Join our upcoming ValEUs Lecture on “EU Values and the State of the International Legal Order” with Randall Halle from the University of Pittsburgh.
About the Lecture:
Greenland, Ukraine, Venezuela, Gaza, the EU in Civilizational Decline, NATO defunct: our recent headlines might lead us to question the state of the international legal order (ILO). To be sure, in recent decades, the international legal system has made significant strides—from landmark agreements like the Paris Climate Accords to the ongoing role of the International Court of Justice—nevertheless, global cooperation seems increasingly undermined by rising nationalism and power-driven politics. International commitments are often pushed aside in favor of national interests, leading to violations of core treaties and charters. The Trump administration drives much of the disruption to the international legal order (ILO), but it is not alone; Russia, China, India, and Turkey advance a power politics that many describe as a return to 19th-century national imperialism. As a transnational project, the EU stands out at this moment, which might mark the emergence of a Neo-nationalist world ordering.
This talk takes a moment to look back on the history of the ILO, with a special focus on Europe’s role. Starting with the emergence of the ILO from the ashes of WWII, the European project played a central role in shaping the institutions, treaties, and conventions. Reviewing the history, its successes and failures, will allow us to consider what are the (positive) potentials that may arise in the coming years.
Date & time: 27/02/2026 | 10:15 – 11:45 (CET)
Venue: University of Florence, Campus Novoli, D4/1.12
Live stream: via Google Meet
Randall Halle
©University of Pittsburgh
Randall Halle is the ValEUs Project Lead at the University of Pittsburgh where he directs the European Studies Center and is Klaus W. Jonas Professor of German Film and Cultural Studies. Professor Halle's research and teaching focuses on European film, EU cultural and media policy, and the role of Europe in the world. Halle’s fluency in six languages facilitates deep knowledge of regional European policy and politics. He is the author of four monographs and several edited volumes and articles, which are based on research supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, DAAD, and Fulbright. He also co-founded the European Culture Research Network, is on the Executive Committee of the Council for European Studies, is Editor in Chief of the journal EuropeNow, and serves on the Executive Committee of the European Union Studies Association.
ValEUs Lecture Series
