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A
Smith Fulbrighter in Europe
By Nora Hayes-Roth ’06
Nora Hayes-Roth at the seat of the Italian Foreign Minister |
Every
year, the Belgian Fulbright Commission organizes a one-week
Fulbright Seminar on the European Union and NATO. A Fulbright
Fellow from each EU member country is selected to attend,
based on a selection procedure that includes the Commission
of the member state, the Belgian Commission, and the EU
Fulbright Commission. Nora Hayes-Roth ’06,
who is living and working in Italy as a Fulbright Fellow
this year, was chosen to attend this year’s seminar
and wrote the following about her experience.
The Seminar offers a special
opportunity for participants to expand their personal and
professional networks to include an inspiring panel of
distinguished speakers and guests, as well as their own
peers. It was a great honor and a privilege for me to be
chosen to represent Italy at this year’s
Fulbright Seminar.
The Seminar week started
with a reception hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg
Ann Wagner. Other political officials, Fulbright alumni,
U.S. Foreign Service Officers, and university professors
shared in the opening celebration. This was the first of
many social events, punctuating days packed with briefings,
in which we met with high-level officials for more intimate
discussions over lunches or dinners in private clubs and
residences. As one Commissioner said, “it’s
not in the Council or the Parliament where stuff happens,
it’s around the lunch table, where deals get made and
agendas formed.”
During the Seminar, the participants attend a series of
briefings: in Luxembourg, at the Court of Justice, Ministry
of Education, and Court of Auditors; in Brussels, at the
European Commission, Council of Ministers, European Parliament,
U.S. Mission to the EU, and NATO Headquarters; and in Mons,
Supreme Headquarters for Allied Powers of Europe.
Hayes-Roth with fellow
Fulbrighter Michael Moore (left) and Patrick Kelley,
President, Belgian American Alumni Association |
Our visit to the European
Commission illustrates the intensity of our Seminar briefings.
Ms. Mary-Teresa Moran, Directorate General External Relations,
discussed the European Union’s
Neighborhood Policy, which essentially governs EU relations
with closely located countries who are not (and may never
be) members of the EU. Mr. Jos Vandercappellen, Directorate
General Education and Culture, discussed the State of the
European Union. Ms. Christine Hughes, Directorate General
External Relations, discussed EU-US Relations. Mr. Gerard
De Graaf, Secretariat General, discussed the European Union’s
Lisbon Agenda. Finally, Mr. Tobias King, Directorate General
External Relations, discussed the EU’s Actions in the
Area of Human Rights and Democracy Beyond its Borders. While
each speaker covered a very specific topic, they all accepted
questions outside their areas of expertise and, in so doing,
gave us a glimpse of the politics behind the acting Commission
and its internal workings. In fact, their very diplomatic
briefs belied the continuing complexity of national versus
collective identity, which sometimes surfaced in the more
personal opinions they expressed.
Our visit to the U.S.
Mission to the EU offered unique insights into the demands
of U.S. foreign policy on political officials abroad. The
exchanges between Fulbrighters and U.S. officials were
themselves quite political. Many Fulbrighters asked pointed,
provocative, sometimes impertinent questions, often focusing
on U.S. hegemony. In return, they received a variety of
responses, deflections, and frank rejections. While some
of these responses were less than satisfying, the U.S. officials’ deft
fielding of questions served as a great entrée into
the world of foreign diplomacy.
My favorite event of the
Seminar week was our visit to the European Court of Justice
in Luxembourg. The visit started with a briefing by Mr.
Dittert, Legal Secretary, Chambers of Mrs. Kokott, First
Advocate General. Mr. Dittert explained the mechanics of
the Court and the political workings behind it, and provided
background on the case for which we would witness a court
session. The case concerned the equality (or inequality)
of pension plans for flight attendants. The judges confronted
the question: should women, who originally did not receive
access to the pension plan, and later only received access
by paying a fee, receive benefits retroactively? And, if
so, should they have to pay a lump sum equal to the cumulative
sum that each man had paid to participate in the plan,
or should they receive benefits now by paying the same
fee that men currently pay? The judges considered the arguments
under the purview of Community Law on the Equal Treatment
of Men and Women. It was a difficult case and was not decided
on the day we attended the court. After the hearing, we had
the honor of chatting over lunch with one of the three judges
on the bench, Judge Koenraad Lenaerts, the Belgian Judge
to the Court and President of the Chamber. He had just returned
from the United States, where for the first time ever, the
Supreme Court hosted the European Court of Justice for a
series of meetings. Discussing the similarities and differences
between the two courts with Judge Lenaerts and learning first-hand
about the talks between the two High Courts was a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. As one who is passionate about justice and equality,
I valued the opportunity to examine and discuss the successes
and failures of another judicial body, and consider the state
of my own country’s judicial body from an international
perspective.
The Fulbright Seminar was a unique opportunity to meet with
scholars, scientists, judges, bureaucrats, and politicians,
who share common interests in promoting cultural exchange
and understanding of issues related to the EU and NATO. We
Fulbrighters, who are just beginning to build our networks
and find our places in the world were fortunate to have such
outstanding people actively reaching out to help us on our
journey. I also have no doubt that many of the Fulbrighters
whom I met at the Seminar will one day accomplish great things,
fill important leadership roles in the U.S. and abroad, and
make a difference wherever they can. I enjoyed getting to
know them at the Seminar and look forward to re-encountering
them and working together on shared goals in the future. |
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