Room for Discussion

Europe is entering a period of growing fragmentation. Rising defence pressures, economic stagnation, and geopolitical dependence are colliding at a moment when the European Union appears increasingly unable to act collectively.We welcome Marco Buti, former Director General for Economic and Financial Affairs at the European Commission and one of the key figures behind Europe’s response to the Eurozone crisis.In this discussion, we discuss the future of the European project; from austerity and common debt to defense spending, industrial policy, and the growing tension between national interests and collective European action.

🫵Student well-being, collaborations with other countries and affordability of education. These are all issues in which the Central Student Council, the CSR, has influence over decisions made by the UvA which have tangible effects on the daily life of all students.Vote here: https://uva.digitaleverkiezing.nl/🗳️To make your voice heard and shape those decisions, you should cast your vote in the upcoming elections to the CSR and to the faculty student councils! The digital ballot boxes are open between the 11th to the 16th of May.💡There is no better place to inform yourself about the positions of the parties than the annual CSR debate, hosted by Room for Discussion. The four biggest parties are going to join us; Activistenpartij, De Vrije Student UvA Sociaal, and INTER. If you are unsure of who to vote for, this is the perfect opportunity to inform yourself.🙋There will be a lot of time for questions from the audience. Come to ask your questions and engage with student politics!The debate took place on Monday, 11th of May 2026.---------------------------------Do you want to see more interviews and be the first to hear about upcoming guests? Follow us here:* Website: http://roomfordiscussion.com* Facebook: http://facebook.com/RoomforDiscussion* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roomfordiscussion * Twitter: http://twitter.com/Room4Discussion

❗️On11th of May, Christian Schmidt announced that he will step down as High Representative for Bosnia and Hercegovina as soon as his successor is found. This interview took place on Wednesday, April 22nd at Roeterseiland Campus Thirty years after the end of one of Europe's bloodiest post-Cold War conflicts, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains caught between promise and paralysis. Ethnic power-sharing is deadlocked, a separatist leader backed by Moscow, an EU membership prospect nobody believes in, and over a million young people who have already left.🧑‍⚖️ At the centre of it all stands the High Representative Christian Schmidt, the most powerful figure in Bosnia, with sweeping authority to impose laws and dismiss officials - elected not by the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina but by a foreign entity. 🕊️ Is Bosnia a success story of international peacebuilding or a tale of what happens with too much foreign influence? And what does it reveal about the competing spheres of influence of the West and Russia? We explore these questions with none other than the current High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina himself, Christian Schmidt. Do you want to see more interviews and be the first to hear about upcoming guests? Follow us here:Website: http://roomfordiscussion.comFacebook:   / roomfordiscussion  Instagram:   / roomfordiscussion   Twitter:   / room4discussion  

Human exceptionalism, the idea that humans are intellectually, morally and socially superior to other lifeforms on this planet, is so fundamental that we barely recognise that it is there.Dr. Christine Webb is assistant professor of environmental studies at New York University and Author of recently published The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters and lecturer of a course at Harvard University of the same name. In this discussion, we examine the myriad of scientific and philosophical findings that challenge the human superiority complex, how our relationship to other living beings can be reframed, and what we stand to gain from stepping out of our preconceived notions on plant and animal intelligence.

“The billionaires’ nightmare”, “Rockstar Economist”, or “far-left activist”, Professor Gabriel Zucman goes by many names.With Elon Musk on his way to reaching trillionaire status, public debt accelerating, and far-right parties threatening democratic institutions, a consensus is emerging that economic inequality is reaching excessive levels. The most important question now becomes not why, but how we tax the rich.Zucman is one of the world's foremost experts on economic inequality, tax havens and wealth taxation. Having picked up the torch from his colleague Thomas Piketty, he is increasingly the face of a French and global movement for taxation of the tax-avoiding ultra-wealthy and multinational corporations.