Susana Sanz Caballero, Professor of Public International Law at UCH-CEU and Fulbright Schuman Scholar at City University of New York, invited to the Fulbrighters’ meeting organized by the Fulbright Commission-Belgium and to the European Annual Conference at Harvard University.
On January 31, Susana Sanz Caballero participated in the meeting of Fulbright scholars and alumni held at Harvard University. During this event, she had the opportunity to meet high-level figures such as the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander de Croo; the Governor of the National Bank of Belgium, Pierre Wunsch; and the Director-General for Tourism of the European Commission, Amaryllis Verhoeven. All of them, like Sanz Caballero, have been beneficiaries of the prestigious Fulbright scholarship.
The event brought together a select group of participants and was organized by the Fulbright Commission-Belgium, which manages the Fulbright Schuman Program, of which Susana Sanz is a beneficiary. The meeting was attended by Erika Lutes, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in Belgium and organizer of the event, as well as the Belgian Ambassador to the United States, Filip Vanden Bulcke. During the meeting, attendees had the opportunity to discuss with the authorities present the future of transatlantic relations and the state of the European coexistence model based on shared values. Additionally, more personal and informal discussions were held about the opportunities that the Fulbright program has offered its beneficiaries throughout their careers.
Taking advantage of the coincidence with the European Annual Conference of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Susana Sanz also participated in this event on January 31 and February 1. This forum brought together internationally relevant figures, including former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Polish dissident and current professor at the University of Sydney Wojciech Sadurski, former European Commissioner Vera Jourová, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric, former U.S. State Department official under the Biden administration Dafna Rand, Spanish Member of the European Parliament specializing in the Rule of Law Adrián Vázquez, and French Minister Benjamin Haddad, among others.
Susana Sanz at the European Annual Conference of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
During the debate that took place, there was a lengthy discussion about the situation facing the rule of law in Europe. Particularly interesting was the diametrically opposed view presented by the former Polish leader during the time of the Law and Justice party’s government, who offered a purely technocratic and economic perspective of Europe. For him, Europe is a sanatorium that needs to catch up in order to recover a transatlantic dialogue based solely on economic interests. On the other hand, the dissident Wojciech Sadurski argued that Europe will lose its soul if, beyond economic progress and the fight for competitiveness, it does not prioritize the values of the EU, such as human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
The exchange of ideas between these two opposing viewpoints generated an enriching debate on the future of the European project. While some advocated for a more pragmatic Europe focused on economic efficiency, others stressed that without a solid foundation of democratic values, the European project risked becoming a mere bureaucratic structure without its own identity.
Susana Sanz’s participation in these events reaffirms her commitment to the analysis and strengthening of the Rule of Law in Europe, as well as her involvement in key debates on the future of transatlantic cooperation.
