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U (net)Work 4 EuropeASA Alumni Magazine No 2, March 2011

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Note of the Allianz Cultural Foundation by Michael M. Thoss

Immigration is a main topic of this Alumni edition. In 2010, the EU spent around 90 Million Euros to make sure their FRONTEX-units preventing refugees from asking for asylum in Europe. Those who nevertheless make it to Europe often fall

in the hands of human traffickers who place them in slave-like working conditions. During a discussion in the series ‘Debate on Europe’, Fabrizio Gatti, chief reporter of L’Espresso, said that about 30 percent of the Italian economy is part of a shadow economy running on illegal employment. This applies beyond the agrarian estates in the south and the mafia controlled construction industry in the north. Even in the renowned fashion industry of the Venice region, a third of all workers are illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile, whole branches of the European economy depend on illegal immigration. In overregulated Germany, cheap nurses and elderly care nurses from Eastern Europe are much sought after. Without their illicit work, many pensioners would not be attended to. So it is time to adjust and harmonise the European immigration laws to demographic and economic necessities. Otherwise a negative migration rate in addition to a negative birth rate will soon prevail, since not only the German elites leave their home country, but also because more and more ‘Alemancis’ educated in Germany feel more at home in the Turkey of their parents than in their country of birth. The Allianz Cultural Foundation has repeatedly addressed this important theme in discussions with human rights organisations, business leaders, and politicians. It will keep on doing so until a cohesive and humane EU migration policy is in place.

table of contents / address

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Table of ContentsHigh ProfileA Chat with Dirk Snauwaert and Elena Filipovic from the WIELS in Brussels 4

European AffairsIn Between Cancún: Cancún - Can it? 6The Euro in Crisis: The Patient Lives, for Now 8

Focus on ImmigrationString of Pearls can solve Europe’s Immigration Problems 10Debate on Europe: Europe’s New Slaves? 11An Extreme Journey across the Mediterranean Sea (Interview with Fabrizio Gatti) 12The EU Legislation and Migration (Interview with Barbara Lochbihler) 13

Internal AffairsASA 2011: The EU in the International Arena - Ready to Compete? 15A New Partner: The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies 15

Working Groups in the SpotlightMore than just a Soft Power? The EU and the Rest of the World as We See It 16The Franco-British Comparative Project (FBCP) 16Funding for Alumni Ideas 18Exploring Options to Improve: Public Transportation in Europe 19

ForumWho’s Tweeting for Europe? 20Working at the European Commission 21

Portrait of an AlumnusPortrait of an ‘e-European’ 22

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Editorial

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Following our discussions in Madrid during the Alumni Academy, the magazine focuses on EU Migration Policy, the environment, the upcoming projects from Alumni, and it gives a sneak preview into the upcoming Summer Academy, comprised of the new generation of Alumni. The issue takes up difficult themes such as the crisis of the euro and migrants’ journeys, but also highlights European Arts and elected officials on Twitter. It offers no magic solutions, but we hope it will grab and hold your attention with some very good analyses, inter-views, and reports.

For the next magazine we are looking for contri-butions by the alumni: articles, photos, drawings, cartoons, and whatever inspires you. Suggestions are most welcome at: asa.alumnimagazine@gmail.com

Enjoy reading U (net)Work 4 Europe!

The editorial team

The European Union is dying – not a dramatic or a sudden death, but one so slow and steady that we may look across the Atlantic one

day soon and realize that the project of European integration that we’ve taken for granted over the past half-century is no more.

This is the verdict Charles Kupchan rendered last year in late August. To this American professor, member of the influential Council on Foreign Relations, we feel like answering by quoting Mark Twain when he discovered his own name in the obituaries: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated”.

Europe is tough. We are able, together, to keep control of our destiny. The time of our European integration is not up.

You are now holding in your hands the second issue of U (net)Work 4 Europe, the ASA Alumni magazine!

Our time is not up!

Ségolène Pruvot, Esen Alieva, Mare van den Eeden, Dana Manescu and Andreas Lorek

4

Tell us more about this place, the WIELS. Dirk: We are in the suburbs of Brussels,

in what was, in the 19th century, an industrial area and what has, nowadays, a hard time becoming a service economy. The area here is defined by impoverishment, migration, and what you might call failed multiculturalism. It is a failed model of what the Dutch, the Germans, the Danish, the Italians, and the Swedes defined as multiculturalism. We are actually in a landmark building that sits in the middle of this failed model and we believe in culture as teaching something which is European, which is transnation-alism: probably the next step for courageous people who will dare to think something like unity in diversity, which is something else than multiculturalism. But this means also that one will have to give up big chunks of the national ethos, a very big turn for the European Community and its 27 national unities...

We are a contemporary art centre, understood as avant-garde since the 1960s, so very anti-conven-tional and border crossing: one of our principles is actually “tear down those borders!”, also in a literal way. Maybe you listen to the radio and watch TV: we are in the middle of an ongoing crisis. There seems to be no way out because the nationalist agendas lead to a movement that is only centrifugal. There are no more centripetal forces. Brussels is the only region in Europe that is self-Balkanising itself.

A Chat with

The windows here are furnished with pictures took during one year by the photographer Vincen Beeckman. He accompanied a group of teenagers from Forest, a deprived neighbourhood in Brussels. Where does this fit into the Wiels agenda?

Dirk: Through performances with bittersweet accents, the teenagers question and relive the clichés of social integration. The key-word here is self-empowerment, self-image, and the image of others. We have worked together with an association in the neighbourhood around the emancipator concept. In a workshop perspective, we aimed at relieving the reflex of stigmatization of minorities. It is one result.

Can art work as a centripetal force in today’s Europe?

Dirk: I think it happens through analysis and the rational breakdown or deconstruction, and this is the project of stereotypes or clichés, one of the most powerful reflexes of visual culture.

Elena: It is also extremely important that these youngsters on the WIELS windows find images they are used to seeing on the side of buildings: images of advertisers, people selling things, selling wash machines, or cars, involving them in a consum-erist logic. This exhibition has, in a way, the most consumerist logic, providing them another image of themselves that they can recognize. It’s them and yet they’re pictured in this more idyllic setting in a forest, elsewhere than in a dense, urban environment.

One of the many missions we have here to the mediation and education program is also to teach people how to read images. The better people under-stand how to read images the more they can decrypt and analyze all of the images that are thrown at them every day from television to cinema and advertising. And that’s another form of self-empowerment. And that is why teachers of art are so important today.

Dirk: The fact is: we are in a very big, dense urban centre. We are at different crossroads and experience

I met Dirk and Elena at the WIELS, a place of culture in the South-Western part of Brussels. It is not a museum, nor a “Kunsthalle” and not a center for fine arts either. It is an insti-tution, as announced on its very website, optimally articulating three complementary functions: exhibition, production and education. Dirk is a member of the ACF Kuratorium. He and Elena have been involved in a Residency program for young international artist.

Interview by Dana Manescu (ASA 2005)

Dirk and Elena about passion and talent in an artist

Dirk Snauwaert and Elena Filipovic

The principle of our practice: “Tear down those borders!”

Our agenda at the WIELS is cultural

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a fusion of demographic, economic, and social aspects in an organic way, migration being a part of it.

