22nd Conference on Alternative Economic Policy in Europe

The European Union: the Threat of Disintegration

from 15-17 September 2016

Conference Convenors: EuroMemo Group in cooperation with Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra (Local Organizing Team: Luis Lopes, Margarida Antunes, Júlio Marques Mota)

The EuroMemo Group conference 2016 was jointly hosted with the Faculty of Economics at the University of Coimbra, from 15-17 September 2016 (Thursday-Saturday).

The programme was as follows:

Thursday afternoon: The state of the Union (chair: Luís Lopes, University of Coimbra)

• Maria Teresa dos Reis Pedroso de Lima Oliveira (University of Coimbra, Director, Faculty of Economics): Welcome Address
• Hans-Jürgen Bieling (University of Tübingen): Political State of the Union
• Catherine Mathieu (OFCE/Science Po): Economic State of the Union
• Ricardo Cabral (University of Madeira): The politico-economic situation of Portugal

Friday morning: The second day was dedicated to key themes of EU policy within five different workshops.

• Macroeconomic and developmental policies to challenge austerity and uneven development
• EU monetary and financial policies: reaching its limits?
• Migration, the refugee crisis and the possible breakup of the Schengen Agreement
• Right-wing & economic nationalism in Europe: origins and responses
• EU-external relations: destabilising the neighbours

Friday afternoon: Plenary on policy proposals from workshops (chair: Werner Raza, EuroMemo Group) and special plenary ‘Disintegration or Refoundation of the European Union?’ (chair: Margarida Antunes, University of Coimbra)

• Cédric Durand (Paris 13 University): Wither social Europe
• Fabio De Masi (MEP GUE/NGL)

Saturday morning: Planning meeting: EuroMemorandum 2017 and other activities

Programme

22nd Conference on Alternative Economic Policy in Europe, from 15-17 September 2016, organised by the EuroMemo Group and jointly hosted with the Faculty of Economics at the University of Coimbra in Portugal

Conference venue: University of Coimbra, Faculty of Economics, Classes’ Building

Thursday 15 September

2:30 – 3:00 Arrival & registration

3:00 – 6:30 Plenary: The state of the Union (chair: Luís Lopes, University of Coimbra, room: Auditorium)

• Maria Teresa dos Reis Pedroso de Lima Oliveira (University of Coimbra, Director, Faculty of Economics): Welcome Address
• Hans-Jürgen Bieling (University of Tübingen): Political State of the Union
• Catherine Mathieu (OFCE/Science Po): Economic State of the Union
• Ricardo Cabral (University of Madeira): The politico-economic situation of Portugal
• Open discussion

Friday 16 September

9:00 – 1:00 Five parallel workshops (11:00 Coffee break, room: S0.0)

Workshop 1: Macroeconomic and developmental policies to challenge austerity and uneven development
Coordinator: Achim Truger (room: A1.1)

Workshop 2: EU monetary and financial policies: reaching its limits?
Coordinator: John Grahl (room: A1.2)

Workshop 3: Migration, the refugee crisis and the possible breakup of the Schengen Agreement
Coordinator: Mahmoud Messkoub (room: S1.2)

Workshop 4: Right-wing & economic nationalism in Europe: origins and responses
Coordinator: Joachim Becker (room: S1.3)

Workshop 5: EU-external relations: destabilising the neighbours
Coordinator: Catherine Sifakis (room: S1.4)

1:00 – 2:00 Lunch

2:00 – 3:45 Plenary on policy proposals from workshops (chair: Werner Raza, EuroMemo Group, room: Auditorium)

4.15 – 6.00 Special Plenary ‘Disintegration or Refoundation of the European Union?’ (chair: Margarida Antunes, University of Coimbra, room: Auditorium)

• Cédric Durand (Paris 13 University): Wither social Europe
• Fabio De Masi (MEP GUE/NGL)

Saturday 17 September

9:00 – 12:00 Planning meeting: EuroMemorandum 2017 and other activities (3rd floor, Sala Keynes)

Afternoon: Cultural programme: Visit of the Roman Ruins and Museum of Conímbriga

Workshops & Papers

22nd Conference on Alternative Economic Policy in Europe, from 15-17 September 2016, organised by the EuroMemo Group and jointly hosted with the Faculty of Economics at the University of Coimbra in Portugal

The second day of the EuroMemo Group conference (Friday, 16 September) was dedicated to key themes of EU policy within five different workshops (Workshop Programme as pdf-file).

