With a chapeau: How the pandemic may open up our political imagination.
Reimagining Democracy: An Interactive Presentation, Keynote by Prof. Kalypso Nicolaidis delivered at the Pandemic Perspectives Conference 2021: Reflections on the Post-Covid World (20th April 2021)

Kalypso discusses life under Coronavirus, the Eruv and reinventing our space, myths and politics, radical democracies, the EU and COVID, Oxford University and St Antony’s College….and of course, Brexit!
Wuhan was Europe’s future Inexorably. Italy became Spain’s And Madrid Paris’ Qom Dhaka’s London New York’s Istanbul Lausanne’s New Orleans Pretoria’s Terribly. In full blossom, The cherry tree can only be the dogwood’s future Inexorably Awaiting the Jacaranda’s Turn to flower Surely. My mother was my future As I am my children’s Inexorably. Yet I cannot help but wonder If it is possible For us not to be Inexorably Free.
Corona Poem by Kalypso Nicolaidis, April 2020
Recent Podcasts:
![]() | COVID and the Politics of SpaceA discussion with my old friend Rabbi Adam Mintz moderated by Rabbi Schlomo Zuckier: Based on the following piece, inspired by the Eruv: |
Declarations:
“ΠΑΝΔΗΜΙΑ : The World post COVID19” – our 22nd Symi Symposium Declaration, July 2020, declaration here participants here.
Commentary:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/catalonia-and-theaters-of-recognition/
https://cosmocene.eu/2020/06/07/penser-leurope-sur-le-long-terme-par-kalypso-nicolaidis/#comments (on EU and Coronavirus (French) on Cosmocène)
https://legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2020/05/19/oedipe-et-le-coronavirus/
https://crisis-diary.net/2020/05/01/corona-futures/
https://www.franceculture.fr/politique/kalypso-nicolaidis-lambition-premiere-de-lue-devait-etre-de-devenir-la-gardienne-du-long-terme
https://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/towards-the-eruvian-age-public-space-in-a-pandemic/
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/coronavirus-towards-eruvian-age/
https://legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2020/05/19/oedipe-et-le-coronavirus/
Webinars:
EUI panel on democracy
https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanUniversityInstitute/videos/856147888224558/
Transition, negotiation, pandemic: what is happening to Brexit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mge9CCBcWzc