It’s not only about European countries or the ethnicity of the other. It starts with sexes: “man and woman” has always been a very complicated relationship; we bump into stereotypes everywhere. The bottom line is that we don’t have to limit ourselves to Europe; Europe is part of globalization. And globalization is where people who are in sophisticated culture situate themselves.

Elena: Indeed, and I’m very happy to be an American in Europe working in culture. I have a more exotic or strange background. I grew up in Los Angeles and came to Europe nearly 16 years ago. I have been living in different European cities in relation to research and work, including for three years in Brussels, and currently in Berlin.

What’s the role of artists today? Tell us about your experience with the Allianz Cultural Foundation (ACF) Residency Program.

Dirk: The ACF has a long term engagement with the WIELS. We’re not just exhibitions, community projects, and education, we’re also a residency program for international artists. Our program is very specifically oriented towards exchange (and I stress exchange) between international artists. With a tutor, so there’s a training element to it, a formal and an informal part. Get the people to become better professionals, fitter for a career, that’s the formal part. Human scale, getting to know the city, the inhabitants,...

Elena: Getting to know each other... Dirk: Exactly, and learning, developing a real

network with a lifetime density. That’s the informal, but highly important part of the Residency Program.

Elena: One has to say that it’s not an Academy, but it’s a rather unusual residency program, one at the heart of an exhibiting institution. These are artists who are working and living nearby. So they come to this institution, in which they’re regularly watching exhibi-tions in the state of development, being born, and being put up. They are involved in the installation, they’re watching the process first hand and are present during this six month or one year period to the devel-opment of their own work. They have to figure out how to work with each other, but also with curators, how to work in exhibition space, and how to think in terms of display. They learn the presentation of their work. This is something that the ACF residency program offers which is quite special.

Dirk: You know, nobody in the world helps foreigners come to a country by funding their stay. It is very difficult to get a grant once you are no longer a student, once you are out of the Erasmus or Erasmus Mundus generation. We have partners throughout

Europe, Budapest and other big urban centres, and we intensively practice transnational exchanges. We have held workshops in Brussels and Lisbon. Next year we’ll be in Leipzig. We have a network of real artists exchanging with real populations and hope to be able to extend it. In order to have real, durable exchanges, we have to aim for the very long term, over 10 years, 15 years.

What are the most important ingredients you have to be equipped with for an artisitc career?

Elena: Passion, talent, and love for what you’re doing...

Dirk: Brains, intelligence!Elena: Of course, that’s maybe the first requirement.

But then once you have all that, it’s very possible that you may not understand or have the means accessible to you to know how to make the world come to know your passion and intelligence and talent. And one of the ways to do this is to be around other practicing and exhibiting artists and to be around an institution that produces exhibitions and has an education program.

Dirk: And you have to know another model than the one from the country you come from. Because in every country, culture and art are structured a bit differ-ently. And local themes tend to exclude others. And it’s difficult to include new ones.

Besides knowing the others and other models, a word that makes everybody happy is your singularity, not being compared to anything else; this is what I’m looking for in an artist. He or she has to know how to formulate things visually, be it prehistoric cave drawings or a circus tent installation outside a government building in a European capital city.

High Profile

Café in the mirror at Wiels, after hours

The most important ingredients: passion, talent,

brains, intelligence

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6

Every day, at least once, we hear a comment on Global Warming. In fact, we hear it so often that it is more common to joke about it rather

than take it seriously. Well perhaps in Europe, or at least in some parts of it. What would a Dutchman say about the rising sea level? How do the inhab-itants of Tuvalu Island feel about their future? Does anyone even care about how the farmers in sub-Saharan Africa suffer to grow the little they can, knowing that every year it will be less and less?

The sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP) and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) took place in Cancún in the beginning of December 2010. After the Copenhagen fiasco in 2009, the Cancún meeting was supposed to put back on track the intergovernmental talks on how to deal with the global warming. Did it succeed?

Let’s first see the main highlights: After the Copenhagen failure to make lowering emissions of greenhouse gases legally binding, Cancún made the nation states agree to limit the rise of average temperatures to +2ºC by setting their own targets.

Unfortunately, nothing exactly defines those targets and if the nation states decide to cheat, the rise of temperatures could reach +5°C which guarantees changes everywhere, and those changes are not for good. Siberia will release even more powerful greenhouse methane because of its melting perma-frost. The Amazon will either go dry and suffer from fires, or it will be subject to heavy rainfall, scientists cannot yet decide. Southern Europe will get used to tropical summers around 40°C. India will suffer from water shortages, which is not a good thing when your population is ever growing, while South-East Asia and the Pacific islands will be flooded regularly. And sub-Saharan Africa? Draught and

famine... nothing new, but don’t worry, we will have enough food in Europe and we can always spare 40 eurocents per day to “adopt” a child in Africa. Our conscience shall remain spotless, just like our well-watered and nurtured front gardens. So right now, we rely only on the good will of the signatory countries.

It appears that the developing world has finally agreed to join the climate change fight, as it did not participate in the Kyoto arrangements, which

CancúnAfter the Copenhagen UN climate change conference can the European Union speak in one voice? Were the Cancun global climate talks successful? What’s next? By Viktor Markov (ASA 2006)

Can it?

Boris (BG)*: Enjoying summer temper-atures in Sofia in November!!! Haaa! Thank you Global Warming :-) Kate (UK)*: Global Freezing perhaps! I’m stuck in York waiting for a delayed train, due to difficult snow conditions? We never have this much snow in England!!! Aaargh... Lakhi (IN)*: I wish I could see snow for real... instead, our monsoon rains are getting heavier and recently my grandma’s village was literally flushed away. She’s living with us now. Brent (US)*: And what about our snow storms in the Mid West? How normal is that? We need to save the planet!!!

Extract from a Social Network (29th November 2010)

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According to politicians, the results are amazing, according

to activists, it is all a big joke

European Affairs

7U (net)Work 4 Europe

remained binding only for the developed countries except for the USA and China, the two biggest polluters on Earth. How come the developing countries agreed to join? Let’s play a charade: five letters, you keep it in a bank. This is where the Green Climate Fund comes in! The developed world decided to pump money into the newly on board developing countries and they even agreed to be subject to control, monitoring, and verification. Well let’s wait and see how that works out for them. $30 billion until 2012 and then $100 billion per year will be the budget of this fund to finance worldwide climate change fighting initiatives. The only problem that remains is the fact that nobody knows where the money is going to come from. It will be inter-esting to watch those MPs’ hands raised to vote in favour of yet another new tax. The electorate will be just thrilled.

Another highlight from the Cancún conference was the confirmation of the Carbon trading system and its enhancement, but it is still far from being perfect. Major decisions on its modernisation have not been made and, while it presents a great oppor-tunity for those in the developing world currently entering the system, the whole phenomenon still needs to prove its benefits. To an outside observer it is still as grey as the carbon emissions coming out of a car exhaust pipe. The good news is that carbon capture and storage solutions were for the first time included, so let us settle for a light grey colour on this topic.

A major step has been achieved towards the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degra-dation (REDD) mechanism, which should set forest protection as a global issue and make governments take the problem seriously. Adaptation to climate change was tackled through a common framework and it should help developing countries find funding for adaptation projects. The agreement on technology transfer to cope with climate change remains blurry, since no exact timeline has

been determined for the establishment of a new Technology Executive Committee and Climate Technology Centre and Network. So Cancún or Can’tcún ?

