The UK in Europe’s Economy and Europe’sEconomy in the World

19th of MayLondon School of Economics and Political Science

Wolfson Theatre

Registration is mandatory. Please scan this code to register.

The main aim of this congress is to raise the question whether the economic crisis is due to speculative behaviours and irrational debt policies or if it is the

economic system itself, which favours the financial option rather than investment in human resources and a productive economy. The EU countries are clearly among the first who are suffering such distortions but at the same time they still aren’t confident with EU institutions to make common and shared decisions.

The congress focuses on which dimension is the proper one in order to deal with the economic crisis. Taking UK as the paradigm of “national” solutions the congress seeks to explore how countries with different cultures and historical paths put themselves toward global economic threats.

The Debates

Waiting for Godot? EU at the global stage: Threatened by an internal and external economic crisis, EU seems to be far from playing a central role

in the conception and the determination of global principles and rules. Since the balance of power has shifted to a multi-polar shape, EU has the chance to influence the global decision making with its culture and tradition of democracy and power sharing. What would be the position of the main global actors toward a livelier EU?

EU and the Balkans: who needs whom: After twenty years of economic and political reconstruction the Balkan countries are asking themselves which advantages might accession to the EU bring; is the EU still a desirable option for emerging European countries?

The latest solution: financial transaction tax: The UK has recently refused to introduce a financial transaction tax. The city of London, the biggest financial market in Europe, is said to be the ruling subject regarding economic decisions taken in 10 Downing Street. How this affect a common European approach for tighter rules in financial global flows?

Does EU suffer from a democratic deficit? A never-ending contention: The EU decision-making mechanisms are renowned to be complex; several different actors - nominated decision makers, elected politicians and bureaucrats - need to be involved to make a decision. Can European Institutions be considered as adequately accountable and democratic? Are the European institutions ready to tackle the challenges posed by the economic crisis?

Agenda

9.40: Registration

10.00: Opening Lecture Jonathan Scheele: Head of Representation of the European Commission in the UK

10.30: Waiting for Godot? EU at the global stage

Cui Hongjian: director of the Department for EU Studies at China Institute of International Studies Daivid Marquand: Former Labour MP, Visiting Fellow, department of politics, University of Oxford and Honorary Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield Miguel Otero Iglesias: Assistant Professor in International Political Economy at ESSCA School of Management. Jonathan Scheele: Head of Representation of the European Commission in the UK Niccolò Milanese: Co-Director of European Alternatives

12.00: The latest solution: financial transaction tax

Sony Kapoor: Managing Director presso Re-Define (Rethinking Development, Finance & Environment) Niccolò Milanese: Co-Director of European Alternatives Petros Fassoulas: Chairman of the European Movement Joe Cox: Campaigns Organiser at Compass

13.15: Lunch Break

14.30: EU and the Balkans: who needs whom?

Vanja Calovic: Executive Director of MANS Mary Kaldor: Professor of Global Governance and Director of Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit, LSE Ian Bancroft: Co-Founder of Transconflict

16.00: Does EU suffer from a democratic deficit? A never-ending contention

Giandomenico Majone: Emeritus Professor of Public Policy European University Institute Judith Marquand: Member of Wolfson College, Oxford Laura Fruhmann: Member of European Alternatives Amsterdam Kayleigh van Oorschot: LSE student, member of European Alternatives

17.15: Conclusions

Registration is mandatory. Please scan this code to register.