Session: Perspectives on a New Atlanticism

Margaritis Schinas took office as Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life in the Von der Leyen Commission in December 2019. In this capacity, he oversees the EU’s policies for Security Union, migration, skills, education and integration. As Vice-President in charge of the Security Union, he oversees and coordinates all strands of the European Commission’s work under the Security Union, including tackling terrorism and radicalisation, disrupting organised crime, fighting cybercrime, stepping up cybersecurity, protecting critical infrastructures or addressing hybrid threats. Mr Schinas has also served as a Member of the European Parliament, from 2007 until 2009. Upon the completion of his parliamentary term of office, he returned to the European Commission and held various senior positions. In 2010, President Barroso appointed Mr Schinas as Deputy Head of the Bureau of European Policy Advisers. Later he served as Resident Director and Head of the Athens Office of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). In 2014, President Juncker appointed Mr. Schinas as the European Commission’s Chief Spokesperson.

Joanna Kopacka, as a senior program coordinator in GMF's Engaging Central Europe (ECE) initiative, is responsible for some of the key segments of all ECE programming. Her primary focus lies on Poland and strengthening the resilience of civil society within the region.

Brussels Forum Session: Turkey: What Now? What Next?

Selin Nasi is the London representative of the Ankara Policy Center and a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics' European Institute. She writes a foreign affairs column for Politikyol, an independent Turkish media outlet. She previously worked as a newspaper columnist for Hürriyet Daily News and Şalom. Nasi holds a PhD in political science and international relations from Boğaziçi University. Her dissertation addressed Turkey’s post-Cold War Israel policy.