As part of the conference series organized by the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in partnership with the European Movement of the Alpes-Maritimes, Ms. Nicole Fontaine, President of the European Parliament (1999/2002), Member of the European Parliament (1984-2002), Minister of Industry (2002/2004) will lead a debate conference on “The Future Challenges of the European Union in the Context of the Crisis” this Thursday, December 6, at 7:30 PM at the Faculty of Law and Political Science.
With the crisis, fundamental debates on the future of Europe are being raised. For Nicole FONTAINE, today Europe is at a crossroads. It either dissolves or strengthens.
According to her, the mistake was to create a single currency without economic governance, with states whose economic situations were very different, and without social and fiscal harmonization. “We have not gone all the way.”
In response to the crisis, the measures taken by the European authorities are significant (stability and growth mechanism), but are they sufficient? The banking union has been delayed, while the recapitalization of troubled banks is urgent (particularly in Spain).
We are witnessing a rise in populism and a rejection of Europe by citizens in most member states.
While the European construction was founded on the France/Germany axis, many Germans today refuse to pay for others. Solidarity with the southern European countries is difficult to implement and accept. Yet for Nicole FONTAINE, Europe needs more solidarity than ever to ensure peace and prosperity. This is the challenge we must face now more than ever.”
Based on her analysis of the situation and the fundamental issues that Europeans must face, our speaker will outline the paths that, according to her, should put the European Union back on the right track.
by Brigitte Ferrari
