The De-Construction of Europe: The European Debt Crisis and the Role of Perceptions
Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 5:46AM Thursday, Nov 15th, 2012
4-6 PM
19 West 4th St., Room 217
NYU, Department of Politics
This talk will highlight the role that Germany has bee playing while 'addressing' the European debt crisis. It looks at how perceptions among European neighbors and partners have been escalating over recent months, thus shaping domestic and economic policy, par-ticularly in Germany. The talk will shed a light on domestic politics, how and why Merkel has seemed to be constrained when it comes to a more pro-active crisis management.
Another emphasis will be on the special French-German relationship. In Germany, federal elections are coming up in 2013; depending on the result, this may tip the balance towards a stronger cooperation with France. While the institutions of Europe are debating policy to control fi-nancial markets, 'saving' the common currency may not be the ultimate high goal that requires saving. Whereas the vi-sion of stability and peace has always been big in post-WWII Europe - with small sectoral integrative steps in the economic, political spheres - the current financial and debt crisis seems to be de-constructing the very Europe that Eu-ropean citizens have been building over decades.
What will the slashing of the European well-fare state in Southern European countries do to European identity, European democracy and citizenry?
Presented by Dr. Michaela C. Hertkorn
Professor Emeritus New York University and The New School
