GERMANY - UNIVERSITY OF GÖTTINGEN - Michael HINDLEY
2016-11-08 - 2016-11-11
The University Gottingen organized a lecture followed by discussions and debates about the EU integration and about the role of the institutions in the EU and their power.
Michael HINDLEY FMA Member, participated in this event.
Mission report: VISIT TO GÖTTINGEN UNIVERSITY
When the Euroculture Centre at the University of Göttingen in Germany invited me to give seminars on the post-EU referendum situation I was asked for a title. I suggested ‘Can the EU survive Brexit?’ Not simply an example of English ‘tongue-in-cheek’ humour, but a warning that Brexit is not only an existential question for the UK, but also one for the EU. The fact that the largest continuous democracy in Europe should choose to leave should provoke some radical self-examination in the EU itself. The stark fact is that 52% of participants in the UK Referendum did not feel that the EU can be reformed and that Britain’s future should be outside the EU. Very few – if indeed any – advocates of ‘remain’ campaigned endorsing the EU as it is. Many like myself campaigned to stay in and to reform the EU. It is the failure of the EU itself to reform, which has contributed significantly to this crisis.
Certainly the mood among the Masters Students in the three seminars I participated in was puzzlement and sadness about the UK leaving. There was none of the exasperation and vindictiveness that some continental public figures express. On the morning of my second day the news came through that Donald Trump had won the Presidential race in the USA. The news was met by thesame sadness and puzzlement as the Brexit decision. The complacency of the ruling elites has blinded them to the rising tide of resentment amongst the so-called ‘left-behind’ who trust appeals to nationalism more than appeals to international solidarity. Clearly, the ground is shifting under the feet of the political elites who had haughtily assumed they were acting in the best interests of the people in the name of ‘Europe’. But the ‘Europe’ the EU was designed for, no longer exists.
Continental Western Europe emerged from the cataclysm of the Second World War with a simplistic slogan of ‘national bad, European good’ and far too long this sense that expressions of national sentiments are inevitably anti-international, even dangerous, has prevailed. It has certainly left the field open for the extreme right to present itself as representatives of ‘the people’. For Germany particularly this is a challenging time. Germany has successfully achieved rehabilitation through Europe, aka EU. It has foregone over national interest for the ‘greater good’.
Brexit will clearly mean that France will bind itself ever more closely to Germany. Much of the initial impetus for creation of western European cooperation leading to the Treaty of Rome came from the French political elite deciding to pursue French interests through Europe. A very brave decision at the time, but no longer an idea shared by large numbers of French voters. And a growing Franco-German axis is bound to cause a rising resentment in the East, particularly the Visegrads, who already feel somewhat undervalued. ‘Europe’ is widely seen as the problem for nation states, not the solution to national problems – a point the ‘More Europe’ advocates from Brussels fail to grasp. The young students at Gottingen have the intelligence, perception and energy to cope – but they are more realistic and more truly international and beyond the clichés of Europe first – at least ‘Europe a la Berlaymont’.

CROATIA - UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB - Toine MANDERS
2016-11-17 - 2016-11-18
The University of Zagreb organized in November a conference for domestic market law students and European corporate law students. This conference focused on the domestic market, ‘The Four Freedoms’, the European Institutions and European corporate law. That is why the University wished to invite a specialist on these issues, Mr.Toine MANDERS, former MEP and FMA member.
Mission report: THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE
By train to Amsterdam and by plain to Zagreb. Professor Kosjenka Dumancic emailed me that due to the arrival of Joe Biden, traffic and security would be very intensive and I arrived with some delay but save at the University. With Kosjenka and professor Dr Hana Horak, we discussed my programme. On Thursday the professors were presenting their book ‘European market law’ and I was asked to give some comments. A better knowledge will create an advantage in futural negotiations and procedures so it is for their own sake. On Friday I had my lecture about: ‘Will Europe be a global player or to be compared with the Titanic? We are at a crosspoint of history now ‘
The EU organization structure was fitted for 6 member states and not for 28. At the beginning Europe was all about agriculture and economy and not about the real politics. The ECJ is often deciding on political issues via case law, because our political leaders always are sliding the “hot potato”. This is a weakness of Europe and therefore we need change. Thanks to Mr Wisse Dekker (ceo Philips 1986) representing the European Industries in Brussels, who demanded a single market and a single currency, the single market and the euro was created in 1992. It worked quit well until the Euro crisis and now Europe is facing even bigger problems, like terror and refugees. Nowadays, in most member states, Europe is bashed by people who are afraid for the future. National politicians are confused, because they have to face the upcoming nationalistic parties to compete with them in the elections. Their dilemma is: To win the elections or to save Europe. The UK is the fi rst member state to organize a referendum. Will there be a Brexit? Who will follow? At least we will know the impact of stepping out. It is too easy to bash Europe, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I believe very strongly that there will be another outcome for Europe.
With the war on terror and a non-ending stream of refugees we need clear decisions of our leaders. What will be our future? We discussed some possibilities. There is a need for a strong organisation structure which is fitted for 28 member states and ready for the future. Instead of working on economic legislation, like labels for textile products or curved cucumbers, or agricultural policy, the EU should focus on more political issues. Our conclusion was that the EU could function better as the United States of Europe with a federal government and 28 member states.
The core business should be:
1. Economic and monetarian affairs.
2. Common defense and foreign affairs, including border control and immigration.
3. Environment
The member states are sovereign for all other issues. When there is a cross border friction, the ECJ will decide. This might help the EU to be a global player in the future too and to continue the thoughts of Wisse Dekker. Afterwards the two professors invited me for a nice dinner in the best Italian restaurant of Zagreb. The whole event was so intense that we promised to meet again.

