Essays
Columns
Life in Contemporary Greece – Drinking From The Bitter Cup
Out of all the visits to my homeland during the crisis, the trip at the end of summer of 2011 was the one that gave me the sense that Greece’s social fabric was close to tearing point. In June of that summer, the protests of thousands of Greeks outside Parliament were met with extensive repression [...]
Why The EU Must Be Tough On Social Imbalances
Excessive social imbalances in the EU are a matter of common concern and imply reciprocity in reform. The EU decided to apply a strict surveillance mechanism to fight excessive macroeconomic imbalances. However, Europe is also characterized by excessive social imbalances: social problems that affect Member States very differently and create a pattern of divergence. These [...]
The Problem Is Not Eurozone Discipline But The Financialisation Of Everything
Has the Eurozone crisis undermined Europe’s place in the world? In an interview with EUROPP’s editors Stuart A Brown and Chris Gilson, Saskia Sassen discusses the role of finance in the crisis, the threat posed by transnational systems of surveillance, and the potential for public disorder to give a political voice to the powerless. In your view, [...]
Miracle On The 57th Parallel*: Recovery Austerity-style In Latvia
Some claims made for economic austerity policies are so prima facie absurd that no one would believe them, making it a waste of time to point out the absurdity. Or so I thought, and wrong I was. The suggestion that a near-miracle recovery occurred in Latvia, and that this extraordinary reversal from bust to boom [...]
News & Events
Discussing The Latest European GDP Figures
I was interviewed about the recent European GDP figures by CCTV America recently. This is what I had to say.
Discussing European Politics on CNBC
This morning I was again on CNBC Squawk Box Europe discussing current European politics, especially the latest banking union proposals. Strangely, on a procedural point, I found myself in agreement with Wolfgang Schäuble even though I normally disagree with him. But there you go…
Democracy, Solidarity And The European Crisis
The renowned German philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas came to the University Leuven and shared his perspective on the future of a democratic Europe on April 26 2013 in the Pieter De Somer Auditorium. The lecture was introduced by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.
Reinhart and Rogoff – Debunking Austerity Research
The Real News Network has a very interesting interview with Professor Robert Pollin of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, one of the academics who debunked the research by Reinhart and Rogoff claiming that once countries pass a 90% debt to GDP ratio growth drops off significantly. If you haven’t yet heard the main arguments against [...]
EU Social Dimension Project
What Can The Social Dimension Mean In Times Of Austerity?
Is there any topic less sexy than the ‘social dimension’? Even defining what it is can be tricky as there are many definitions out there so it tends to get mixed up with other terms. It is often used as the equivalent of ‘Social Europe’ or the ’European Social Model’. The debate also pops up [...]
What Is The Social Dimension Of The EU?
Watch Professor Martin Seeleib-Kaiser, Head of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at Oxford University, discuss the social dimension of the European Union. This video is part of the EU Social Dimension expert sourcing project jointly organised by SEJ, the ETUC, IG Metall, the Hans Böckler Stiftung, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Lasaire.
A Social Dimension For A Changing European Union
„It is exactly nine years since our country became a full member of the EU“. The Czech Republic set out to join the EU in a period dominated by the challenging process of transformation to adapt the economy to market conditions and in a situation in which its economy was remarkably open to the dramatic [...]
Europe Is Trapped Between Power and Politics
That the disease which brought the European Union into the intensive-care ward and has kept it there since, for quite a few years, is best diagnosed as a ‘democratic deficit’ is fast turning into a commonplace. Indeed, it is taken increasingly for granted and is hardly ever seriously questioned. Some observers and analysts ascribe the [...]
Blogs
Structural Reforms And The G20 Economies: Promises And Pitfalls
The G20 Leaders Declaration at the Toronto Summit (June 2010) endorsed an ambitious agenda of ‘structural reforms’ cutting across both labour and product markets that would lift global output significantly, create ‘tens millions more jobs’, sustain poverty reduction and reduce global imbalances significantly.[1] The latest (18-19 April, 2013) Communique of Finance Ministers and Central Bank [...]
A Story for May Day: The Fed, Apple, And Trickle-Down Economics
The Fed’s policy of keeping interest rates near zero is another form of trickle-down economics. For evidence, look no further than Apple’s decision to borrow a whopping $17 billion and turn it over to its investors in the form of dividends and stock buy-backs. Apple is already sitting on $145 billion. But with interest rates so low, [...]
The Good Society Debate Is Thriving In Europe
The Good Society Debate, that was launched five years ago by the SPD Secretary General Andrea Nahles and the Head of the Labour Party Policy Review, Jon Cruddas MP, has certainly made a splash in Europe. According to a study by the Institute of Democracy Research of Göttingen University the debate, which has been driven by the [...]
Crucial Design Features Of Effective Public Works Programmes
In case of severe economic depressions, even the OECD considered public works programmes (PWPs) a reasonable option in fighting the rise of unemployment: “… increased reliance on public sector job creation schemes targeted to the hardest-to-place jobseekers might provide a useful, temporary backstop to activation regimes during the recession.” (OECD Employment Outlook 2009, p. 14). [...]
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