Full Circle upcoming events

[Ideas / Conversations] Lessons from 'The Lab': 16 years of Hungarian resistance (19/05/2026)

Tue, 19 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Lessons from 'The Lab':

16 years of Hungarian Resistance

Benedek Jávor, Peter Kreko, Eva Cartwright, Balázs Kaufmann
Co-host: Flora Hevesi

Conversations / Tues 19th May / 7-9 pm
Doors open 6.30pm

Hungary is often called the laboratory of modern autocracy - but it has also become a laboratory for survival, innovation, and grit. Join us for a deep dive into what 16 years on the frontlines of illiberalism actually teaches you.

From the technicalities of crowdfunding under pressure and navigating legal warfare to the psychological toll of long-term opposition, our panel of Hungarian politicians, activists and journalists will share what worked, what failed, and what the rest of the world needs to know when the bad guys show up at their door.

THE PANEL

Benedek Jávor is a biologist, environmentalist, and green politician. A former Member of the European Parliament (2014-2019) and of the Hungarian National Assembly (2010-2014), he currently serves as Head of the Representation of Budapest to the European Union.

Peter Kreko is a political scientist, social psychologist, and a senior fellow at CEU IAS. He leads the Budapest-based think tank Political Capital, a leading research centre on Russian influence and disinformation in Hungary and across the region. Peter is currently a senior fellow at Central European University’s Institute for Advanced Study.

Eva Cartwright is a logistics and customs expert, working as a Policy Manager at CLECAT, a Brussels-based trade association. She has been part of the Tisza Movement from day one, helping to build and grow Tisza communities in Brussels and in her home region in Hungary.

Balázs Kaufmann is a journalist who broke the presidential pardon scandal in 2024 that triggered a major public outcry and led to President Katalin Novák’s resignation just eight days later. He works for 444 pont hu, one of Hungary’s leading independent news outlets, which was targeted by a coordinated government smear campaign the same year, accusing it of waging “information warfare” against the state.

Flóra Hevesi is a communications strategist, activist, and former journalist dedicated to strengthening democracy through journalism and civic engagement.

Open to everyone | Booking required
Bar open

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ADDITIONAL INFO


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

[Ideas] Act On Democracy: Essentials in the Age of AI, part II (30/05/2026)

Sat, 30 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Act on DEMOCRACY

Essentials in the age of AI — A Deeper Dive:

Social Architectures and Democratic Resilience

Organised and led by:
tech & democracy analyst Maria Koomen
neuroscientists and policy analysts Nicoleta Prutean and Virginia Mahieu

Ideas / Action | Sat 30th May | 2-4:30 pm

*Act On sessions offer quarterly action-oriented get-togethers on a specific issue, between experts and an audience willing to DO something about it.*

This workshop turns our attention to how algorithmic systems shape who we connect with, how we relate, and how we cope. Recommender systems and AI-mediated platforms promise connection while quietly replacing serendipity and solidarity with curated, frictionless matching. We explore what this means for our capacity to act collectively, tolerate uncertainty, and sustain the civic bonds democratic systems depend on, and what alternative social architectures, business models, and regulatory levers could strengthen them.

With this session we take a deeper dive into 'the essentials' - the five core human capacities underpinning our democracies (comprehend, connect, create, communicate, and cope) and explore how AI-driven technologies are reshaping each one. We thoughtfully examine the specific design features behind that reshaping, what they mean for our democratic citizenship, and how we might build something better. Join us.

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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.

Nicoleta Prutean is a neuroscientist and policy analyst, currently leading research on tech & the brain at the Centre for Future Generations. Drawing on her expertise in brain science, her mission is to ensure that evidence on how emerging technologies affect mental health translates into policies that both protect and empower future generations.

Virginia Mahieu is a neuroscientist and policy analyst, neurotechnology Director at the Centre for Future Generations. She explores how neurotechnologies impact society, combining neuroscience and foresight to ensure that governance frameworks are up to scratch so these emerging technologies contribute to a brain-healthy future. She previously worked at the Policy Foresight Unit and the Scientific Foresight Unit of the European Parliamentary Research Service, where she specialised in futures literacy, behavioural insights, and scenario planning at the science-policy interface.

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ADDITIONAL INFO


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

[Conversations] Deep Thought Series: Time to punch up, not down (30/05/2026)

Sat, 30 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Deep Thought series

Time To Punch Up, Not Down

with Andreea Petre-Goncalves

Ideas / Conversations | Sat 30th May | 5-7pm

The invasion of Venezuela is not for you. The war on Iran is not for you. The erasure of Gaza and occupation of Southern Lebanon are not for you. Putin’s crimes in Ukraine are not for you. You will not benefit from any of these savageries. They are committed in the interests of a sneering cabal, determined to fill its pockets, whatever the means.

The oil wars will fuel data centres and colonising trips to Mars, for a bunch of amoral men drunk on delusion and self-aggrandisement. If this means the mothers of Molenbeek are forced to put things back on the shelf at Lidl, so be it. There isn’t room on the space ship for everyone.