Workshop 1 – Macroeconomic and developmental policies to challenge austerity and uneven development

Coordinator: Achim Truger

• Micaela Antunes / University of Coimbra
  The Greek economy under the twin-deficit pressure: a demand orientated growth approach
• Achim Truger / Berlin School of Economics and Law
  Why Portugal and Spain should not be pushed towards further austerity
• Jorge Buzaglo / Independent economist
  Human growth: Avoiding European disintegration (paper)
  Presentation
• Ioannis Kompsopoulos / University of Tübingen
  The Troika and its policies: the way to condemnation or redemption for the periphery?
• Maria Enrica Virgillito and Valeria Cirillo / Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
  ISIGrowth, a European project challenging the mainstream paradigm (paper)
  Presentation
• André W. Heinemann / University of Bremen, Institute Labour and Economy (IAW)
  Prerequisites of a Sustainable European Union: A Discussion on Centralization, Decentralization, European Fiscal Equalization Scheme and Economic Institutions
• Petros Linardos Rulmond / Transform-network
  Lessons from Greece: the necessary transition towards a post-capitalist model

Workshop 2 – EU monetary and financial policies: reaching its limits?

Coordinator: John Grahl

• John Grahl / Middlesex University
  Financial Reforms in the EU: a critical appraisal
• António Portugal Duarte and Pedro Bação / University of Coimbra
  Deflation in the Euro Zone: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis
• Karim Belgacem / European Academy of Diplomacy, Poland and IRIS, Paris
  The french-german couple and austerity policy : who is right, who is wrong
• Antoni Soy / University of Barcelona
  Lacks and contradictions in the Annual Report of the Bank of Spain on the Spanish Economy
• Leon Podkaminer / The Vienna Institute for Inter. Econ. Studies
  ‘Old’ Europe’s Wage Dynamics and Trade Imbalances: Is There a Link?

Workshop 3 – Migration, the refugee crisis and the possible breakup of the Schengen Agreement

Coordinator: Mahmoud Messkoub

• Mahmoud Messkoub / Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University of Rotterdam
  Freedom of movement and migration: a European crisis?
• Joze, Mencinger / University of Ljubljana (professor emeritus)
  REFUGEES AND THOUSANDTHS – Demographic and economic effects (paper)
  Presentation

Workshop 4 – Right-wing & economic nationalism in Europe: origins and responses

Coordinator: Joachim Becker

• Joachim Becker and Rudy Weissenbacher / Vienna University of Economics and Business
  Heterodoxy from the right: Economic policy concepts of the nationalist right in Europe
• Jan Rettig / University of Bremen
  Economic policies of the european far right: Suitable pluralism or cumulated inconsistencies?
• Wlodzimierz Dymarski / Poznań University of Economics and Business
  Poland’s way from democracy to the one-man dictatorship

Workshop 5 – EU-external relations: destabilising the neighbours

Coordinator: Catherine Sifakis

• Sérgio Pedro / New University of Lisbon
  EU Foreign Direct Investment Policy and Human Rights. Implications to the Global Commons
• Sanchir Jargalsaikhan / Sustainable Development Strategy Institute Mongolia
  EU investment in Mongolia : its implications on Mongolia‘s development prospects
• Marija Bartl, University of Amsterdam
  Legal impacts of the TTIP on European Periphery
• Heikki Patomäki, University of Helsinki
  EU’s role in the evolvement of the Russia-West conflict and outbreak of war in Ukraine
• Ronan O’Brien
  Moving Regulation out of Democratic Reach: Regulatory Cooperation in CETA and its Implications

Background paper

• Janusz Tomidajewicz / Poznan University of Economics and Business
  Consequences of Brexit for the functioning of the EU’s social and economic policy
• Marica Frangakis / Nicos Poulantzas Institute
  Public debt crisis, austerity and deflation: the case of Greece
• Antonios Triantafyllakis / AEGEE / European Students’ Forum
  Unconditional Basic Income and Sustainable Development Goals; A mutually inclusive relationship

Further information

22nd Conference on Alternative Economic Policy in Europe, from 15-17 September 2016, organised by the EuroMemo Group and jointly hosted with the Faculty of Economics at the University of Coimbra in Portugal

The conference took place at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra. Please visit the University website for a map and directions.

Conference participants should make their own bookings. Below you can find a document with a list of recommended hotels and information on the accommodation service of the University of Coimbra. You are strongly advised to book early.

Please note that there is a conference fee collected at the venue to cover the cost of the conference (30 Euro / 10 Euro for students / 80 Euro for participants with institutional support).