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Europe in the 21 st Century:

Europe in the 21 st Century:. A New Europe?. A Department of Political Science Seminar. Newfoundland and Labrador and the Upper Churchill: Constitutional and Economic Aspects Jim Feehan Department of Economics Frank O’Brien Department of Political Science

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Europe in the 21 st Century:

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  1. Europe in the 21st Century: A New Europe?

  2. A Department of Political Science Seminar Newfoundland and Labrador and the Upper Churchill: Constitutional and Economic Aspects Jim FeehanDepartment of Economics Frank O’Brien Department of Political Science Memorial University of Newfoundland Tuesday April 7, 2009 SN2033 10:30-11:45 a.m.

  3. The Department of Political Science Presents The (Re)Regulation of Global Finance – Understanding Canada’s Role in the G20 Dr. Russell WilliamsDepartment of Political Science Memorial University of Newfoundland Thursday April 9, 2009 SN2033 12:30-2:30pm

  4. Final exam • Friday, April 17th • 3-5:00 p.m. • Location • SN3042

  5. Format: • Identifications 6 @ 5% (30%) • Shorter essay (30%) • Longer essay (40%) • Choice on all sections • The exam covers the entire course, but • Greater emphasis on material since the midterm • You should be able to comment on broad changes throughout the 20th century – e.g. ways in which postwar Europe was different or similar to earlier periods

  6. Today’s class • East Central Europe: • Return to the fold • European Union: • Ever Closer Union, Union delayed, or Union Stalled • Domestic politics: • Welfare states in trouble • The emergence of New Right Populist Parties

  7. East Central Europe • Re-establish multiparty democracy • Germany reunified – • Eastern laender accede • Absorbed into Federal Republic under ‘temporary’ constitution (Basic Law) • Transitions to democracy largely successful in Central Europe • Weak parties & weak party systems • Surprising success of reformed (ex-) Communists • Further east & south, former USSR: • Transitions stalled: illiberal democracies or worse?

  8. The European Project • Treaty on European Union, 1991 • Integrating the east? • Successive Enlargements – from 12 to 27: • Finland, Sweden, Austria 1995 • Copenhagen Process (1994) • Central and Eastern Europe: 10 countries in 2004 • Visograd Four: Hungary, Poland, Czech R., Slovakia • Baltics: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia • Malta, Cypress, Slovenia • Bulgaria and Romania in 2007

  9. Enlargement & problems it creates • New member-states must adopt aquii: body of European law passed to date • Institutions designed for six, nine…twelve work differently with 25 or 27 • European Commission • Presidency • Question of structural funds (regional aid) • Were the new member-states ready?

  10. The Constitutional Debacle • 2002 Decision to call Constitutional Convention • Treaty drafted • Ratification required by all member-states • Referenda in France, Netherlands in 2005 • Constitutional Treaty rejected in both • Lisbon Treaty • Irish reject

  11. The EU dilemma • No political will to go forward: a wider but shallower Europe? • Reluctance to go backward – for some • Strains on EURO from meltdown, econ crisis • Bottom line: • World’s most successful peace order • Weak or ineffective international actor

  12. Domestic politics Uncertain welfare states: • Questions of viability • Some retrenchment but fundamentally intact • UK: from Thatcherism to New Labour • Problem of entitlement societies • Costly entitlements & guarantees for most • Newcomers not fully included

  13. Changing patterns of political cleavage • The Left: • Demise of Communist Parties • Social Democrats • Parties intact • Electoral base weakened • Fewer & fewer workers • Mission transformed: • Try to manage capitalism • Try to preserve welfare states

  14. New Right Populist Parties • New political family • ‘Anti-’ parties • Anti-EU • Anti-immigrant • Anti-establishment • Support, often growing in • France: Jean Marie Le Pen Front Nationale • Austria: Jörg Haidar’s FPÖ (Freedom Party) • Netherlands (List Pim Fortuyn; Freedom Party • Scandinavia (Progress Parties, New Democracy • Italy (National Alliance, Lega Nord

  15. Sources of support • Annoyance with big state? • Immigrants and immigration • Strains of multiculturalism • Former sending societies have become receiving societies • Colonies come home (UK, France) • ‘Guest’ workers (gastarbeiter) stay • New immigrants • Asylum seekers • Illegal migrants

  16. What the new right is and is not • Anti-parties -- anti-establishment • Yet, increasingly mainstream • Not (necessarily) anti-democratic • Not always able to govern • Signaling function? • Whistle-blowers? • Bearers of bad news?

  17. Europe in the 21st Century • Different than Europe in 1900 or 1914 • Prosperous • More united • Unlikely to go to war • Is there a spectre haunting Europe? • Not the organized working class • Islam?

  18. Final exam • Friday, April 17th • 3-5:00 p.m. • Location • SN3042

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