According to politicians, the results are amazing and we are half way to a saved planet and a life of plenty for everyone. According to green activists, it is all a big joke; no progress has been made and we are all doomed. While the truth is, as always, somewhere in the middle, the biggest issues of whether Kyoto will be prolonged and who will sign up remain unsolved and have been deferred until the next conference in Durban, South Africa next

year. Japan, Russia, and others insist they will not sign a new Kyoto-like agreement, while others like the EU insist on the need of an even stricter agreement.

What would our friends from the Social Network say?

… as George Carlin, famous American comedian, once said on the issue of saving the planet: The Planet ain’t going anywhere! - We are!!!

In Between Cancún

*All characters are fictional and the pictures were used with the agreement of the photographed persons.

Boris (BG)*: I don’t mind having warmer summers and mild winters. I’ll just grow more tomatoes, and perhaps should try some new plants, like oranges or kiwis. I wonder how does this Carbon trading system work, is there any money for me?

Kate (UK)*: I need to buy snow tyres. Do they even sell them in the UK? Oh dear...

Lakhi (IN)*: Our neighbour used all his savings to buy a one way ticket to the UK, he is hoping to start a new life there. Dad says we shall stay here and hope for the best. Nothing much else we can do...

Brent (US): I got myself a passive solar heating system, next will be a wind turbine to generate my own power. Soon I’ll get off the grid and then I won’t care about anything. Got it all planned!

Extract from a Social Network (12th December 2010)

After the storm

The planet ain‘t going anywhere! - We are!!!

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8

When Greece came under severe fiscal strain in April 2010, analysts spoke of the imminent death of the euro. Greece and

other bankrupt eurozone members would have to withdraw from the common currency, threatening to start the irreversible unravelling of the Economic and Monetary Union.

However, before Greece defaulted on its debt, eurozone governments, together with the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, intervened. Subsequently, short and medium term multi-billion safety nets have been put in place in order to calm markets, to prevent possible contagion to other fiscally stricken member states, and to manage other potential national insolvencies. For the long run, governments are currently hammering out new, tougher fiscal rules to replace the malleable Stability and Growth Pact.

However, it is a priori in no way clear that a sovereign default would threaten the existence of the common currency. In fact, the consequences of such an event for the euro – some political embar-rassment and exchange rate volatility – are likely to be manageable. Following some debt restructuring, an affected member state would probably have to carry on paying risk-premiums on its government bonds for some time, in very much the same way as fiscally troubled eurozone countries are doing already.

The Euro in Crisis: The Patient Lives, for NowBy Maximilian A. Freier (ASA 2006)

The real problem – and the likely reason for the large-scale intervention in Greece – is not financial but structural. Severe economic imbalances have been allowed to build up between the closely integrated economies in Europe. Intra-European trade accounts for about 70 percent of all European trade activity. However, some countries primarily produce, export, and save, while others primarily import, consume, and borrow.

Consequently, the European economy exhibits significant current account surpluses and deficits, particularly – but not exclusively – between northern European and Mediterranean countries. The current account surpluses of Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden rank among the top 20 of the world, as do the current account deficits of Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, France, Portugal, and Ireland. Interestingly, these current account imbalances are a close mirror image of the fiscal situation in these countries.

In practice, this means that Greece has been consuming foreign products and services on credit. Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and others have provided these products and services. But instead of consuming exports from Greece, thereby balancing the current accounts, these countries put their income into savings. Perversely, these savings – mainly by Germany and France – fuelled the credit-financed consumption in Greece. A Greek default would thus have endangered French and German banks and, consequently, French and German savings. In many ways the French and German governments had the choice to either bail out Greece or their private banks.

The real problem is not financial but structural

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European Affairs

The underlying cause for ‘European economic imbalances’ are huge differences in competitiveness across Europe. The reasons for these differ-ences are manifold. For example, some northern European countries have been very successful in keeping their real wages low, thereby making their industry very competitive. Public sector-dominated wage setting institutions in Greece and Portugal, on the other hand, have pushed up wages to a level that have made products from these countries too expensive for European markets.

Imbalances are not confined to Europe. Similar economic imbalances exist between China and the United States. Cheap Chinese products have displaced large parts of America’s manufacturing

sector. In the Sino-American case, however, the solution lies in the Dollar-Yuan exchange rate. An appreciation of the Yuan will make imports into the United States more expensive and exports to China cheaper, alleviating the imbalance. In the eurozone, the single currency means that imbalances of competitiveness cannot be adjusted through relative prices, that is, through exchange rates.

Economists have been warning that imbalances would arise because the eurozone is by no measure an optimal currency area. It lacks adjustment mecha-nisms to compensate for deviating economic devel-opments across economies. For example, workers

are relatively immobile and will not easily migrate from Spain (where unemployment is close to 20 percent) to Germany (where skilled workers are in short supply). Also, there are no sufficient solidarity instruments at the European level, by which funds can be transferred from affluent to poorer member states.

There are two possible ways forward. First, either the relatively competitive eurozone members implicitly (e.g., by debt writedowns) or explicitly (e.g., by fiscal transfers) pay for the less compet-itive members. Or, second, the less competitive members increase their competitiveness, for example, by real-wage adjustments or large-scale deregulation. Both alternatives imply a very painful operation on either the arm or the leg of the patient. Both will be hard to sell to the electorate, as the bloody mass protests in Greece have shown.

Earlier reports of the European common currency’s imminent death may have been exaggerated. The patient lives on, but remains severely handicapped for now.

The Euro on the road to success?

A very painful operation on either the arm or the leg of the patient

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Migration is a complex process driven by push and pull forces. Migrants are pushed away from their homeland by poverty,

natural disasters, conflicts and persecution. At the same time they are pulled in by the relative wealth and freedom of Europe and the rich world. Long-distance migration is seldom the result of only one of these forces; it is usually a mix of both.

What makes matters worse is that illegal immigrants and asylum seekers have never lived in or even visited their destination countries. They have in their mind an idealised version of Europe and do not really know what to expect there. So even if they survive the passage, they face covert persecution, demeaning treatment and an existence almost as miserable as the one they left behind.

There is, however, a solution to immigration: a solution that does not mechanically stem the flow of people with fences, patrols, and treaties with dicta-torial regimes but instead deals with the underlying forces that cause migration.

The solution is the construction of a string of new cities along the coast of Sub-Saharan Africa that will be financed by the rich world. The gradual construction of these cities will be the economic engine underlying job creation. The income from construction jobs will gradually trickle down in the real economy, finance the acquisition of housing

String of Pearls can solve

Migration pressure can be reduced by building new cities in Africa

By Georgi Iliev (ASA 2005)

by the workers and drive economic development towards greater sophistication.

Such a project should be financed by Europe and North America, which are the main beneficiaries from a reduction in illegal migration flows. However, the project should also tap China’s expertise in setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZ), such as the new cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai created in southern China in 1979, which are now sophisticated megalopolises. Stanford professor Paul Romer has also done a lot of research into his related idea of “charter cities”.

The location of the cities along the coast will allow their easier integration into global trade flows and the global economy, as distance from the sea is a major hindrance to economic development, according to US economist Jeffrey Sachs. Sachs also maintains that tropical climates negatively affect economic growth, so prosperous equatorial and tropical cities like Singapore and Hong Kong should be brought in as advisors to share their experience.

