Brookings: Topics - Western Europe

Center on the United States and Europe

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:14:21 GMT

The Center on the U.S. and Europe is dedicated to the study of Europe and U.S.-Europe relations. It involves American and European experts in an active program of research, analysis, and debate.

Europe 2030

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

In Europe 2030 a group of distinguished authors look ahead and deliver their predictions on what Europe will look like twenty years from now. With great insight and drawing on deep reservoirs of experience, they illuminate the European Union's current strengths and weaknesses by imagining its future development.

Ireland's Rejection of the Lisbon Treaty

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Following the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by Irish voters, Federiga Bindi believes the process should continue on as planned rather than sacking or changing the treaty. Bindi remarks that membership in the European Union is not obligatory and notes Ireland can still co-exist happily without destroying hopes for further integration across the continent.

What’s Wrong With the European Union and How to Fix It

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 16, 2008, 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM

The Center on the United States and Europe hosted Simon Hix to discuss his new book What's Wrong with the European Union and How to Fix It. Visiting Fellow Federiga Bindi moderated the event.

Shades of Gray: Shedding Light on the Muslim Community in Britain

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

July 18, 2007 at 12:00 AM

The failed terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow have once again brought Britain's Muslims back into the spotlight, and sparked renewed feelings of unease and suspicion, despite the alleged perpetrators having come from abroad. In this tense environment, there is an evermore urgent need for counterterrorism authorities to engage with the mainstream British Muslim community, while correctly identifying those that pose a threat to public order.

New Prime Minister Brown Pledges Change for Britain

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Philip H. Gordon, PBS (6/27/07)

Fourth Annual Conference

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 30, 2007 at 12:00 AM

At its most recent annual conference, the Brookings Center on the United States and Europe focused on three issues: the French elections which brought Nicolas Sarkozy to power, NATO’s difficult mission in Afghanistan, and the implications of Europe’s changing demographics.

Italy's European Vocation: The Foreign Policy of the New Prodi Government

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Ettore Greco, U.S.-Europe Analysis Series (August 2006)

Does Europe Have Something to Offer the World?

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Nicolas de Boisgrolllier with others, The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs (Summer 2006)

Overcoming Barriers to Mobility: The Role of Place in the United States and UK

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Alan Berube examines American and British policies addressing the ?neighborhood effects? of concentrated poverty as part of Going Places: Neighborhood, Ethnicity, and Social Change, a new volume published by the Institute of Public Policy Rese

The Mohammed Cartoons: European Society and Freedom of the Press

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 15, 2006 at 12:00 AM

The violence that followed the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed in several European newspapers has raised questions about European models of social integration and underscored that their debates at home can have dramatic implications abroad. The story has also raised questions about freedom of the press and self-censorship in the media. In a world threatened by a clash of civilizations, does freedom of the press include the right to offend the most sacred beliefs of others? In a time of fundamentalist terrorism, can we allow violence and the threat of violence to determine the content of our speech?

Knocking on Europe's Door: Islam in Italy

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Shortly after the July 7, 2005 bombings in London, Italian interior minister Giuseppe Pisanu warned his compatriots that "terrorism is knocking at Italy's door." Pisanu's remark seemed prescient when one of the failed copycat bombers fled London two weeks later and sought refuge with a brother-in-law in Rome. (It did not comfort the authorities that the terrorist had attended grade school in Italy and spoke passable Italian.) In fall 2005, Italian news media reported that the Jordanian insurgent leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had sent "an agent" to Italy to prepare attacks, at the same time reporting that hundreds of undocumented immigrants continued to arrive on the shores of Southern Italy. Combined with the riots in neighboring France, these developments have led the Italian government to move forward on an ambitious program creating new structures to include "moderate Muslims" in the apparatus of Italian state-society relations.

