What does it mean to “belong” in a world where citizenship can be denied, traded, multiplied – or simply not recognised at all? In this conversation, Professor Dimitry Kochenov unpacks the paradoxes at the heart of modern citizenship, from the lived reality of statelessness to the contested nature of “real” EU citizenship. We explore how legal status shapes human dignity, mobility and security – and what happens when people fall outside the protection of any state.

Drawing on his work on global citizenship, EU constitutionalism and the rule of law, Professor Kochenov examines how EU citizenship can both empower individuals and quietly undermine democratic accountability. We discuss “market citizenship”, the monetisation of legal status, and whether schemes that effectively sell access to the EU should be abolished. Finally, we turn to the multiple citizenship debate: is having more than one citizenship a step towards global justice, or a privilege reserved for the few?

Professor Dimitry Kochenov studies global citizenship and constitutionalism, focusing on the Rule of Law, EU federalism and external relations law. He leads the Rule of Law research group at Central European University Democracy Institute in Budapest and teaches Global Citizenship at CEU Legal Studies department in Vienna.

Content

00:00 - Introduction

02:02 - The Paradox: Can Institutions Grant Citizenship?

06:23 - Living Stateless: Can Humans Exist Without Citizenship?

16:56 - Does "Real" EU Citizenship Actually Exist?

36:06 - Democracy's Double Edge: How EU Citizenship Both Empowers and Undermines

50:26 - Market Citizenship: When Human Worth Becomes Economic Value

56:39 - Citizenship for Sale: Should the EU abolish those schemes?

01:08:06 - One Citizenship or Many? The Multiple Citizenship Debate

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