By: Jennifer Jun, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communication
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) participated in the fifth edition of EU Days Lund, held 23–24 September. The event has become Sweden’s leading national arena for dialogue on Europe’s future. This year marked two milestones: 30 years of Sweden’s EU membership and the 25th anniversary of the Öresund Bridge, drawing more than 500 Swedish and international leaders from politics, academia, civil society, and business.
RWI’s Engagement
RWI contributed in several ways across the two-day programme:
- Panel Discussion: Executive Director Peter Lundberg joined a SIEPS-organized panel on EU enlargement, offering RWI’s perspective on human rights and rule of law as essential pillars of the EU’s future.
- Fireside Chat: On the second day, Jennifer Jun, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communication, hosted a conversation with Theresia Kirkemann Boesen, RWI’s new Country Director for Ukraine, who shared fresh insights from her recent mission in Kyiv and presented where and how RWI is supporting Ukraine’s EU accession journey.
- Exhibition booth: Throughout the event, RWI hosted an information booth, staffed by several of our experts. They engaged directly with participants, answering questions about RWI’s work in Ukraine as well as our broader international programmes. The booth served as a meeting point for dialogue, allowing visitors to learn more about our research and programmatic activities while raising RWI’s visibility within the EU Days community.
A Strategic Platform for Human Rights in Europe
EU Days Lund set the tone from the outset with Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz declaring in her opening keynote:
“We are in the midst of one of the greatest transformations of European politics and the European Union in a very long time… the European project has seen a renewed purpose.”
Katarina Areskoug Mascarenhas, Chair of the Centre for European Research at Lund University and member of the EU Days advisory board, issued a powerful reminder:
“Just read Article Two of the Lisbon Treaty… the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. There is more to the European Union than only defining those values but also being able to keep them — it has a lot to do with integration.”
Adding RWI’s perspective, Peter Lundberg stressed that the European Union’s role in upholding norms and standards:
“At its core, the EU is about fundamental rights. It ensures that we have the rule of law and sound, balanced, and democratic societies.”
Together, these reflections underscored the urgency of safeguarding human rights and values in a rapidly transforming Europe — a message that aligns with RWI’s mission.
Looking Ahead
As EU Days Lund continues to grow as a high-level, influential forum on European affairs in Sweden, it also opens new possibilities for RWI’s future engagement. Building on this year’s presence, we will reflect on how to deepen our involvement next year — whether by contributing more robustly to the programme, creating space for human rights-focused dialogue, or shaping conversations with partners. What is clear is that EU Days Lund offers a valuable platform for RWI to remain part of the evolving European conversation, ensuring that human rights perspectives are never far from the heart of the debate.