall engaged with Judge Baker in a conversation on the link between the European Democracy Shield and safeguarding the integrity of elections.
Judge Baker provided an overview of the role and powers of the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) as an independent statutory body, constrained by legislation, which is responsible for:
· overseeing all elections and referendum campaigns in Ireland;
· overseeing the realignment of constituency boundaries;
· maintaining the register of political parties in Ireland; and
· encouraging people to vote by explaining the electoral process and its education and research role.
On its role of ensuring the fairness and integrity of electoral events, she highlighted the importance of procedures being followed correctly to ensure that everyone has access and the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Furthermore, Judge Baker referred to the links between the Electoral Commission and similar agencies in other European countries and explained how its work can feed into the formulation of the EU Democracy Shield, which is due to be presented this autumn by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
Judge Baker discussed the Electoral Commission’s yet to be defined role in regulating online political information and advertising and discussed the Political Advertising Regulation, which will enter into force in October 2025, and the potential role that the Electoral Commission may have in its enforcement. In the context of regulating dis- and misinformation, Judge Baker underlined the importance of freedom of expression and its constitutional value and emphasised the importance of ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and regulation. Furthermore, she reflected on the role judicial oversight could have in ensuring respect for rights in this area, highlighting the importance of the rule of law and its link to democratic resilience. However, she emphasised the particular logistical difficulties that can arise with judicial redress around electoral events.
Judge Baker emphasised the importance of education for citizens to enable them to engage with civil society and democratic processes and expressed the view that educational outreach can achieve much better outcomes in countering dis- and misinformation than regulation alone. She welcomed the high level of electoral literacy amongst Irish people and mentioned that radio programmes have proved to be an effective platform for reaching people in their daily life.
Judge Baker briefly reflected on the upcoming Presidential elections in Ireland and stated that the procedures are neutral and robust, that the President’s ceremonial role should reflect the values of the population and must be taken seriously, and that the Electoral Commission has a role in ensuring that people know what the President can and cannot do. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the recently proposed motions, passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and debated in Dáil Éireann, to expand the franchise in Irish Presidential elections to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and on the potential logistical and structural challenges it could pose.
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In this podcast, which is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project and kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, IIEA Researcher Dylan Marshall engaged with Judge Baker in a conversation on the link between the European Democracy Shield and safeguarding the integrity of elections.
Judge Baker provided an overview of the role and powers of the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) as an independent statutory body, constrained by legislation, which is responsible for:
· overseeing all elections and referendum campaigns in Ireland;
· overseeing the realignment of constituency boundaries;
· maintaining the register of political parties in Ireland; and
· encouraging people to vote by explaining the electoral process and its education and research role.
On its role of ensuring the fairness and integrity of electoral events, she highlighted the importance of procedures being followed correctly to ensure that everyone has access and the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Furthermore, Judge Baker referred to the links between the Electoral Commission and similar agencies in other European countries and explained how its work can feed into the formulation of the EU Democracy Shield, which is due to be presented this autumn by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
Judge Baker discussed the Electoral Commission’s yet to be defined role in regulating online political information and advertising and discussed the Political Advertising Regulation, which will enter into force in October 2025, and the potential role that the Electoral Commission may have in its enforcement. In the context of regulating dis- and misinformation, Judge Baker underlined the importance of freedom of expression and its constitutional value and emphasised the importance of ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and regulation. Furthermore, she reflected on the role judicial oversight could have in ensuring respect for rights in this area, highlighting the importance of the rule of law and its link to democratic resilience. However, she emphasised the particular logistical difficulties that can arise with judicial redress around electoral events.
Judge Baker emphasised the importance of education for citizens to enable them to engage with civil society and democratic processes and expressed the view that educational outreach can achieve much better outcomes in countering dis- and misinformation than regulation alone. She welcomed the high level of electoral literacy amongst Irish people and mentioned that radio programmes have proved to be an effective platform for reaching people in their daily life.
Judge Baker briefly reflected on the upcoming Presidential elections in Ireland and stated that the procedures are neutral and robust, that the President’s ceremonial role should reflect the values of the population and must be taken seriously, and that the Electoral Commission has a role in ensuring that people know what the President can and cannot do. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the recently proposed motions, passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and debated in Dáil Éireann, to expand the franchise in Irish Presidential elections to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and on the potential logistical and structural challenges it could pose.
