The British and the Americans used the press to attack the euro , but the strategy failed and it's now the dollar that is in trouble, contends Marc Luyckx Ghisi, a researcher close to former European Commission President Jacques Delors.
Marc Luyckx Ghisi was a member of the prestigious Forward Studies Unit of the European Commission from 1990-1999. The unit was created by Jacques Delors, Commission president from 1985 to 1994, to foster a long-term view of Europe.
He spoke to EurActiv Slovakia Chief Editor Zuzana Gabrizova.
Your message is that the European Union represents a new paradigm in politics and in economics. Can you explain in what aspects?
The first evidence is in the Treaties. The EU is the first success in the world in established by Treaties, a policy of permanent non-violence between member states. In 1950, what [Jean] Monnet, Robert Schuman, [Alcide] De Gasperi and [Paul-Henri] Spaak wanted was to make war impossible between France and Germany. Now, without knowing it, they have introduced a new political paradigm in the world. Like a few centuries ago, we have introduced the rule of law, which was a big jump in non-violence inside the state.
Now we have introduced non-violence between the states. It means that the EU is obliged, and it does it in silence, to craft and imagine new tools of non-violent foreign policy. Javier Solana has done wonderful work in that direction. I am not sure that for the moment EU foreign policy is as creative.
The European leaders, as well as the national leaders, are obviously having a hard time selling the European project to the public. The story of securing peace on the continent is apparently not appealing anymore and the eurozone crisis isn´t helping in coming up with a new story. What would be your advice to them?
There is excellent second good news. Let me tell you a story. When [Antonio] Gutiérrez proposed the [EU] Lisbon Strategy in March 2000, the first paragraph said: “This strategy is a new economic paradigm in Europe.” The heads of state said - we sign the Lisbon strategy but cancel the first paragraph. If you read the conclusions of the Council of Lisbon, that first paragraph was changed. The secret good news is that the Lisbon strategy is a post-capitalist, post-industrial new economic paradigm. This is the best-kept secret in Europe and in the world.
You should read the book of Maria João Rodrigues, the professor of economy and the thinker behind the Lisbon strategy. She explains that this knowledge society and knowledge economy is a new economic paradigm. And the excellent news is that this new logic is human-centered!
Is the Europe 2020 strategy a decent follow-up in your view?
http://www.euractiv.com/euro-finance/delors-disciple-americans-britis-interview-517641
Friday, 8 February 2013
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