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February – March 2010
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Written by Reviewed by Will Fleeson
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Germany’s refusal in 2002 to participate in the Iraq war was a traumatic shock for U.S.-German relations at the time – and perhaps the start of a more permanent new paradigm of “power politics” in Berlin. Historically, it was the deepest-ever division between the White House and any post-cold-war German chancellor – pitting Social Democrat Gerhard Schroeder against the conservative George W. Bush. These two men were never reconciled, but once Schroeder was succeeded in office by Angela Merkel, links between Berlin and Washington were repaired, at least formally. But the shock waves from that clash ran far deeper than any of the cold war-era policy disputes between Bonn and Washington.
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February – March 2010
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Written by Written by J. Paul Horne
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As the “Great Recession” recedes, the aftershocks of public anger are exploding with a political passion not seen since the Great Depression.. In this tumult, knives are out for the two leading central banks – the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB), the agencies responsible for monetary policies underpinning the world’s most important economies and markets.
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Roundtables
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02/17/10 |
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On Wednesday, February 17, 2010, The European Institute convened a special meeting of the European-American Policy Forum with Sigi Gruber, Head of Unit for Analysis and Monitoring of Research Policies around the World in DG Research at the European Commission and Dr. Norman P. Neureiter, Senior Advisor at the Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The meeting addressed frameworks for transatlantic partnership on research & development and innovation. While the European Union has placed renewed emphasis on research and innovation Ms. Gruber outlined Commission initiatives in research cooperation and highlighted the importance of research, innovation and education in the EU 2020 Strategy. Dr. Neureiter discussed the challenges in international research cooperation, including funding, research duplication and visa regimes. He also recognized that cooperation between scientific communities or Science Diplomacy, can be an effective diplomatic tool with countries where political relations are stressed or lacking. |
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Roundtables
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02/01/10 |
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On February 1, 2010, The European Institute convened a conference to discuss current questions of European foreign policy in light of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, a sweeping policy framework entered into force on December 1, 2009. On hand to discuss the significance of Lisbon was Stefan Lehne, the Political Director of the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs. Mr. Lehne’s presentation addressed a wide range of contemporary questions on EU foreign policy and the EU’s role on the diplomatic world stage.
In response to the question “Is there an EU foreign policy?,” Mr. Lehne outlined seven main points. First, he conceded that the “machinery” of the EU created a considerable bureaucracy in which the EU was required to function. Multiple agencies and departments were at the EU’s disposal, he said, but the size of these bodies often slowed down efficient policymaking. Second, Mr. Lehne cited the sheer size of the EU’s offices and described the primary disadvantage of these agencies as a “lack of maneuverability.” Third, Mr. Lehne described the structure for third parties working with the official branches of the EU. Fourth, the Austrian official insisted that the EU “doesn’t lack teeth.” Twenty-eight countries are currently under EU sanctions, he said, and gave examples of the many sanctions and visa restrictions as determinant tools used by the EU in global diplomacy. Fifth, Mr. Lehne cited the EU’s capacity or small-scale crisis management missions all over the world. Sixth, he discussed the EU ‘neighborhood policy’ in relation to the countries sharing borders with non-EU member states. And finally, the official concluded with the issue of enlargement. He credited the EU with contributing to the peaceful transition by ex-Soviet countries into democratic regimes, such as in the case of the Ukraine and its “Rose Revolution,” and termed the EU the “reluctant magnet” for democratic reform in Europe.
Mr. Lehne focused special attention on Lisbon’s implications for relations with and in Washington. The diplomatic face of the EU will take longer to get going, he explained. The practical start of an EU external service will likely kick off five to ten years from the present time. For now, Mr. Lehne predicted, there will continue to be a bilateral focus at the national level – and not at the EU level – between Washington and its European partners. |
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January 2010
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Americans Should Think Twice about European Socio-Economic Models
A leading and sometimes controversial U.S. economist Paul Krugman says that Americans should look beyond their knee-jerk dismissal of European countries’ economic systems and recognize some ways in which the Europeans’ formulas have succeeded in sustaining long-run prosperity – arguably better than the results in the U.S.
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