Full Circle upcoming events

[WAF Conversations] Is Populism a Possible Strategy for the Left? (10/06/2026)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Women Against Fascism (WAF)

Is Populism a Possible Strategy for the Left?

Emmy Eklundh

Conversations | Wed 10th June | 7pm
Doors open 6.30pm

Open to everyone | Booking required
Bar open

Can populism and nationalism be useful for the Left as a political strategy? Is there a form of good populism? What would really be feasible for the Left to do?

An original thinker in the field of populism, Emmy Eklundh joins us to question and rethink existing, comfortable paradigms. In this WAF conversation, Emmy draws upon both her extensive experience on the frontiers of populism studies and her engagement on the Left to consider possible ways forward to pursue effective progressive politics today. For all of us concerned about contemporary politics, she connects liberalism, populism and a critical decolonial perspective in a highly original way.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Emmy Eklundh is Senior Lecturer in Politics at Cardiff University, UK. The focus of her research is in the interface between European Politics and political and social theory. I'm particularly interested in social movements and political parties on the left, and especially cases of left-wing populism in Southern Europe. She uses radical democratic frameworks to further our understanding of democracy in Europe, the challenges to our current liberal order, but also the possibilities for democratic reform.

Current research projects include left-wing populist responses to nationalism, and resistance to European integration from the left. She also closely looks at the role of social media for political action, and at how emotions influence the way we think about political identities.

She is a regular contributor to media outlets on discussions on Spanish politics and populism (including the BBC, CNN, Sky News, CNBC, Swedish national radio, Newsweek). She was previously Lecturer in Spanish and International Politics at King's College London.

----

ADDITIONAL INFO


FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Medium (15-30)	Available on request

[Ideas] Act On Democracy: Rights and Protections Online, the EU's Digital Services Act (18/06/2026)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Act on DEMOCRACY

Understanding Our Rights and Protections Online:
The EU's Digital Services Act

with Maria Koomen & Cindy Zheng

Ideas / Action | Thurs 18th Jun | 6:30-8:30 pm

*Act On sessions offer quarterly action-oriented get-togethers that go beyond discussion. Experts and general public share the willingness to take action.

The internet shapes how we access information, organise, and participate in public life — but who is actually responsible for what happens on digital platforms, and what rights do we have as users? The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) is one of the most significant pieces of online regulation in a generation, yet what do we really know about what it means in practice?

This Act on Democracy session brings together two experts to help us understand the DSA: what it does, what it doesn't do, and what citizens, civil society and advocates can do to make it work better for democracy.

__________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Maria Koomen is a Democracy, governance & tech analyst and advocacy specialist. She is the former governance director at the Centre for Future Generations, working on the challenges at the intersection of emerging technologies, democracy, and governance. Her work focused on ensuring that governance systems evolve to keep pace with technological and societal change. Maria led the Open Governance Network for Europe, a joint initiative of Open Government Partnership and Democratic Society to drive connection, dialogue, and learning around public participation, transparency, and accountability with an eye to improving democracy and governance in and across the European Union. Prior to that Maria was senior programme manager on the Democracy Conflict & Governance program at the Carnegie Europe.

Cindy Zheng is a young professional engaged in digital policy. She previously worked in digital transformation in the area of EU projects, development cooperation, and global governance, with the aim to contribute to a more responsible and human-centred digital future.

ADDITIONAL INFO


FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Medium <30	Available on request

What's Behind the News: A podcast launch (24/06/2026)

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

WHAT'S BEHIND THE NEWs

The Inside Story

A news commentary with

James Kanter

Ideas / Conversations / Wed 24th Jun / 7-8.30 pm

Live & On the Record: A Podcast Launch with James Kanter

Europe’s news is loud and moving fast. What’s Behind the News keeps up and cuts through the noise.

Join us for the live debut of the show bringing Europe's most consequential stories to life - on the record, in the room, in front of you.

Hosted by veteran Brussels journalist James Kanter, each episode brings together a rotating cast of fellow reporters and analysts to break through the clutter: EU power plays, the fault lines, the stories that shaped the week and the ones that slipped past the front page. Unscripted. Unfiltered. Live in front of you.

