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Stefan Collignon et Christian Paul, "Pour la République européenne", ed. Odile Jacob, 2008, Paris.

L’Europe a inventé la démocratie ; elle ne se l’applique pas à elle-même ! Elle doit donc trouver un nouveau cap. Face aux nouvelles puissances et à des défis désormais mondialisés, l’Union demeure un directoire d’États-nations. Pour éviter que l’archipel des nations ne retourne à l’impuissance et à l’incantation populiste, ce livre appelle à un gouvernement responsable devant l’ensemble des citoyens européens. L’urgence s’invite : le « non » irlandais, la crise du capitalisme financier ou la guerre en Géorgie. Pourtant, à l’échelle de notre continent en panne, la coalition traditionnelle des conservateurs et des néolibéraux bloque l’espoir européen. En France, la gauche reste silencieuse depuis le référendum de 2005. Dans le piège de l’Europe sans légitimité, Nicolas Sarkozy renoue avec une diplomatie de court terme. Seule une nouvelle alliance progressiste et moderne, retrouvant l’énergie des fondateurs, permettra de redonner force au désir d’Europe. Les vraies raisons de la crise européenne, les voies pour en sortir.

About the content of this book, "For the European Republic!":

Faced with unprecedented challenges (globalisation and its attendant disorders, environmental and demographic shock waves, threats to existing social models) Europeans are beginning to feel that Europe is adrift with no captain on board.

Professor of Political Economy Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa & Chairman of the Scientific Commitee Centro Europa Ricerche (CER) , Roma


I have now joined the The Centre for the Study of Global Governanc at the London School of Economics (http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/index.htm) as a visiting fellow. My email contact at the LSE remains s.collignon@lse.ac.uk.
NEW PAPERS
The CER Rapport on Europe 2009 is my interpretation of the financial crisis : *Mastering the crisis, CER (Centro Europa Recerche). September 2009. Die Moral des Geldes und die Zukunft des europäischen Kapitalismus. In: Vorgänge Heft.* 2/2009, S. 4-22 English version : The Moral Economy of Money and the Future of European Capitalism. (Manuscript). Wage developments in Euroland or: the Failure of the Macroeconomic Dialogue (download in PDF here). Abstract : With the creation of the euro, wage bargaining has become Europeanized. Price stability is driven by unit labour costs. The experience of the last 10 years has shown that on aggregate wage bargaining has supported monetary policy. However, national wage settlements have diverged and there is only very weak evidence of convergence to the euro aggregate. This poses the problem of how to remedy the situation. The Macroeconomic Dialogue was instituted to facilitate macroeconomic stability. It has failed, because of its confidential nature, which prevents the emergence of European-wide policy deliberation. It is suggested that the MED should be transferred from the Council to the European Parliament. A short policy conclusion related to the German stimulus package was published by the Financial Times (19.01.2009): "Germany keeps dancing as the iceberg looms" (download in PDF here). A German version: "Die Konjunkturschmarotzer ". (download in PDF here). Published in : Financial Times Deutschland (10.02.2009). Monetary Mercantilism and Economic Growth in East Asia (download in PDF here) Abstract : It is often recognised that competitive or undervalued exchange rate levels matter for economic development. However, in addition to the price and cost competitiveness, volatility affects investment because volatile exchange rates create uncertainty. Governments can use foreign exchange management to stabilize exchange rates at a competitive level in order to foster economic growth. However, this policy, which I call monetary mercantilism, prevents the development of domestic financial markets. As a consequence, monetary mercantilism renders emerging economies fragile and vulnerable to financial crisis. The paper shows that emerging economies in Asia have been following monetary mercantilist strategies, even after the financial crisis in the late 1990s. SHORT PAPERS Financial Times Deutschland : Mehr macht für Brüssel (07.08.2009). Die Wahl, die keine ist (27.05 2009). Europas Sozialdemokratie in der Sackgasse. In: Neue Gesellschaft / Frankfurter Hefte (07.08.2009). Italian version : La socialdemocrazia opportunista. In: Mondoperaio (05. 2009).
NEW BOOK
S. Collignon and C. Paul	Stefan Collignon et Christian Paul, "Pour la République européenne", ed. Odile Jacob, 2008, Paris. L’Europe a inventé la démocratie ; elle ne se l’applique pas à elle-même ! Elle doit donc trouver un nouveau cap. Face aux nouvelles puissances et à des défis désormais mondialisés, l’Union demeure un directoire d’États-nations. Pour éviter que l’archipel des nations ne retourne à l’impuissance et à l’incantation populiste, ce livre appelle à un gouvernement responsable devant l’ensemble des citoyens européens. L’urgence s’invite : le « non » irlandais, la crise du capitalisme financier ou la guerre en Géorgie. Pourtant, à l’échelle de notre continent en panne, la coalition traditionnelle des conservateurs et des néolibéraux bloque l’espoir européen. En France, la gauche reste silencieuse depuis le référendum de 2005. Dans le piège de l’Europe sans légitimité, Nicolas Sarkozy renoue avec une diplomatie de court terme. Seule une nouvelle alliance progressiste et moderne, retrouvant l’énergie des fondateurs, permettra de redonner force au désir d’Europe. Les vraies raisons de la crise européenne, les voies pour en sortir. About the content of this book, "For the European Republic!": Faced with unprecedented challenges (globalisation and its attendant disorders, environmental and demographic shock waves, threats to existing social models) Europeans are beginning to feel that Europe is adrift with no captain on board. The authors argue that Europe must find a new direction. Despite vigorous debates about a European Constitution, the EU has not evolved. After the Treaty of Lisbon, it remains a Directoire of Nation-States — thus prolonging Brussels’ disembodied governance. Europe may have invented democracy but it does not apply it to itself. The traditional coalition of conservatives and neo-liberals, in France and other EU countries, has blocked European hopes. Only a new, progressive, modern alliance, with the dynamism of Europe’s early founders, can revitalise the continent’s European aspirations. This book explains the real reasons for the European crisis and shows how to overcome it (government accountability, a recognised parliament, new forms of sovereignty and citizenship). European democracy has yet to be constructed. This book shows how. Besides offering a cogent analysis, this book makes an appeal for a powerful commitment to a European Republic. It is addressed to all those readers who reject ready-made slogans and who have not given up on the invention of a new “politics of civilisation” for all Europeans. Christian Paul is a member of the French National Assembly’s delegation to the European Union. A Socialist Member of Parliament for the Nièvre, he was formerly Secretary of State for French overseas territories.