Events
France
Presentation of the Schuman Report 2012 at the CERI
France - 02/04/2012
On 2nd April 2012 the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2012" was presented at the CERI on the occasion of a debate on "The European Union and the Crisis: What responses should we give? What is the outlook?" The debate was moderated by two of the work's co-directors, Thierry Chopin, Studies Director at the Robert Schuman Foundation and Michel Foucher, geographer and professor at the ULM. Christian Lequesne, director of the CERI-Sciences Po, introduced the debate.
"The Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2012" was presented at the CERI on the occasion of a debate on "The European Union and the Crisis: What responses should we give? What is the outlook?" The debate was moderated by two of the work's co-directors, Thierry Chopin, Studies Director at the Robert Schuman Foundation and Michel Foucher, geographer and professor at the ULM. Christian Lequesne, director of the CERI-Sciences Po, introduced the debate.
Firstly, Thierry Chopin presented the 2012 Report, notably the different observations that were brought to light in the book; the debate over governance and the future of federalism in Europe, the credibility crisis in the euro zone, the risk of national withdrawal under the influence of the economic crisis, the problem of self-denigration within the euro zone and finally the urgent need to promote the European Union's strengths. "Europe still has something to give, it can develop its own identity," he concluded.
In turn Michel Foucher took the floor and initially insisted on the progress made by the European Union since it was founded. The problems experienced by the EU today are, in his opinion, just the negative effects of the legitimate decisions that it has had to take. He added that the confidence crisis which the Union has had to face was closely linked to the change in reference framework that arose with the entry of the emerging countries into the world market, a factor of decline in the economies of Europe. "The European Union no longer has a political project," he explained, "the Economic and Monetary Union is not attractive, and yet the Union is still a point of reference." Since a joint answer is necessary, Michel Foucher called for greater unity between the founding countries. Christian Lequesne, the Director of the CERI, added that the countries which started the political project were now in stalemate and that others, such as Poland, were taking advantage of this to "put their ideas forward."
The two co-directors of the book then answered many questions that mainly focused on the existence or not of a European identity, the means to establish a common position in Europe and the future of governance in the European Union.
Michel Foucher, Christian Lequesne, Thierry Chopin
Firstly, Thierry Chopin presented the 2012 Report, notably the different observations that were brought to light in the book; the debate over governance and the future of federalism in Europe, the credibility crisis in the euro zone, the risk of national withdrawal under the influence of the economic crisis, the problem of self-denigration within the euro zone and finally the urgent need to promote the European Union's strengths. "Europe still has something to give, it can develop its own identity," he concluded.
In turn Michel Foucher took the floor and initially insisted on the progress made by the European Union since it was founded. The problems experienced by the EU today are, in his opinion, just the negative effects of the legitimate decisions that it has had to take. He added that the confidence crisis which the Union has had to face was closely linked to the change in reference framework that arose with the entry of the emerging countries into the world market, a factor of decline in the economies of Europe. "The European Union no longer has a political project," he explained, "the Economic and Monetary Union is not attractive, and yet the Union is still a point of reference." Since a joint answer is necessary, Michel Foucher called for greater unity between the founding countries. Christian Lequesne, the Director of the CERI, added that the countries which started the political project were now in stalemate and that others, such as Poland, were taking advantage of this to "put their ideas forward."
The two co-directors of the book then answered many questions that mainly focused on the existence or not of a European identity, the means to establish a common position in Europe and the future of governance in the European Union.
Michel Foucher, Christian Lequesne, Thierry Chopin