Conference Program

The foreign policy of the Republic of Serbia is based on the so-called four pillars - simultaneous cooperation with the European Union, the United States, the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. The multi-vector nature of Serbia's foreign policy, on the one hand, contributes to the economic development of the country and, on the other hand, intensifies its political instability. Using a comparative analysis, the author will present the opportunities and risks (economic and political) for Serbia related to its simultaneous cooperation with four partners that are among the strongest actors in contemporary international relations in a dynamically changing world.

This communication aims to study the connection between digital diplomacy practices and economic diplomacy within the framework of French public diplomacy (diplomatie d’influence) under the Emmanuel Macron presidency. Understanding how France positioned herself according to the digital and economic dynamics of globalization and how she understood the interactions between these two spheres allows us to understand French perceptions of the new diplomatic trends, hence the centrality of digital questions in the French soft power domain. What does the French style of digital diplomacy consist of? In what sense can we talk about the roles of French technological companies (French Tech) in diplomacy? Based on an eclectic approach inspired by neoliberalism and the sociology of IR, this study questions how French digital diplomacy affects economic diplomacy and its actors and deals with the case of France through the convergences and divergences between digital diplomacy and economic diplomacy. Digitalization and economic strategies pursued since 2017 can be conceived as two spheres of influence that complement each other in many respects, as can be seen in the examples of France's participation in technology events such as the Center for Office Automation, Information Technology, and Telecommunication (CeBIT) and the Consumer Electronic Show (CES). Using case study methodology and literature review as the main data collection tools, this paper argues that the proper functioning and implementation of French digital influence on a global scale depends on a diplomatic network including private, independent, and non-state actors, as well as the effectiveness of economic diplomacy.

Recent academic discourse has led many authors to the idea that ours is "a golden age of philanthropy"(Reich 2018). Switzerland is at the forefront of countries where the philanthropic sector and civil engagement is the most developed and, more significantly, has been growing with unprecedented dynamism for the past 20 years.

However, well known Swiss philanthropy not only has its historical, economic and cultural dimensions, but by virtue of the fact that it is also the state - the headquarters for many non-governmental and international organizations, it influences and clearly radiates on international relations both axiologically, politically and culturally, creating a certain space, organizational and axiological framework in which these relations and norms form and function.

In the presentation, the focus will be on the impact of the cultural, political, economic and axiological dimensions of the Swiss sector of philanthropy into the international agenda by showing its radiating influence on international relations.

The research rely on one of the theories of international relations: constructivist conceptualization (holistic constructivism), which assumes that the international order/axiology and the structure of international relations, is determined by cultural and axiological proximity which results not only from the very nature of international relations (similar countries cooperates more effectively), but also from internal conditions - as the internal norms and standards of particular states are very often externalized (Reus Smit 2009).

The research is funded under the Swiss Confederation Excellence Research program - research project:Philanthropy and international relations: how do cultural, political and axiological settings determine philanthropy?

“Quake Disaster Turns Disputed Waters Between Turkey, Greece into Channels of Brotherhood”, “Earthquake Solidarity Showed that Greece and Turkey Are the Closest of Kin Yet Again”, “Greek Rescue Team Lauds ‘Warm Welcome’ by Turkish Quake Survivors”. These are some of the headlines published by the Greek news agencies upon the efforts of the Greek rescue teams, who arrived at Turkey in the immediate aftermath of the deadly earthquakes on February 6, 2023. These headlines were also accompanied by several images of the earthquake devastation as well as images of the Greek rescue team’s efforts to save lives under the rubbles. Discourses of sympathy, compassion, and solidarity with Turkey as well as a renewed emphasis on the Turkish-Greek komşu (neighbor) identity filled the Greek media in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

The above-mentioned emotional context is widely considered to have formed a remarkable contrast with the pre-earthquake period when tensions were on the rise between Turkish and Greek political actors and the Greek media was dominated by anxious comments about Turkey’s increasingly assertive policies in the region. Within the framework of the scholarship on visual politics, mediated emotions, and international relations, this paper challenges the idea of a radical change in the emotional representations about Turkey in the Greek media outlets after February 6, 2023 and provides a more comprehensive analysis on the dynamics of continuity and change in the Turkish-Greek emotional context as it has been represented in the Greek media since the beginning of the 1999 rapprochement.

The war in Ukraine has changed the security outlook as well as the military posture of European states inside and outside NATO. Germany, long a reluctant military actor, has promised a turning point in its security and military policy by providing 100 bn EUR in additional funding for its armed forces. Two years on, the question this paper seeks to answer is if there really has been a sea-change in military and security policy that amounts to a strategic shift away from liberal institutionalism to more offensive realism. The paper will analyze how special fund for the Bundeswehr has been spent and where the main problems still lie: These include the procurement process itself, but also industrial production bottlenecks and a bureaucratic planning culture with long time horizons, as well as a political culture of maximum military risk-aversion and a structurally pacifist society. By taking into account these context factors of the Zeitenwende, the paper will be able to better gauge if the political rhetoric really inspired a structural change in the relationship between Germany and the Bundeswehr – that continues to be plagued by a deep-seated distrust of military power, “the Hulk Syndrome”. Here, the Zeitenwende will be understood as a combination of continuity (new initiatives in NATO and as a civilian power), change (a more aggressive forward defence posture, new narratives about Russia and a liberal international order under threat) and contestation (Poland as the new frontline state in NATO and counterweight to perceived German foot-dragging).