IIEA Talks

For much of the past two decades, discussions of Latin American democracy have centred on decline — elected autocrats, weakened institutions, and a slide toward competitive authoritarianism. Building on joint work with Scott Mainwaring, Dr Bizzarro contends that the more common, and in some ways more troubling, pattern is not democratic collapse but stagnation. He argues that most of the region's democracies are neither dying nor deepening: they are stuck — hobbled by entrenched elites who block reform, governments that fail to deliver, and weak states that neither fully protect rights nor fully provide security. Dr Bizzarro examines what this stagnation costs: economically, in slower growth; politically, in eroding support for democratic institutions and the rise of anti-system outsiders; and internationally, in a region less able to anchor democratic norms abroad. This event examines why Latin American democracy's central problem may not be a single dramatic crisis, but a long, quiet plateau whose consequences deserve closer attention.

Dr Bizzarro is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Boston College, and for the 2026-2027 academic year, a Visiting Professor at Yale University. A comparativist working on Latin America, his research explores the nature, causes, and consequences of democracy and political parties across the region. He completed his Ph.D. in Harvard University's Department of Government in 2023 and was previously a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale's Jackson School of International Affairs. His work has appeared in the Journal of Democracy, World Politics, and Electoral Studies, and he is co-authoring a book with Scott Mainwaring on democratic deepening in Latin America.

In recent years, there has been a growing focus by governments on the criticality of offshore data cables, and the risks which they face. From accidental damage to acts of sabotage, the risks to undersea data cables continues to capture attention. In this panel discussion, experts from industry, government, and academia share their perspectives on the risks to underwater cables, and on how to ensure that this infrastructure remains secure and reliable.

Speakers include:

Sandra Delaney, General Council at EXA Infrastructure
Camino Kavanagh, Senior Fellow with the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and a Visiting Senior Fellow with the Dept. of War Studies, King’s College London.
Margaret Stanley, Director of the Maritime Security Unit at the Department of Defence

In his remarks to the IIEA, Minister Valys presents Lithuania’s priorities for its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, with a focus on the work in the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and General Affairs Council (GAC) in Cohesion configuration. Taurimas Valys elaborates on Lithuania’s priorities in ECOFIN, regarding continued support for Ukraine, the Savings and Investment Union (SIU), taxation, and the 2028-2034 EU budget and own resources, as well as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Cohesion Policy in GAC (Cohesion). Taurimas Valys is the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. He has more than 20 years of management experience in finance and previously served as Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for economic diplomacy, defence industry and diaspora. He has also served as an adviser to the Prime Minister on economic diplomacy and state-owned enterprise efficiency. Taurimas Valys holds degrees in International Relations and Political Science.

Keynote Address by Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health followed by a fireside chat with Audrey Carville.

"Driving Innovation for Patients"

This panel examines how sustained commitment to research, innovation and health system modernisation can accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation therapies across Europe. It also looks at how public policy, private investment and multi-stakeholder collaboration can improve patient outcomes while supporting a thriving life sciences ecosystem.

Panellists include:

Rainer Becker, Director of Medical Products & Innovation, DG SANTE, European Commission
Vytenis Andriukaitis MEP, Biotech Act Rapporteur for SANT Committee, European Parliament, and former European Commissioner for Health & Food Safety
Claire Skentelbery, Director General, EuropaBio
Avril Daly, President of EURORDIS - Rare Diseases Europe
Muiris O’Connor, Assistant Secretary at Department of Health, Head of Research & Development and Health Analytics.