Attracting millions of would-be migrants to live in those new cities would allow the residents to make the transition from mostly rural to urban life without simultaneously crossing national, cultural, or climatic boundaries. Thus, even if some of these city dwellers later on decide to emigrate, their having obtained urban education and work experience will make their integration in European society much easier. A look at the multicultural environment of thriving business centres such as London’s City or Manhattan proves that educated migrants meet less social hostility when they are seen as profes-sionals and can integrate in the host society better and sooner.

Europe’s Immigration Problems

Manifestation in Warsaw: “No person is illegal”

Amnesty for illegal immigrants

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There is a solution to immigration

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Focus on Immigration

The Refugee Drama at our BordersEurope’s New Slaves?

“Europe’s New Slaves” was the controversial title of the discussion round of ‘Debate on Europe’ organized by the Allianz Cultural Foundation in cooperation with Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Komische Oper Berlin and the Deutsche Theater Berlin which was held on 7 November 2010. It provided the opportunity to debate issues related to illegal immigration, Europe’s trade policy, and migration policy with following specialists:

Steffen Angenendt: Migration politics expert at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)

Fabrizio Gatti: Italian journalist and author, Chief reporter at l’Espresso, expert on illegal immigration

Karl Kopp: Referent for Europe at the refugee organization Pro Asyl

Barbara Lochbihler: Human rights expert, Member of the European Parliament - Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, General Secretary of Amnesty International Germany until 2009

An insight into the challenges to human rights of policies towards illegal migrations and towards asylum seekers

By Georgi Iliev (ASA 2005)

The debate revealed that a quiet battle is going on between human rights campaigners and the European Parliament on the one side,

and national governments and the EU border agency Frontex on the other on the issue of illegal immigration.

The Italian journalist Fabrizio Gatti reported vivid stories from his trek across the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean, disguised as a Kurdish asylum seeker.

He explained that human traffickers preferred to carry illegal migrants in their trucks across the desert, rather than to transport them by cargo, because there the “human cargo” would load and unload itself as people die on the way. He also reported terrible conditions at the Italian refugee camp on Lampedusa Island and described how asylum seekers there were made to sit in puddles of urine on the floor.

To remedy the silent contribution to human rights violation in Libya, Karl Kopp demanded that all European repatriation agreements with undem-ocratic regimes should be revoked. His proposed solution envisages that the EU should scrap its policy of “country of first landing”, that implies that the responsibility for dealing with asylum seekers is left to the country they enter first, and he called for Germany to assume its share of the asylum burden.

The Panel: Karl Kopp, Barbara Lochbihler, Astrid Frohloff (moderator), Fabrizio Gatti, Steffen Angenendt Phot

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All repatriation agreements with undemocratic regimes

should be revoked

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How does illegal migration and human trafficking work?

Migrants pay on average $1,300 for the trip from their origin countries to the European borders. This trip involves crossing the Sahara desert in a truck and the Mediterranean Sea in dangerously small and overcrowded boats. Most of these migrants are fleeing to Europe in order to change their financial situation. They look for better jobs and want to improve their personal conditions. They come mainly from Senegal, Mali, Libya, and other Maghreb countries and head to Malta, Italy, Greece, or Spain. They are aware they might not survive: during the trip migrants and traffickers are at the mercy of the harsh Sahara desert and therefore nobody’s life is safe. There is also the possibility of being robbed, beaten, or killed along the way.

Pretending to be one of them, I joined the group of migrants heading to Italy: my name was Bilal Ibrahim Melhabib. I was lucky to survive my trip and to safely reach the Italian coastline. Upon my arrival, I was held in the Lampedusa detention camp with other refugees. There the living conditions are very difficult: the level of hygiene is poor and the police are verbally violent. In my opinion, this situation is the result of the indifference of the local public authorities and of the Italian Ministry of Health.

After my identity was revealed, I was imprisoned and then quickly released. But this experience helped me realise how EU member states deal with illegal immigration. For instance, Italy has signed bilateral

Fabrizio Gatti took an extreme journey during which he followed migrants through the Sahara desert and on a boat trip across the Mediterranean Sea to reach EU shores. He travelled with migrants from Libya and Senegal mostly. In the book entitled Bilal, he describes his experiences and those of his companions. In the interview he relates some of his observations and gives his position on possible improvements to migration policies in the EU. Interview by Danilo Santoboni (ASA 2009)

agreements with countries from which migrants depart. This includes an agreement with Libya that allows Italy to send back all undocumented migrants to Libya before they enter the Italian territory. But once back in Libya many of them are arrested and imprisoned. Some even are tortured and killed.

The Italian border control should allow these migrants to enter the Italian territory. Health care to women, children, and old people who got sick during the trip should be provided. Italy should host them and allow refugees from political persecution and terrorism to claim asylum. On the contrary, the Italian border police (Guardia Costiera) expels migrants caught during patrols in the Mediterranean Sea and thereby breaches international human rights law.

Do you have proposals for improvement of existing migration policies?

First, EU member states should reconsider the obligations linked to the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a binding agreement by which countries commit to provide a secure environment to illegal migrants who escape from countries in which their life is threatened. What happens in reality is that migrants are detained and sent back to their home countries, where they may be in danger.

The Italian border police breaches human rights law

‘Bilal. My undercover journey in the modern slavetrade’, by Fabrizio Gatti, Editore Rizzoli, 2008

F. Gatti

the Mediterranean SeaAn Extreme Journey across

13U (net)Work 4 Europe

Focus on ImmigrationSecond, detention centres in different EU member

states should respect human rights law. Not so long ago some migrants were still being beaten up and abused in Lampedusa. Violence against migrants must be stopped at all costs. Today only lawyers have access to detention centres, which should in fact be transparent and open to the media, associa-tions, relatives of migrants, and to anyone who is interested in what is happening in these centres. By transparency I mean consistent observation of the conditions in which migrants live.

Additionally, international sanctions should be applied to developed countries that contribute to the impoverishment of other countries’ economies by exploiting labour and natural resources, and by inter-fering in domestic politics.

Finally, European member states like Italy have refused to assess the positive sides of illegal immigration. They do not consider the opportunity of economic growth that the involvement of migrants in

As an MEP who votes on EU legislation concerning migrations, how do you assess member states’ actions towards

illegal immigration? The EU should respect the principle of

non-refoulement and respect human rights. Each member state, even when faced with an influx of illegal migrants crossing its borders, has to respect basic human rights. It is not allowed to send them back, since many of them flee from torture and political persecution in their home country. Most migrants who arrive on the EU’s shores depart from Libya, a country where human rights violations are among the highest in the Maghreb region. They are in danger if they go back.

The European Commission has signed readmission agreements to send migrants back to countries like Pakistan and Libya. This goes against

the national economy brings. Illegal work represents 33 per cent of the EU informal economy. In Italy the percentage is even higher because immigration is high and it is impossible for migrants to legally access the job market. Well-tailored policies for migrants in specific economic sectors are necessary to facilitate their integration and boost the economic activity of the country.

