Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue/Dialogue transatlantique Canada-Europe

Prime Minister Stephen Harper assumes a strong causal relationship between (too high) welfare state standards and the sovereign debt crisis of Eurozone economies, and thus pleads for even stricter austerity programs in Europe and for precautionary reductions of entitlements in Canada. This approach has a few merits but also very strong limitations, and more so, there are limits to apply the basic ideas to the complexities of the Eurozone crisis.

Dr. Kurt Huebner says that empirical findings as well as theoretical considerations do not support the causal ties between the level of welfare state spending and the Eurozone crisis.

“The financial crisis started 2008 and it is an established empirical fact that, in general, the sovereign debt default crises are a consequence of private indebtedness. If too high entitlements, in other words, high welfare state standards have caused the sovereign debt default crises, we would expect that societies with the highest and most generous welfare states would be top-ranked in the group of sovereign debt default economies. According to general prejudice this would be Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. But those economies are ranked in the top of the group of economic high-achievers. In other words: making a causal link between sovereign debt crises and welfare state entitlements is not confirmed by empirical data.”

Dr. Kurt Huebner is Jean Monnet Chair at the University of British Columbia.
Phone:  1-778 994 8313
Email: khuebner@exchange.ubc.ca
For his more in-depth analysis  see his last policy memo:  http://www.ies.ubc.ca/political-exploitation-crisis-eurozone .

Dr. Amy Verdun, Jean Monnet Chair Ad Personam, and Professor and Chair of the Political Science at the University of Victoria, is expert on the European Crisis and is also available to shed light on how financial matters affect policies aimed at those who most need support, and what governments in Europe are doing to support people in these difficult times.

“With dwindling financial sources Europe faces difficult choices. Is Europe still able to keep the high social protection that was available in previous decades, or will things have to change?”

Email: averdun@uvic.ca
Phone: 250 853-3528

Carleton International and the Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue (hosted by the Centre for European Studies) are pleased to invite you to a presentation by Dr. Donald Bruce Dingwell, Secretary General, European Research Council.

When: Friday February 17th 10:30am
Where: 506 Tory Building, Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa ON

The European Research Council (ERC) provides funding that is open to top researchers of any nationality or age who wish to carry out their frontier research in the 27 EU Member States or associated countries. Applications may be made in any field of research covered by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union including physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, and social sciences and humanities.

ERC Secretary General, Dr. Donald Bruce Dingwell, Ph.D. (Canada, Germany) will provide a brief overview of the funding schemes available, including Starting Grants and Advanced Grants, and will take questions following the presentation.

Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP no later than noon on February 16, 2012 to carleton_international@carleton.ca.

Additional information on the ERC and their funding programs can be found at http://erc.europa.eu/.

Registration for the 9th Biennial Conference of the European Community Studies Association – Canada (ECSA-C) has started. The conference will take place April 27-28, 2012 in Ottawa.

Registration forms should be mailed or faxed by March 23.
For more information and to access the forms, please go here.

CETD expert ready to comment on the upcoming deadline to reschedule the Greek debt.

**A compromise on this matter must be reached at the latest during the week of January 30. Should this not happen we may well be able to see a withdrawal of Greece from the EU and many believe it could lead to the collapse of the EURO itself.

On December 9, 2011 the Heads of State of 26 EU member states, less the UK, adopted a fourfold strategy to end the deteriorating state of the EURO in general and to stabilise the public finances of Greece in particular. A major element of this package of measures is the rescheduling of the public debt of Greece by negotiating a reduction of at least 100 billion EUROS held by banks and other private investors and the voluntary reissuing of new bonds at reduced rates of interest. This measure requires the active cooperation of private lenders who, should there be a formal default on payment of their bonds by Greece, can legally trigger the default guarantees which cover their bonds. The consequences of such a default and subsequent triggering of compensation are impossible to calculate. They might be negligible, given their long anticipation, but they would most probably provoke the bankruptcy of the Greek state and its immediate withdrawal from the EURO. This in turn might well provoke the withdrawal of Greece from the EU and many believe it could lead to the collapse of the EURO itself.

