19 April 2018: Jean Monnet Lecture with Romanian Ambassador Brândușa Ioana Predescu
For CERiM's fourth Jean Monnet Lecture, we are honoured to welcome Her Excellency Ambassador Brândușa Ioana Predescu, Minister Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to Maastricht. The event is free but requires registration.
The Centre for European Research in Maastricht's (CERiM) are honored to welcome Her Excellency Ambassador Brândușa Ioana Predescu, Minister Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to their fourth Jean Monnet lecture on: 'From Rome to Romania: Taking the Presidency in a defining moment for the European Union (January - June 2019)'.
In 2019 Romania will hold for the first time the Presidency of the EU Council since its accession to the EU. It will be a crucial time for the Union: between January and the end of June 2019, the UK will leave the EU; the negotiations for the new multiannual post-2020 financial framework will be ongoing; EU leaders will meet in Sibiu/Hermannstadt to conclude the so-called ”Leaders' Agenda”; European elections will take place in spring and the period will also be the end of the European Commission’s tenure. These are some key elements shaping the context in which Romania will be operating.
What to expect from the Romanian EU Presidency, what will be the position, role and focus of Romania – these are some questions on which the Ambassador of Romania would like to share her thoughts.
The format of the event will be a 45 minute lecture, followed by a round of Q&As by the audience for the remaining time.
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2018
Time: 18:30 – 20:00
Location: Turnzaal, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Grote Gracht 90-92
Please register for the event as spaces are limited: register here.
Short biography of the speaker:
Ambassador Predescu has been working as a diplomat in the foreign service of Romania for 25 years. Before joining the Foreign Ministry, she worked in the private office of the Prime Minister as junior expert. During her diplomatic career she has served in various diplomatic capacities abroad, both in the bilateral embassies and in permanent missions to international organizations in Vienna, Strasbourg, Berlin, München and Istanbul. While in the Foreign Ministry, she held different positions as head of the directorate for human rights and international organizations (OSCE, Council of Europe, human rights related UN agencies), the directorate for North America, the directorate for Western Balkans, the press and communication department acting at the same time as the spokesperson of the Ministry. She is a graduate of the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Philology, Department of Germanic Studies and of the Vienna Diplomatic Academy. She is also alumnus of the Hertie School of Governance of Berlin (the course for executives). She is fluent in English, German, French and has some knowledge of Dutch. Ambassador Predescu presented her credentials to H.M. Willem Alexander, the King of the Netherlands on August 24, 2016.