Illegal immigrants on their dangerous trip

The EU Legislation

Barbara Lochbihler, MEP for the Greens/European Free Alliance, sits on the Parlia-ment’s Human Rights Sub-committee and she is the Chairwoman of the EP’s Iran Delegation. In the interview she speaks about the responsibility of the EU towards migration issues.Interview by Elona Xhaferri (ASA 2009)

B. Lochbihler

the principle of non-refoulement. Its central concept is indeed the ‘Prohibition of Expulsion or Return’ (“Refoulement”) and it sets out that:

“No Contracting State shall expel or return a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nation-ality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”

This principle, which encompasses both non-rejection and non-return, has developed into a norm of customary international law. States, by practice, have recognized that non-refoulement applies when asylum-seekers reach the border of the country.

Today in the EU, Member States rely on police missions of the Frontex Agency to cope with the influx of illegal migrants and its transparency Ph

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and Migration

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and actions have been widely questioned by non-governmental organisations. Dealing with illegal immigration requires collective action of all member states. A major problem comes from the perception of member states that illegal immigration is a matter of national sovereignty. They do not understand it as a phenomenon that affects most EU member states and that it requires collective action to lower the costs for receiving countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta.

Taking a look at my own country for instance, Germany has no definite migration policy. It has fortified its boundaries in order to hamper illegal immigration and refuses to express empathy for the above-mentioned countries whose share of migrants is higher at the moment. Germany justifies its unwill-ingness to share responsibilities today for having been the largest recipient country of migrants during the Balkan war. What the country fails to grasp is the boost its economy might get from cheap labour, something only migrants can offer.

Spain on the contrary is considered to be a success story. The Spanish minister of trade stated that 18 percent of economic growth comes from illegal migrants’ work in the informal economy. The EU should think of channelling migrants to legal labour markets and develop certain sectors of the economy and boost growth.

Does the Lisbon Treaty create a common ground for member states to agree upon one immigration policy?

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union has been binding upon all EU nation states since the Lisbon Treaty was ratified.

It is now possible to lift the human rights standards of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS),

and Frontex better line up its actions with the CEAS and cooperate with the Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna to safeguard human rights during its missions.

One form of action opened up by the Lisbon Treaty is that nation states can monitor the financial sources of Frontex operations. It may be more efficient to place experts on the board of its missions and among them to include human rights advocates. Therefore Frontex as well as the Nation States could no longer dismiss the fact that migrants who escape political persecution are entitled to enter EU territory.

Do you have recommendations to the European Commission?

Yes I do. Frontex must be supervised permanently by Human Rights organizations. During its opera-tions human rights should be its priority. Many of the migrants that cross the sea are pregnant women, children, and old people. Their health conditions require assistance and treatment. On top of that, it should document and systematically report cases of violations of human rights to the Fundamental Rights Agency.

The European Commission should implement policies to offer possibilities to illegal migrants to access the legal labour market. Legalization could make the contribution of migrants more visible. It would also prevent abuse.

Defining quotas and rules for seasonal employment to regulate certain professions in the labour market would facilitate the integration of migrants. The Commission has not put the issue on the agenda, but it is important to come up with a sustainable migration policy that will help remedy the ageing of the European population.

Border control missions should have better connections with NGO’s and human rights organi-sations. Better connections among NGO’s, human rights organizations, and migration control missions would allow fast reactions when human rights viola-tions occur.

Because governmental bodies are not sensitive to migrants’ rights, acting at the European level is the key to successfully fight against human trafficking and abuse.

The main reason behind the passivity on the matter of human trafficking is the lack of political will from the MEPs, currently issued in majority from conservative parties. They are not favourable to illegal migration and estimate that the protection of EU citizens’ rights conflicts with that of migrants. This may be different if migrants were better represented in national parliaments and in the EP.Uncertain end Ph

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15U (net)Work 4 Europe

Internal Affairs

What role does the European Union play in the globalised arena of politics, economy, and culture? Does the EU still hold a

leading and example-setting position or do such nations as China and Brazil play a much more important and influential role in the global arena? How should the EU proactively define its future role in a multicultural and globalised world? A number of selected students from five of Europe’s top-univer-sities are going to work on these questions throughout the academic year 2011. During the next Allianz Summer Academy 2011 to be held in

The EU in the International Arena Ready to compete? By Eva Ludwig-Glück

July/August 2011 in Kempfenhausen near Munich the students are going to present and discuss their results. Harold James, Professor of International Affairs in the Woodrow Wilson School in Princeton is scheduled to give a keynote speech on the issue at the beginning of the ASA 2011. The partici-pating universities are the Center for Applied Policy Research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, the Central European University Budapest, the Charles University Prague, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Geneva, as well as University Luigi Bocconi Milano.

The IHEID is a higher education institution dedicated to the cross-cutting fields of inter-national relations and development studies.

Born of the 2008 merger of the Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI) and the Graduate Institute of Development Studies (IUED), it benefits from an expertise and a reputation that go back as far as the 1920s and the League of Nations, in the case of international relations, and the 1960s and the post-colonial era and the emergence of the Third World, in the case of development studies.

The Institute, drawing on the synergies offered by its two fields of specialisation, offers teaching of current global issues with a view to promoting

international cooper-ation and making a contribution to the development of less fortunate societies. It offers post-graduate level teaching, both at Master and PhD levels, in the fields of international economics, inter-national law, inter-national history, and international relations (political science).

Courses on Europe are offered

The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) is joining the Allianz Summer Academy project for the first time in 2011! By Annabelle Littoz-Monnet

A New Partner

in each of the different units, ranging from ‘History of European integration’, to ‘Europe as a Global Actor’, and the ‘Political Economy of the EU’. The ASA project therefore offers students who study European integration from different disciplinary perspectives an excellent opportunity to further build synergies and common reflection on problems of European integration.

The student body of the Institute is very cosmo-politan, with 75 per cent of the students coming from abroad. The Institute is therefore an ideal environment for people to exchange different cultural perspectives and analyse political phenomena from a wide diversity of national and regional lenses. The Institute’s faculty include over fifty professors of diverse nationalities, academic backgrounds, and scientific perspectives. Located in Geneva, the Institute benefits from a privileged location at the heart of international organisations’ efforts to promote multi-lateral governance. Looking towards its future, the Institute will inaugurate, in 2012, the ‘Campus de la paix’, a site gathering all of the Insti-tute’s activities and allowing the Institute to further strengthen its interaction with international actors based in Geneva and the surrounding region.

The current ASA team of the Institute is very excited about participating in the next Summer Academy and has been ‘brainstorming’ on its report topic, raising the possibility of tackling the role of the EU as a global environmental actor, the current Euro crisis, or the EU as a provider of ‘security strategies’.

An initiative of the Allianz Cultural Foundation, Munich

in cooperation with:– C.A.P. / Ludwig -Maximilians-Universität, Munich (Germany)– Central European University, Budapest (Hungary) – Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Milan (Italy)– Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic)– The Graduate Institute of International and

Development Studies, Geneva (Switzerland)

Applications (CV and letter of application in English) to be sent to:

ALLIANZ SUMMER ACADEMY 2011THE EU IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA

–READY TO COMPETE?

The Allianz Summer Academy creates a framework in whichyoung Europeans from five top universities work togetheranalysing challenges and elaborating individual and collectivestrategies for the future.

Allianz Summer Academy 2011: Plenary Session, AllianzGroup Management Institute Kempfenhausen/nearbyMunich, 30 July – 3 August 2011

The participant students should be fluent in English, be inpossession of an excellent academic record, have a strong personal and academic motivation for EU issues and ensure their full commitment for the ongoing project’s work throughoutthe preparation period.