Given the urgency to avoid the anticipated risks one would have expected that urgent steps would have been taken to resolve this crisis immediately after December 9. Further urgency is added by the fact that Greece must refinance 14.5 billion EUROS in bonds on March 13, 2012 at the very latest or face default. However what we have seen is a financial crisis in slow motion. Governments, especially Germany have insisted that this must be done as planned and that no further help could be expected by Greece. The IMF has been willing to assist but, like the EU has insisted that the reissued bonds should carry a low enough level of interest to be carried by Greece in the future. The EU and IMF have recently indicated that bonds should be limited to an interest rate of 3.5%, while the banks and hedge funds which now hold substantial numbers of bonds first called for 5% and now refuse to go below 4%, and are suggesting that it is the responsibility of EU governments to assist Greece.

In case no compromise is reached within a few days, we may well be able to see which, if any, of the dire predictions is actually be correct.

Armand de Mestral is Emeritus Professor and Jean Monnet Professor of Law at McGill University in Montreal. His current research interest focuses on the law of international economic integration. Dr. de Mestral has more than 30 years of experience engaging with a wide variety of media especially in TV and Radio and welcomes media inquiries. He can be reached at armand.de.mestral@mcgill.ca.

The media tip service is provided by EUCAnet

The Centre for European Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa invites applications for the position of Publications and Liaison Officer. This position offers a unique opportunity to work with a Canada-Europe network of research excellence (www.canada-europe-dialogue.ca). The position will commence in February 2012 for a one year period, but may be subject to renewal for up to three years. The person filling the position will be responsible for working with the Project Director in editing and disseminating policy-oriented research publications to relevant constituencies in Canada and Europe (see canada-europe-dialogue.ca/publications for samples) as well as pre-screening submissions and coordinating the blind review process for the Review of European and Russian Affairs online journal (www.carleton.ca/rera). The position involves managing multiple communications vehicles (including the website), and interacting with project partners; it also involves administrative work, including event planning and supervision of student assistants. This is a part-time position (15 -20 hours per week, initially). The pay rate will be commensurate with incumbent’s qualifications.

Required qualifications and experience include the following:
• Expertise in European integration, EU/European policy studies and or external relations;
• An advanced degree in the social sciences (minimum completed MA, PhD preferable);
• Excellent writing and communication skills including native knowledge of English as well as oral and written competence in French;
• Experience in editing, including proofreading for language errors and argument consistency as well as ensuring professional layout and presentation
• Good interpersonal communication, networking, teamwork abilities;
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and to project development;
• Familiarity with Canada and Canadian government;
• Experience in utilizing a variety of communication vehicles (e.g., websites, policy publications and briefings, innovative electronic media, workshops, and working groups )

Applications should be sent by e-mail to Natasha Joukovskaia, Manager, Centre for European Studies, natasha_joukovskaia@carleton.ca

Applicants should provide
• letter of application explaining interest in the position and relevant experience;
• a curriculum vita;
• graduate academic transcripts (copies may be submitted initially, originals maybe requested);
• a writing sample in English as well as evidence of knowledge of French
• two confidential letters of reference (sent directly by the referee by email to natasha_joukovskaia@carleton.ca)

Consideration of applications will commence on January 22, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled. For further information, contact the Project Director, Prof. Joan DeBardeleben, at joan_debardeleben@carleton.ca.

This position is supported by grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada under it Strategic Knowledge Clusters program.

Carleton University is committed to equality of employment for women, aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. Persons from these groups are encouraged to apply.

Joan DeBardeleben (Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies and Political Science) has been successful in her application for a Jean Monnet Chair in EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood Relations. The Chair is supported by the European Union’s Life Long Learning Programme and is awarded on the basis of an international competitive process. This is Carleton’s first Jean Monnet Chair. Initial funding for the Chair, which runs from September 2011 through August 2014, will support teaching, research, and outreach activities relating to the EU’s relations with non-member states in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The Chair’s activities will reach out to students with East European interests from a variety of academic programs and will host a number of research, outreach, reflection and interactive events that will engage researchers and the policy community in Ottawa, facilitating discussion about the EU’s relations with Eastern Europe, how this reflects the EU’s changing global role, and what this means for Canada.

We were saddened to hear of the death of Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue member Paul Bernard. Professor Bernard was a member of the Immigration and Social Policy Thematic Research Group. Please find a tribute to Professor Bernard here.