Is climate protection still a core European value, and how resilient is EU climate policy today? In this conversation, Prof. Catherine E. de Vries reflects on whether climate protection can be considered part of European values and how the European Union has incorporated this commitment into its external policy. Looking ahead to 2025, the discussion examines whether the EU is experiencing a green backlash under the second von der Leyen Commission and how far-right parties are shaping the political debate around climate action. The interview also explores whether this backlash is influencing the EU’s external climate engagement and what it would take to make EU climate policy - including the European Green Deal - more politically sustainable in the years to come.

🎥 Topics covered:

• Climate protection as a European value

• The EU’s external climate policy

• Green backlash and far-right influence

• Implications for the European Green Deal

The political sustainability of EU climate action Catherine E. De Vries is a leading voice in the field of European politics. As the Vice Dean and Professor of Political Science at the School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University, she brings deep insight and academic rigor to the study of governance and institutional change. Specifically, she drives forward an ambitious research agenda focused on the European Union’s future and role in the world. Her contributions have been honoured internationally, reflecting her role at the intersection of scholarship, policy, and societal impact, including an Honorary Professorship at Queen’s University Belfast, election to the Leopoldina – German Academy of Sciences, and as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Before moving to IE University, Catherine held a professorship at Bocconi University, a valued partner of the EU-VALUES Network.

Check out Catherine's website for more information on her research and activities: https://www.catherinedevries.eu/