News from Berlin

European Integration - Including Separatism, Populism and Regionalism

May 19th, 2014
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News from Berlin. Today, May 21st, there will be a big panel discussion in Bonn about the development of European integration.

The discussion will be chaired by Kurt Beck, Prime Minister and President of the AD Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Jordi Pujol, former president of the Generalitat de Catalunya and Prof. Dr. Vesa Vares, Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Turku and Dr. Hildegard Stausberg, diplomatic correspondent for the newspaper Die Welt.

Until now, the development of European integration proceeded almost exclusively in one direction: a constant expansion and progressive deepening. Therefore the number of Member States has almost doubled in the last 20 years however sometimes the regional interests of the member countries are not considered. We can see the consequences of this for example in Scotland, Flanders or Catalonia, where independent movements have arisen, claiming a greater autonomy and independence.

At the same time in many EU Member States the rise of populist parties with a strong anti-European core have been observed - a threat to be reckoned for by the European integration.

What political motivations and orientations are linking these different movements? Are these trends posing a threat to the European project, or do they represent the opportunity for a more controlled policy of the European Union?

The event is part of the satellite program COOL2014 Guest of Honour Finland at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2014 and it will take place in Bonner Universitätsforum, Heussallee 18−24, 53113, Bonn from 5.30 to 7pm.

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