European Week 2012

This year the King’s College London European Society, supported by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Law and Governance, had the pleasure to host a week of conferences and debates dedicated to European affairs in January and February. These exciting events offered the opportunity to students, academics and the general public to hear from, meet and debate with speakers who shape today’s Europe.

On 30 January, Dr Franz Fischler, former EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, and initiator of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, kicked off the week with an opening keynote speech on Winston Churchill’s idea of “The United States of Europe”. The following day we had the honour to receive Baroness Joyce Quin, former UK Minister for Europe and Member of the House of Lords, for a debate on the ‘State of Europe in 2012’, with Mr Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor of The Economist; Professor Andrea Biondi, Co-Director of King’s College London Centre of European Law, and Dr Josué Tanaka, Managing Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. We also welcomed Ms Pervenche Bérès MEP, Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee at the European Parliament. In a lively exchange, Ms Bérès debated the future of social and fiscal Europe in the light of the current crisis with Mr Julian Callow, Managing Director and Chief European Economist for Barclays Capital and former member of the European Central Bank Shadow Council.

European Week concluded on 3 February with a talk given by former Irish Minister for Europe, Dick Roche. His optimistic vision of the future of the Union was followed by a lunch with students and Professor Jan Palmowski, Head of the School of Arts & Humanities.

Report by Maïa Bilhou-Nabera President, King's College London European Society