Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti joined EUI researchers and fellows on Thursday 6 September to discuss the impact of the Eurozone crisis on the region, drawing on the rise of extreme political views and the challenges to democracy.

The European Commissioner for Home Affairs said in June that EU member states were too concerned with border and economic security to fulfil their duty to support the Arab Spring, and pushed for a Europe-wide migration policy.

Latvia’s former president told an audience at the EUI that the Eurozone crisis is “a serious threat to the survival of European democracy,” as citizens are increasingly drawn to solutions offered by extremist political parties.

In June dozens of researchers gathered in the church of the Badia Fiesolana to formally accept their PhD or LLM certificates, while a number of awards for outstanding theses were also awarded.