This is journalism doing what it's supposed to do: telling it as it is. And this is a live show for people who want to know what's really going on behind and beyond the headlines.

This first recording is where it all begins. Come join us and dig into the stories defining Europe right now.

__________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE HOST

James Kanter is an American and British award-winning journalist and Brussels-based commentator on EU affairs. Previously at Herald Tribune and The New York Times. He's co-founder and editor of the Podcast EU Scream.

[Conversations] Deep Thought: Theme coming soon (27/06/2026)

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Deep Thought

A Series with Andreea Petre-Goncalves

Ideas / Conversations | Sat 27th Jun | 5-7 pm

Join us for a hopeful conversation with Andreea

* Stay tuned, more details coming soon *

In the Deep Thought series, Andreea offers opportunities to interrogate our ideas of what is normal and desirable in society. Together we walk towards the mindset shifts that are needed to protect our planet, make the world safe and ensure lives and dignity and meaning for all. Deep Thought is a space for courage and authenticity, with no stone left unturned. We build trust, encourage each other and take action together.

What happens to trust in a transactional world? What does a selfish society do for our happiness? What does meaningful work mean in an era of precarity, automation and uncertainty? What is society for? Join us for our monthly conversations.

Open to everyone

__________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE HOST

Andreea Petre-Goncalves was 8 years old when totalitarian Communism collapsed overnight in her native Romania. She saw then how quickly yesterday’s absolute truth can become tomorrow reviled atrocity. She knows that societal narratives can shift fast, and when they do, they make deep system re-set possible. For two decades she worked for international development, human rights, health and sustainability in the EU institutions and international NGOs. In 2019 she set up Flare, a Brussels-based think-and-do tank that experiments with practical ways of shifting the collective ideas we hold of what is normal and desirable. This work builds on 15 years of her researching and writing about societal narrative shifts. She is a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader and a member of Global Diplomacy Lab.

----

ADDITIONAL INFO


FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Small (10-15)	Available on request

[Conversations] Critical Conversations on Conflict & Peace: (27/06/2026)

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS ON
CONFLICT & PEACE

Ukraine

Sandra Melone

Conversations | Sat 27th Jun | 5-7pm

Save the date. More info coming soon!

Open to everyone | Booking required

Bar open

__________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE HOST

Hosting the Series is Sandra Djuvara Melone, CEO of Zancora Consulting, which she founded in 2021, with a strong expertise in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, crisis management, human rights and, not last, gender. With a vast experience on the ground, she has worked across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She knows first hand what living through civil war is like. Sandra is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Search for Common Ground, Europe, one of the world’s leading international non-governmental organisations working in peacebuilding and conflict transformation, where she's been involved in various roles since 1995. Sandra is a founding member of the European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation (EPCPT), of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO), and of the Child Soldiers Initiative (CSI). Before dedicating her career to conflict transformation, Sandra worked in human rights advocacy with Amnesty International, and in international education.

----

ADDITIONAL INFO


FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Small (10-20)	Available on request

[Ideas] Ideas Festival 2026 WEEKEND or DAY Pass (20/11/2026)

Fri, 20 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS 2026

"CONNECTION"

Fri 20th - Sat 21st - Sun 22nd Nov

You already know us, you know what we do, and that by coming YOU make this a great event!

Get your EARLYBIRD pass for the entire weekend today!

Full Circle upcoming events

[WAF Conversations] Is Populism a Possible Strategy for the Left? (10/06/2026)

[Ideas] Act On Democracy: Rights and Protections Online, the EU's Digital Services Act (18/06/2026)

Act on DEMOCRACY

ABOUT THE HOSTS

What's Behind the News: A podcast launch (24/06/2026)

WHAT'S BEHIND THE NEWs

The Inside Story

ABOUT THE HOST

[Conversations] Deep Thought: Theme coming soon (27/06/2026)

Deep Thought

ABOUT THE HOST

[Conversations] Critical Conversations on Conflict & Peace: (27/06/2026)

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS ON CONFLICT & PEACE

ABOUT THE HOST

[Ideas] Ideas Festival 2026 WEEKEND or DAY Pass (20/11/2026)

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS 2026

"CONNECTION"

Fri 20th - Sat 21st - Sun 22nd Nov

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS ON
CONFLICT & PEACE