Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble: Europe Looks at a Complicated Future
New Thinking for a New World - a Tallberg Foundation Podcast
11/03/22
•52m
About
Comments
Featured In
Europe is under considerable stress from the Ukraine war, a deep energy crisis, inflation, roiled financial markets, looming recessions, social unrest, and political turmoil—on top of longstanding tensions between northern and southern countries over economics and western and eastern countries over cultural and social issues.
Arguably, Europe in general (and the EU in particular) is a mess.
The question is whether these forces will combine in ways that could produce less Europe or more Europe in the coming years. Is there leadership at the national levels or at the European level that instead of merely muddling through could find new pathways to a prosperous, secure European future? What are the new ideas to cope with new problems?
In this special edition of the New Thinking for a New World podcast, Anna Palacio, former Spanish Foreign Minister, and Jakob Hallgren, an experienced Swedish diplomat who now heads the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, join host Alan Stoga to discuss how Europe might get from where it is to where its citizens need it to be. Their conversation was recorded during a Tällberg Foundation webinar on October 27.
Previous Episode
Can a Broken Democracy Fix Itself?
October 27, 2022
•37m
After the tragedy of the Pinochet years, Chile had evolved into one of the most successful countries in the Americas in economic terms, but perhaps more importantly, in terms of the health of its democracy. Right and left-wing parties and presidents alternated power, the judicial system worked, corruption was low, Chilean political leaders were respected at home and abroad. All of that came to a screeching halt in 2019 when protests escalated into widespread violence.
Chile was suddenly at, what in almost any other country, would have been a revolutionary moment. However, instead of a civil war, the Chileans launched an inclusive political process to write a new constitution. They wanted a fundamental rethink of political rights, obligations, institutions and processes. Fast forward to September of this year, and the new constitution that was three years in the making was overwhelmingly rejected in a national referendum.
What happened and what happens next? What lessons can others learn from Chile's efforts to reimagine its democracy?
Isabel Aninat, Dean of the Law School of the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, in Chile has been a keen observer of the constitution-writing process and, more generally, of Chilean politics. She is fundamentally optimistic that Chilean democracy is headed in a good direction. What do you think?
Next Episode
What Does a Franco-German Split Mean for Europe?
November 10, 2022
•52m
Europe is in a bad place: the war in Ukraine, energy crisis, inflation, looming recession, political and social tensions—the list seems endless. Perhaps most importantly, key elements of Europe's grand strategy are in trouble. Dependence on cheap Russian energy has ended catastrophically. Reliance on soft power, while effectively disarming, has proven to be a bad idea. Deepening economic and trade ties with China when that country and the United States seem headed towards confrontation is at best problematic for Europe’s future.
Over the last several decades, the relationship between France and Germany has been central to Europe's success. Regardless of who’s been in power in Berlin or Paris, that relationship has always been made to work. Now, however, those countries are obviously out of sync. Their leaders lack a shared vision of where Europe should go or how to get there. Their political and business elites seem increasingly at odds. The mood is bad and getting worse.
The question, of course, is how—perhaps if—Europe can recover if the French and Germans can't figure out how to work together. What ails Europe’s traditional leaders? Can this marriage be saved?
Laure Mandeville, a senior reporter at Le Figaro with considerable expertise in French, European and Russian politics and Friedbert Pflüger, a former German parliamentarian and state secretary for defense joined Tällberg’s Alan Stoga for this conversation about Europe through the lens of France and Germany. It was originally recorded during a recent Tällberg Foundation webinar and lightly edited for this presentation.
What do you think?
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted