ProEU and EUSOSEL projects: Students study national features of referendum and models of social protection

The students of the Institute of Law at Penza State University continue exploring the modules “Protection of Human Rights within and across the European Union” and “Social Security Law in the European Union” within the international ProEU and EUSOSEL projects.

Under the guidance of Gleb Sintsov, Doctor in Legal Sciences, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Professor of the Department of Private and Public Law, the students examined the distinctive features and main reasons for calling referenda in various countries. During the lecture, they also analysed the peculiarities of organising referenda in the federal states (the Russian Federation, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Austria, the Federal Republic of Germany). Together with the teacher, the students managed to study the legal practice of establishing direct democracy in federal states and the prospects for introducing the best practices in other countries.

The students took the first step towards implementing research projects devoted to referendum and federalism. At the seminar, they presented their findings on interpreting the constitutions in the federal states from the viewpoint of establishing the right to referendum, as well as formulated the common and specific features of organising referenda in the federal states. Following the assessment of the legal effects and consequences of referenda at the national and international levels, the students recognised referendum as an instrument of change in various countries.

During the lecture, Anna Aleksandrova, PhD in Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Legal Disciplines, improved the students’ understanding of the sources of social security law and explained the role of the international legal documents and, in particular, EU legal documents in the system of social security law. Together with Anastasiia Ryzhova, PhD in Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Legal Disciplines, the students practised the skills of comparative legal analysis of the EU legal documents on social security.

In addition, the students under the supervision of their teachers systematises the models of social security in the EU member states and identified the specific features of social security law in the EU. That activity enabled them to measure social security law in the EU member states and the Russian Federation.

The EUSOSEL project team invites to participate in the conference “New Image of Social Law: Practices in the Russian Federation and the European Union” on 20 May 2022. The conference will be held in the blended format. The participants are encouraged to make reports and deliver presentations. More detailed information is given in the announcement.