What sleight of hand to make it seem the real danger were desperate people risking their lives at sea, hidden in lorry trailers, queuing for the indignity of unemployment benefit, children alone in forests at Europe’s borders. Fooled in this way, we have let pass corporate exploitation and destruction, the tax evasion of the ultra-rich, oligarchs and magnates the world over, a financial system fuelled by theft and make-believe, the sheer corruption of our administrations slashing safeguards and burning the earth for the profit of those who already have the most.

Post-structuralist discourse theory says successful politics needs an “other” against which it can define itself, an enemy it promises to defeat. How appalling that we have let that “other” be the most vulnerable among us, for so long.

Has the time come to start punching up? Join us for an unflinching conversation.

Open to everyone

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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.

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ADDITIONAL INFO


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

[Conversation] Aline Blankertz & Brianna Rock: How to breakup Microsoft? (04/06/2026)

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:30:00 GMT

How to breakup Microsoft?

Aline Blankertz & Brianna Rock

Conversation | Thurs 4th Jun I 6.30 - 8:30 pm

Doors open at 6.30pm. Speakers will start at 7pm.

Aline Blankertz and Brianna Rock, two researchers and antimonopoly advocates, travel from Berlin to Brussels to break the ice around Big Tech breakups. In the launch of the series “How to Break up…”, they will focus on Microsoft.

The US company has been systematically violating competition rules, which indicates its vast political and market power. Addressing principles such as digital sovereignty, the integrity of markets, and the preservation of democracy, Blankertz and Rock find that Microsoft is too big to regulate. They will explore how to break up Microsoft, and what a smaller Microsoft could look like.

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Aline Blankertz is an applied economist and works as Tech Economy Lead at Rebalance Now, a German anti-monopoly organisation. Her work is focused on competition policy and the digital economy, with extensive experience encompassing think tanks, academic research and implementation projects.

Brianna Rock is an independent researcher supporting the European antimonopoly movement through evidence based research.

GOOD READS

Google's Hidden Empire by Aline Blankertz, Brianna Rock, Nicholas Shaxson

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ADDITIONAL INFO


FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Small (20-40)	Available on request

[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.

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ADDITIONAL INFO


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

[Ideas] Act On Democracy: theme to be announced soon (13/06/2026)

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Act on DEMOCRACY

with Maria Koomen

Ideas / Action | Sat 13th Jun | 2-4:30 pm

*Act On sessions offer quarterly action-oriented get-togethers on a specific issue, between experts and an audience willing to DO something about it.*

Save the date to act on democracy. More info coming soon.

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ABOUT THE HOSTS

ADDITIONAL INFO


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

[Conversations] Critical Conversations on Conflict & Peace: (13/06/2026)

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS ON
CONFLICT & PEACE

Theme announced soon

Sandra Melone

Conversations | Sat 13th Jun | 5-7pm

Save the date. More info coming soon!

Open to everyone | Booking required

Bar open

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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.

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ADDITIONAL INFO


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

This week's news: The Inside Story (24/06/2026)

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

This week's 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

Join us for the live debut of This Week's News, bringing Europe's most consequential stories to life and hosted by veteran Brussels journalist James Kanter.

With a live audience, a rotating cast of sharp journalistic voices and analysis driven by what is defining the news cycle, This Week's News is built to move with the moment — and this first recording is where it all begins.

Every episode, James Kanter weaves together guests, stories and debate into one compelling conversation. For this one, he'll be joined by a panel of fellow journalists, each bringing their own perspective, skilled analysis and comment for much needed sense-making — the first of many line-ups that will shift and evolve as the news demands.

No fixed agenda or guests. Just the stories that matter right now, told by the people closest to them. From the corridors of EU power to the fault lines reshaping the continent, the panel will dig into the headlines, share the dispatches that didn't make the front page, and debate the forces defining our world — live, unscripted, in front of you.

Whether you're a policy wonk, a news junkie, or simply trying to make sense of it's happening around you and the wider world, this is your invitation to be part of something from day one.

Join us for the news. Stay for the conversation.

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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

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ABOUT THE HOST

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ADDITIONAL INFO


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

[Ideas / Conversations] Lessons from 'The Lab': 16 years of Hungarian resistance (19/05/2026)

[Ideas] Act On Democracy: Essentials in the Age of AI, part II (30/05/2026)

Act on DEMOCRACY

ABOUT THE HOSTS

[Conversations] Deep Thought Series: Time to punch up, not down (30/05/2026)

Deep Thought series

Time To Punch Up, Not Down

ABOUT THE HOST

[Conversation] Aline Blankertz & Brianna Rock: How to breakup Microsoft? (04/06/2026)

Conversation | Thurs 4th Jun I 6.30 - 8:30 pm

GOOD READS

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

[Ideas] Act On Democracy: theme to be announced soon (13/06/2026)

Act on DEMOCRACY

ABOUT THE HOSTS

[Conversations] Critical Conversations on Conflict & Peace: (13/06/2026)

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS ON CONFLICT & PEACE

ABOUT THE HOST

This week's news: The Inside Story (24/06/2026)

This week's news:

The Inside Story

ABOUT THE HOST

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

Deep Thought

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