Academic degree required: ..........................................

Deadline for application: ...........................................

www.allianz-kulturstiftung.de

16

on behind the scenes, analyse outcomes, and see what possibilities there are for the EU to better secure its interests in the world.

Our project is straightforward: We wish to share our thoughts and ideas as well as create the basis for discussions on the EU and global affairs. We have set up a blog, believing this to be a suitable platform to present our analyses. It is available at globalactor.blogspot.com. In order to keep up the discussion, we also hold Skype conferences to discuss new project ideas.

Each member has a defined area of interest which he or she looks at in detail. Thus we have been able to publish several articles so far and we are looking forward to posting more in the next few weeks. Our overarching theme at present was inspired by the G20 Summit in Seoul: With the US and China engaging in an increasingly heated currency war, what can the EU do to shape the post-G20 world?

But as said above, we want to foster a discussion. What do you think the EU foreign policy should look like? How can it “survive” after the G20 Summit? We want to know your ideas and are more than happy to welcome new group members to keep the momentum going! If you are interested in sharing your thoughts and in joining us, just email us at globalplayer.eu@googlemail.com. We look forward to having you on board.

Let us take a snapshot of the current international system: The United States is facing steady decline, transatlantic relations are suffering,

China is currently the world’s leading exporter, Al Qaida is as active as ever, and negotiations on how to combat climate change have reached a deadlock. As we can see, the world in which the European Union has to make its way is wrought by constant change. Power equilibriums have the potential of changing on a day to day basis.

But just what are the EU’s interests in global affairs? And more interestingly, how does it pursue them? As simple as these questions may sound, they are indeed more complex. For if there is one truth about the EU, it would be this: The EU may be the world’s largest economic power, but it is dwarfed politically.

At this point, let us introduce ourselves: We are the Alumni Working Group “The EU as a Global Player”, and we deal with all issues relating to the EU’s activities in global affairs. We are united by the common belief that the EU has the potential to improve its political power to match its economic might. Thus, we take a closer look at what is going

The Franco-British Comparative Project is proud to announce that it has received funding from the Allianz Culture Foundation for the second

year in a row. New exciting plans are underway and we would love to share them with you. But before moving on to New Year’s resolutions, it is worth mentioning the project’s accomplishments so far.

The project’s stated goal is to improve inter-action and cooperation between French and British students and academics, as well as other interested individuals. The organisation aims to strengthen personal ties through networking activ-ities and mentoring programs. It also attempts to promote cross-country exchanges of ideas through

More than just a Soft Power?The EU and the Rest of the World as We See ItBy Stephanie Carstensen (ASA 2008)

The Franco-BritishComparative Project

academic events. The focus is mainly on socio-political and economic issues. In practical terms, the project organises events to promote trans-national networking and intends to assist students from either France or the UK who desire to study in the other country by providing them with resources and support.

So far, the project organisers have focused on gaining visibility through public events and by optimising publicity among partnering institutions and optimising online visibility in general. The organ-isation officially launched with an inaugural event on the 30th of September 2010. The event, which consisted of a talk and reception following, took

By Ilaria Mazzocco (ASA 2009)

The EU may be an economic power, but is dwarfed politically

17U (net)Work 4 Europe

Working Groups in the Spotlight

place at the British Council in Paris. In addition to students from a variety of schools and student unions, ten representatives from different higher education institutions also attended the event. The launch succeeded in bringing attention to the project and its activities. In particular, the project has gained the support of a few notable figures such as Lord Grenfell, former chairman of the House of Lords European Affairs Committee, and the Deputy Director of the British Council in Paris.

Another important event in 2010 was the estab-lishment of the Cordial Debate Competition. Every year participants are invited to submit short written compositions arguing on select topics. This year’s subject was “This house believes that one of France or Britain has a superior system for promoting innovation.” The deadline for submissions was December 15th, and the essays are currently being assessed. The jury for the 2010 competition is composed by: Cedric Villani (Fields medal laureate), Michel de Fabiani (Chairman of the Franco British Chamber of Commerce), Lord Oxburgh (Former Chairman of the House of Lords Science & Technology Committee), and Declan McCavana (President of the French Debating Association and FDA coach at Ecole Polytechnique). Participants will take part in a process of peer-review in order to qualify for the 400 Euro prize. This ensures a learning process within the competition and enables the flow of ideas between contestants. The award ceremony will be held in March 2011 during the Symposium on Innovation organized by the Franco-British Connections at the Imperial College Student Union in London. Nominees will have the opportunity to share their positions during the event.

Clearly, the Franco-British Comparative Project’s work has just begun. This year organisers aim to widen the scope of activities through at least two separate events: the cross-channel political and

economic breakfasts as well as the triangular European debate.

The cross-channel breakfasts aim to bring together students, policy-makers and professionals for a series of morning meetings hosted by corpora-tions and institutions that take an interest in France, the UK, and relations between the two. The objective is to enable networking opportunities within a profes-sional setting.

On a different note, the triangular European debate represents a change from the original focus of the project. It in fact spans beyond strictly Franco-British relations. The debate will take the form of a role-playing event where participants will represent French, British, and German positions on a given topic. The inclusion of Germany was seen as necessary to ensure a more interesting and enticing discussion given the country’s pivotal role in European affairs. Opening the floor to other countries in a debate is also coherent with the overall objective of the project, namely promoting European cooperation and understanding.

Last but not least, the Franco-British Comparative Project hopes to improve its online image. While the current website http://www.studyfrancobritish.eu/ is fully functional, it is not as advanced and user-friendly as it could be. Over the next few months it will be developed so as to offer members and occasional visitors alike practical tools for under-standing and promoting the project’s vision. It will also be a reference point for future meetings and events.

We hope many of you are interested in joining us and that you will all follow the Franco-British Comparative Project’s activities on http://www.studyfrancobritish.eu/ and Facebook! For more information feel free to contact us:

jeanpascal.sibiet@sciences-po.orgilaria_mazzocco@yahoo.com

Franco-British harmony

Organisers aim to widen the scope of activities

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As new projects are starting within the Alumni Jackpot programme, it’s the right time to once again check out other funding possibilities

that are available to develop project ideas in various areas. In the last issue of our Alumni Magazine we discussed the Youth in Action Programme, which is still available for smaller projects of young people.

This time, let’s focus on a programme closely connected to working opportunities and our entering the labour market once (or before) we finish the university. We are all familiar with Erasmus programme, but many of us are not aware of its smaller brother, Erasmus - Student Mobility in a Work Placement Programme. It is a great way to obtain work experience abroad and, let’s be honest, also to create contacts in companies in order to get a good job in an international environment later in the future.

The good thing about the Work Placement programme is that we can join the programme even when we have already “used” our Erasmus study placement, so it’s basically available to everyone. We, who are already working, can use this programme to attract interns from abroad, who would be paid directly from the European Commission. What an argument for the boss to let us hire a new colleague!

Erasmus student mobility for placements enables students at institutions of higher education to spend a placement period between 3 to 12 months in an enterprise or organization in another participating country. The program gives university students the opportunity to have a real work experience. Students participating in this programme will have the status of intern or trainee, not a regular employee. During this period the intern receives a super-vised practical internship in the field of his or her studies. The

for Alumni IdeasFunding

internship is a full-time job which takes place during the academic year. The internship is always related to the student´s academic and career goals and will serve as a precursor to professional employment.

