Learning Lessons from Europe's Multiple Crises - Loukas Tsoukalis

Europe and the European project were hit by successive crises in recent years, which had a cumulative effect, morphing into an existential crisis for regional integration as a whole. Does the European Union suffer from overstretch? Was the creation of the euro a terrible mistake that is now almost impossible to undo, or is the European project just the victim of collateral damage caused by globalisation and the technological revolution?
We first need to understand what went wrong in recent years. But we also need to understand what keeps the Union together in times of big crisis and against the predictions of all kinds of doomsayers. True, the UK has decided to leave, but no other country is looking for the exit to the apparent disappointment of President Trump. Will the more favourable economic and political environment lead to a new relaunching of European integration?
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Loukas Tsoukalis has taught in universities in Europe and North America, including Oxford, LSE, Sciences Po in Paris, Athens, College of the Europe, European University Institute in Florence and SAIS Johns Hopkins. He is the author of many books and articles on European integration and international political economy. He has advised the former President of the European Commission and the former President of the European Council.
He is the president of Greece’s leading think tank the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy ELIAMEP. His latest book In Defence of Europe: Can the European Project Be Savedwas published by Oxford University Press in 2016. Last year, he was visiting professor at the Kennedy School, Harvard University and received the Légion d’honneur of the French Republic for his contribution.