As a forum of public exchange, IDIS is strongly committed to raising public awareness about international and European affairs. To this effect, the Institute organizes annually a number of Roundtable Discussions that are open to the wider public.
The most historic of those Roundtable Discussions is the one that took place in 1990, in the context of the 1 Year Anniversary since the establishment of the Institute, between Konstantinos Mitsotakis (leader of New Democracy party and Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993), Andreas Papandreou (founder of the political party PASOK who served two terms as Prime Minister of Greece), and Charilaos Florakis (leader of the Communist Party of Greece). The discussion between the three political leaders was moderated by Yannis Kapsis and Professor Dimitri Consta. It is still considered historic for two reasons. First, because it took place in a period of radical transformation of the international system. Second, because it was the first debate on foreign policy between political leaders that took place outside the parliamentary context. It was, thus, the first TV debate, as it was broadcast live by all TV stations.