Participation is absolutely free for both the student and the employer. The students get a grant to fund living costs; the grant is a monthly lump sum depending on the country where the internship takes place.

Yes, everyone from ASA can participate. If you study, you can go abroad and get an internship of your choice with a salary paid by the EU. If you work, you can get free help and bright ideas of one of the students from participating countries (basically EU plus most of the neighbours). As we wrote last time, this column should also serve as a kind of “partner search” forum. Let this be the first post in the forum: if you want to work as an intern in a Czech company or if you want an intern from one of the Czech universities, please contact me on the discussion forum of AAA web portal or email me directly on jan.hauser@eracr.cz.

In the next issue, we will change the topic back to multilateral funding programmes which can be used to fund our common ideas.

For alumni students: Get a great job and EU money at onceFor working alumni: Get a great colleague and money for your institution at once

By Jan Hauser (ASA 2004)

How does the programme work?

Can you participate?

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19U (net)Work 4 Europe

Our project aims to generate feasible ideas for improving public transportation in Europe. We are a team of five: Daniel

(Austria), Elona (Albania), Georgi (Bulgaria), Mara (Germany), and Victor (Czech Republic). Between us we have long-term, first-hand experience with public transport systems in ten European countries: Germany, France, Britain, The Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Albania, Hungary, and Bulgaria (plus a few non-European areas).

We will consider possible improvements in all fields of public transport from buses, trams, and

Exploring Options to ImprovePublic Transportation in Europe

trains to biking, moving walkways, and car sharing. We aim to arrive at ideas for improving public transport via online, library and database research, communication with experts, contacts with public transport practitioners, brainstorming, and ideation. As part of our project, we will build a knowledge bank related to public transport and a database of photographic material from various European systems of public transportation.

We will interview experts and practitioners in the field of public transport and will publish articles with our findings and ideas in the media. This will allow our project to close the loop in the information flow and to have a real impact on European transport.

We will consider improvements in all

fields of public transport

Working Groups in the Spotlight

All forms of public transportation are relevant

Our project will have a real impact on European transport

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By Georgi Iliev (ASA 2005)

20

Some of you might have already been educated by Dana (alias @Dana_Council) on this social networking and microb-

logging website called Twitter during our Madrid summit, when she first created our group account @Unetwork4Europe.

Nevertheless, I thought it interesting to give a new focus on this tool as Twitter seems to play a growing part in the way European institutions and its representatives communicate, both formally and informally.

Though it is considerably less used by European citizens than Facebook (with its more than 100 million users), Twitter is no longer restricted to geeks, nerds, or other early adopters, as when the first European accounts were created back in 2007.

A good illustration of this fact is that many EU offices, agencies, and institutions have created official accounts handled either directly or, more often, by their media team and which in many cases have several thousand followers. For instance, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy (@euHvR) and the President of the European Parliament (@JerzyBuzek) are active on Twitter.

Commissioners too are represented, with @NeelieKroesEU - quite logically as she is in charge of the Digital Agenda. But there are also commissioners whose portfolios have a less evident connection to the digital world (@JanezPotocnikEU, @VivianeR-edingEU, @damanaki, @k_georgieva). This reveals either a personal interest for new technologies, or more generally a will to promote ones actions and a political agenda through every possible channel.

The tweeting activity of Members of the European Parliament seems even more interesting with 30 per cent of MEPs (215 out of 736, as of September 2010 ) having an account, which they often handle themselves and in their native language (unlike institutional accounts, which are mainly in English). Twitter here becomes a tool to keep in touch directly

with their distant constituencies and discuss policies that might not be echoed in the national media.

Services aggregating these accounts have even been created in order to “connect the public with politics, and promote better and more transparent communications between citizens and MEP through open conversations” (http://europatweets.eu and www.tweetyourmep.eu). Twitter can then be used as a platform for direct and transnational debate, an idea I think many of us have been promoting during the Summer Academies.

Finally, Twitter permits the journalists based in Brussels to follow a larger pool of political contacts for comments and opinions, and to interact openly with their readers, creating another public space for European debate. Outside European media such as @cafebabelbxl or @EurActivFR, the best example for me is @quatremer, the Brussel-based corre-spondent for French daily Libération.

On a more personal note, Twitter - in all the aspects mentioned above - allows me to follow what is happening in the EU sphere, while working in Paris and not directly on these issues. I hope this short article will have convinced you of this new media’s usefulness and that we will continue the discussion on Twitter! (@yoannb on Twitter)

Who’s Tweetingfor Europe?Twitter as a tool for keeping up-to-date on European Affairs? In the below you will find many useful addresses. By Yoann Besse (ASA 2005)

Creating another public space for European debate

Twitter is no longer restricted to geeks or nerds

The Twitter profile of an e-European

21U (net)Work 4 Europe

Inside the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, I work in the Directorate for Inter-national Economic and Financial Relations and

global governance. My unit deals with the economic dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). What we do is to monitor the macroeco-nomic developments in two regions, the Eastern Partnership countries and the Middle East and North African countries (MENA).

I am responsible for three countries: Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus. My job is composed of three major tasks: I monitor macroeconomic develop-ments and draft reports and briefings. These provide useful insight into the functioning and trends of these countries’ economies, which informs policy-making. I also prepare and conduct the so-called ‘economic dialogues’ with the partner countries. Finally I prepare and manage the special financial assistance - the so-called macro-financial assistance - provided during the economic crisis to EU candidate countries, potential candidates, and ENP countries.

The macro-financial assistance part of my job is the most operational part and also the most interesting. It provides both a good insight into the workings of the EU machinery as well as into the economic policy agendas of the partner countries.

Maybe I should mention that the ENP countries have had an on-going policy dialogue with the EU since 2004 when this policy was established. The majority of them also receive financial assistance through other EU financial instruments that aim at promoting policy reforms in specific areas that the EU considers as crucial, such as strengthening the judicial system, civil society development, etc. However, our assistance (special financial assistance) is an additional tool that is only activated during the periods of exceptional economic crises and that can only be activated if the country has a support programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In order for our assistance to be disbursed, a legal Decision by the Council and the Parliament needs to be adopted. As the Commission has the right of initiative, the preparation of the legal Decision is actually done by us, in consultation with the member state representatives. By consulting the member states early on, we make sure that they share our assessment of the fragile macroeconomic and balance of payment situation of the country in question and thus share our assessment that the macro-financial assistance is warranted. Once the Commission proposal is adopted, it goes to the Council and the Parliament and several months later we might have a legal Decision that allows us to start implementing the assistance.

The implementation involves a study of policy reforms that the partner country government is undertaking. While our assistance is not channelled to a specific purpose, we still require the government to implement a number of policy conditions that we believe are important in order to create a more stable macroeconomic and balance of payments situation in the future.

There are various things I like about my job beyond the content of my specific tasks. I enjoy my working environment quite a lot, even if the pace of work and the depth of analysis are often quite different from the academic environment in which I was before. It is very motivating to be working in a team that has representatives from so many different EU countries!

Also, it is fascinating to be able to observe the European Union’s work from inside. Certainly, I am aware that some dimensions of EU policy making are quite controversial with the European public. When I think about of my job, I think of it as a European civil servant who supports and promotes the European Integration project but also remains critical towards it.