CZECH REPUBLIC - MENDEL UNIVERSITY - Mariela BAEVA
2016-11-20 - 2016-11-27
Mendel University in Brno organized conferences and seminars for students during the International Teaching Week and invited a former member to participate.
Mariela BAEVA , FMA member, participated in this event.
Mission report THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS AND THE EU
When the students of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic, were approached to comment on the learning environment and their prospects after graduation, they rated them high. heir experience at the University seems to be a success story. The students I could meet of Bachelors and Masters’ degree levels represented different continents – Europe, East Asia, West Africa… They were united in their quest for knowledge and search for answers to complex issues. Our discussions and exchange of views, running round topics like the Internal Market; ‘fl aws in EMU design’; global crisis and EU responses; role of EU in international institutions and economic fora started with paying tribute to the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris. The Great Recession and the sovereign debt crisis grabbed our attention. We referred to certain weaknesses of the Internal Market and the urgency for a push to complete it.
Is a political and economic convergence process possible as proposed in the Five Presidents’ Report? Legitimacy and accountability – core criteria for a political union? Many questions, complex answers. We also brought to the spotlight an issue, when discussing the EU role globally – parliamentarians from the EP and national parliaments worldwide are embraced in a joint initiative envisioning the scrutiny of world trade talks, based on ethical criteria like transparency. The Airbus/ Boeing WTO disputes case also held the attention of the audience. I could submit a SWOT analysis, too – covering the EU participation in the G-20 forum – to the students’ consideration.
We also discussed OECD and EU joint efforts to build upon analyses of education, skills development and youth-related employment policies to respond with concrete measures to the youth unemployment crisis and long-term youth employment prospects. We referred to the role of the EP in the EU legislative process and the main forces that drove the expansion of the EP’s rights in legislation from consultation to co-decision. The different phases like the Crocodile Club, European Assizes, Refl ection Group, or the formal participation of the EP in the Convention on the future of Europe, as well as the latest treaty, fell into the scope of references that contributed to legitimizing the EP’s infl uence in the legislative process to the extent that for the fi rst time the EP also obtained the right of co-decision in economic and fi nancial governance as well as external relations.
I proposed to the students an exploratory mission in the different MSs that joined the EU after 2004. We used the Prosperity Index as the only global measurement of prosperity based on both economic criteria and wellbeing. I could bring to the students’ attention the fact that research into wellbeing revealed that people in CEE countries reported low levels of life satisfaction. Some authors suggest that ‘the end of the previous era for those countries s the collapse of not just a system, but of a belief system. This challenge coupled with economic dislocation and a decline in national wealth demonstrates that many people, for ex., in Bulgaria and Romania, report some of the lowest levels of subjective wellbeing.’ Our session was concIuded with a cardinal question – is there ‘an Iron Curtain of wellbeing that divides Europe in 2015’?

HUNGARY - UNIVERSITY OF SZEGED - Teresa DOMINGO
2016-11-28 - 2016-12-02
The University of Szeged organised a conference on “Gender Issues”, actual topic in Hungary. Ms Teresa Domingo, former MEP, delivered a keynote on “Gender (in)equality in Europe”, to students in international relations, economy and law, as well as professors and public interested in those questions.
Teresa DOMINGO, FMA Member, participated in this event.

2016 Annual Dinner
2016-11-30
The 2016 FMA Annual Dinner was held on 30 November. The guest speaker was Mr. Elmar Brok, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. His speech was referred to today’s challenges to democracy with a specific reference to topical issues such as Brexit, US elections, EU relations with Russia and Turkey.