EU-India Relations: Cooperation, Connectivity, and a Free Trade Future?
IIEA Talks
25 minutes 39 seconds
2 months ago
EU-India Relations: Cooperation, Connectivity, and a Free Trade Future?
After almost two-decades of floundering negotiations, talks on an EU-India Free Trade Agreement have begun to gather momentum. Both sides seek alliances that cover not only trade relations but greater security cooperation and a shared technology agenda.
In a signal of its strategic priorities, the College of Commissioners paid a first-of-its-kind visit to India in February 2025, where Prime Minister Modi and European Commission President von der Leyen pledged to conclude a Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year.
In this IIEA panel discussion, Dr Sonali Chowdhry and Dr Amitendu Palit address the prospects of a potential EU-India Free Trade Agreement and consider what an EU-India partnership should or should not prioritise. At a time when the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy has promised to create links, not dependencies, the panelists reflect on whether – in the words of President von der Leyen – EU-India ties have the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this century.
About the Speakers:
Dr Sonali Chowdhry is a trade economist based at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Her work examines the structure of global supply chains and distributional effects of new trade policies. Dr Chowdhry has contributed to in-depth policy reports on mega-regional free trade agreements to the European Parliament. Previously, she was a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute and earned her PhD in Economics from LMU Munich as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow. Dr Chowdhry holds an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar from India.
Dr Amitendu Palit is Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. He specialises in economic security, international trade and investment policies, FTAs, supply chains, regional connectivity, and the Indian economy. He is a Senior Associate Fellow with the ISPI Milan and an Adjunct Faculty with the Centre for WTO Studies, India. He has also been a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment. Dr Palit has edited and authored several books. He writes for various global publications and features as an expert on CNBC, CNA, BBC, NDTV and other prominent media channels.
IIEA Talks
In this podcast, which is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project and kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, IIEA Researcher Dylan Marshall engaged with Judge Baker in a conversation on the link between the European Democracy Shield and safeguarding the integrity of elections.
Judge Baker provided an overview of the role and powers of the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) as an independent statutory body, constrained by legislation, which is responsible for:
· overseeing all elections and referendum campaigns in Ireland;
· overseeing the realignment of constituency boundaries;
· maintaining the register of political parties in Ireland; and
· encouraging people to vote by explaining the electoral process and its education and research role.
On its role of ensuring the fairness and integrity of electoral events, she highlighted the importance of procedures being followed correctly to ensure that everyone has access and the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Furthermore, Judge Baker referred to the links between the Electoral Commission and similar agencies in other European countries and explained how its work can feed into the formulation of the EU Democracy Shield, which is due to be presented this autumn by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
Judge Baker discussed the Electoral Commission’s yet to be defined role in regulating online political information and advertising and discussed the Political Advertising Regulation, which will enter into force in October 2025, and the potential role that the Electoral Commission may have in its enforcement. In the context of regulating dis- and misinformation, Judge Baker underlined the importance of freedom of expression and its constitutional value and emphasised the importance of ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and regulation. Furthermore, she reflected on the role judicial oversight could have in ensuring respect for rights in this area, highlighting the importance of the rule of law and its link to democratic resilience. However, she emphasised the particular logistical difficulties that can arise with judicial redress around electoral events.
Judge Baker emphasised the importance of education for citizens to enable them to engage with civil society and democratic processes and expressed the view that educational outreach can achieve much better outcomes in countering dis- and misinformation than regulation alone. She welcomed the high level of electoral literacy amongst Irish people and mentioned that radio programmes have proved to be an effective platform for reaching people in their daily life.
Judge Baker briefly reflected on the upcoming Presidential elections in Ireland and stated that the procedures are neutral and robust, that the President’s ceremonial role should reflect the values of the population and must be taken seriously, and that the Electoral Commission has a role in ensuring that people know what the President can and cannot do. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the recently proposed motions, passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and debated in Dáil Éireann, to expand the franchise in Irish Presidential elections to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and on the potential logistical and structural challenges it could pose.