ForumWorking at the

Alexandra (Sasha) Janovskaia started a PhD in Industrial Relations at the London School of Economics in 2006. But since May 2009, her way deviated – at least temporarily – from Academia, and led her to the European Commission By Alexandra Janovskaia (ASA 2006)

“When I think about my job, I think of it as a European civil servant who supports and promotes the European integration project but also remains critical towards it.”

In-depth understanding of the ENP Countries‘ policy agenda

Implementing financial assistance

European Commission

22

When I asked Dana what made her ‘European’, she answered very promptly: “I am European by nature” – and this nature

is one made out of communication and exchange. Indeed Dana does not refer to any tangible charac-teristics given and easily identifiable, but on the contrary she speaks about her aspirations to discover exchange and communicate with other people. The nature of exchange!

“I had a natural drive to go abroad and to learn how to communicate with others in various languages.

Understanding how you live and feel in various places, like France and Germany where I studied, was at the core of my interests. And now these are also the characteristics of my most important years” Therefore, Dana does not seem to have doubted for very long her professional orientation. When she was looking for a professional path, Romania was on the road for accession to the EU. She was pushed by her willingness to see her country of birth “embark in the European adventure”, open up and get closer to other European countries. And so she started studying political science and European studies. She admits also that ‘European Institutions were always at the back of (her) mind during (her) studies’ and that she studied and trained to pass the EU competitions.

But do not ask of a ‘communicator’ to simply stay behind a desk studying books! Dana’s language and intercultural skills lead her to live fun experi-ences too. For instance, during the 2006 World

Portrait of

In this interview with Dana Manescu (ASA 2005) you’ll discover how e-addiction can be driven and used to contribute to the future of Europe! By Ségolène Pruvot (ASA 2006)

Cup, Dana played football close to Brandenburger Tor with tourists and Germans wanting to learn more about Europe. This was part of an internship at the information office of the European Parliament Representation in Berlin. An exhibition to explain Europe through football had been specifically set for the occasion. And the whole intercultural - football experience did not stop there! During the Summer Dana also worked at the ticket service points for FIFA, trying this time to help mostly German football supporters who had accidentally lost or ripped off their tickets. One can easily conceive how rich an experience this constitutes in terms of problems-solving and conflict management.

In her professional life too, her love for inter-cultural exchange continued to drive Dana into inter-esting situations. Dana is – according to her own words - “living proof” of European inter-institutional mobility. And the transition happened once again via the languages! Dana passed first the EU compe-tition as translator and, after one year in the services of the European Economic and Social Committee and Committee of the Regions, she went through the competition process again, changed job, and was recruited as a press officer at the European Council. And that’s how her transformation as a fully “e-European” happened.

I had a natural drive to go abroad

an ‘e-European’

CVWORK EXPERIENCE

Press officer, General Secretariat of the Council of •the European Union (2008 - present)Translator, European Economic and Social •Committee and Committee of the Regions (2007-2008)Research assistant, Institut d'Etudes Politiques •Paris (2006-2007)

EDUCATIONDiplompolitologe (Freie Universität Berlin 2006)•Master Political science (Sciences Po Paris •2005)BA Political Science (University of Bucharest •2004) BA Communication and Public Relations (National •School of Public Administration, Bucharest 2004)

HOBBIESReading, hiking, board games•

Dana welcoming visitors at the Council

23U (net)Work 4 Europe

Portrait of an AlumnaWhat is an e-European? Someone who lives

with our times, those of social media and e-commu-nication, as well as someone who believes that the internet has the power to bring Europe closer to its citizens and their aspirations. Dana thinks that the internet is a very privileged instrument to help institutions interact with the people for which they work. For instance, the livelihood of social media and discussion forums prove how much people want to help others and want to interact with them. New possibilities of mobilisation and new forms of action are then opened up by the age of web 2.0. And Dana rides on the wave! For instance, with her unit she tries to develop the activities of the Council on Twitter. They have two twitter accounts: that of the press service of the Council and that of the President of the European Council.

But do not believe they write all the time instead of Herman van Rompuy! Apparently he himself uses new technologies more and more. You can become friends with Herman van Rompuy on facebook – and I tried it – he seems to be a very friendly person! My request was accepted in a very short time!

But you will be happy to know also that the President of the Council uses his profile himself. Dana has already received a facebook message directly from him for instance! I don’t think that would work with me, but who knows? Develop a better understanding of the way social media function and can be used to create interesting interactions between institutions and people is one of Dana’s main challenges professionally for the coming years. But in reality Dana is much more than an e-European!

Dana is still very involved in real networks of young Europeans, such as the ASA Alumni network

and the alumni networks from her previous Univer-sities. To keep a more abstract and critical analysis on her activities she also writes academic sociology articles for one of her professors in Romania. One of her most recent articles was on the Europeanization of working methods of the EU. Earning a PhD – a plan put on hold temporarily to achieve other profes-sional objectives – is still part of her objectives.

Because she dreamt of ‘being there’ (in the European Institutions) and wants to help others realise their ambitions, in her free time Dana also acts as a voluntary ‘raconteur’ of EU careers for the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). She participates in meeting with young people who want to get into European institutions and she gives them an insight into her job and into the functioning of the EU Institutions. And of course Dana also gives them ‘tricks’ for the actual competition. Dana even thought of writing a book to help students, but for now she simply answers their questions face to face, on twitter and on facebook.

You may wonder when Dana finds time to sleep and rest. I have wondered myself, but the best way to get an answer is, I suppose, to ask her directly. I am sure she would answer your questions on Twitter!

IMPRESSUM U (net)Work 4 Europe Chief Editor: Mare van den Eeden Editorial Team: Andreas Lorek, Dana Manescu, Esen Alieva, Ségolène Pruvot, Marion Smith (proof reader) Contributors: Alexandra (Sasha) Janovskaia, Annabelle Littoz-Monnet, Danilo Santobini, Elona Xhaferri, Eva-Maria Glück, Georgi Iliev, Ilaria Mazzocco, Jan Hauser, Maximilian A. Freier, Michael M. Thoss, Stephanie Carstensen, Viktor Markov, Yoann Besse Advise: Eva Ludwig-Glück Layout: Andreas Lorek Photo Credits: Dana Manescu (Cover Page, p. 3, p. 4-5); Michael M. Thoss (p. 2); Anna Laszlo (p. 6-7); European Union (p. 8-9, p. 21, p. 24); Kasia Kubin (p. 10); Jirka Jansch (p. 11-13); Fabrizio Gatti (p. 12-14); Jean-Pascal Sibiet (p. 17); ntwowe/www.freedigitalphotos.net (p. 18); Nikolaus Hunziker (Swiss train), Damian Brandon (NYC cabs), Mantas Ruzveltas (London Bus) (p. 19/www.freedigitalphotos.net), Joachim Donath/S-Bahn Berlin GmbH; Courtesy Marie Sandon (p. 23) Digital Publishing: Kaluza+Schmid (www.kaluza-schmid.de), based on ideas of the Editorial Team Publisher: Allianz Kulturstiftung, Maria-Theresia-Str. 4a, 81675 München, Tel: +49 89 410 730 3, Telefax +49 89 410 730 40Letters to the editor should be sent to: asa.alumnimagazine@googlemail.com

Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher regrets that he cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

A digital friend of Herman van Rompuy

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