Decadent Europe Revisited

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The current deadlock in the European Union's constitutional process has provoked yet another period of deep euro-pessimism. It is worth noting that the concept of Europe has lived through similar periods in the past and survived them all, often growing stronger in the process. We need only re-read Raymond Aron's Plaidoyer pour l'Europe décadente (In Defense of Decadent Europe) published in 1976 to recall the dismal intellectual and strategic atmosphere of that moment: the stagflation, the appeal of Eurocommunism, and the apparent strategic ascendancy of the Soviet Union.

The Future of Decadent Europe

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The conventional wisdom holds that Europe today is economically or socially dysfunctional. In this view, Europe, with its long vacations and generous pensions, is in many ways a better place to live than the United States, but that can not last. Even if the European social model is desirable, it is unrealistic and sooner or later, doomed. This assertion of Europe's doom derives from the association of technological change and globalization with inevitability or necessity. The protected economies of Europe that we have grown so used to will no longer be possible—like it or not this change is going to be upon us. We can see the future because we can see the shape of the economic present.

Reform in Germany: Prospects for the New Government

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Foreign commentators and the international press have been skeptical about Germany's new "grand coalition" government, seeing the September election result as a "vote against reforms" and the expression of an apparently innate German desire to stick to the status quo. According to The Economist, "this hung vote looks like being a setback for the reform process in Germany."¹ Le Figaro fears that "after the vote, Germany may become ungovernable."² On the other side of the Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times opined that the "[r]esults boost alternative factions and weaken the push for reform."³ While it is true that the elections did not bring about a clear winner and made forming a traditional coalition government difficult, the new government will by no means be a weak one. Indeed, for the time being at least, the reforms in Germany are likely to benefit from the current power configuration in the Bundestag

Belgium's Muslim Beggars

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The topic of the plight of Muslims living in the West was ignited like so many cars on the first night of the Paris riots. But during a recent dialogue with U.S. and Belgian Muslims, Muqtedar Khan found that their communities' experience in the West is far from uniform. But while these communities struggle with unique problems, more dialogue between them might just benefit all.

Belgium's Muslim Beggars

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Why the French Love Their Farmers

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Philip H. Gordon and Nicolas de Boisgrollier, YaleGlobal (11/15/05)

On Assimilation and Economics, France Will Need New Models

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Philip H. Gordon, The New Republic (11/9/05)

The Rebirth of Vision: A Dynamic Compromise for Europe

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Pierre Hassner, U.S. Europe Analysis Series (November 2005)

EU Enlargement: Cyprus Is a Poor Excuse for Turning Away Turkey

Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Philip H. Gordon, International Herald Tribune (8/18/05)

How to Build a European Community

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 GMT

If the EU is not to deteriorate into little more than a free trade zone, serious community building measures are essential. These measures would aim ultimately at transferring more of the kind of commitment, loyalty and sense of identity citizens now attach to their nation, to the European community.

The EU Referendums and the Future of Europe

Thu, 02 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Ivo Daalder, The Diane Rehm Show (6/2/05)

Why The French Vote Was Bad For America

Wed, 01 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Philip H. Gordon, The New Republic Online (6/1/05)

America, Turkey and the World

Tue, 03 May 2005 10:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

May 03, 2005, 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM

Epistemological Hijab

Wed, 20 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Muqtedar Khan, The Daily Times (4/20/05)

Syria loves Ankara but will the relationship last?

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Omer Taspinar and Emile El-Hokayem, The Daily Star (4/19/05)

Pope John Paul II: He Helped Build Interfaith Bridge

Tue, 05 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Muqtedar Khan, USA Today, (4/5/05)

Bush's Conversion on the Road to Tehran

Fri, 18 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Philip H. Gordon, YaleGlobal (3/18/05)

Friendly Fire: Italy, America and the War in Iraq

Tue, 01 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Analysis by Jonathan Laurence (March 2005)

U.S.-European Relations After Bush's Trip

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Interview by Ivo H. Daalder, The Diane Rehm Show (2/24/05)

Don't lift the arms embargo on China

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by David Shambaugh

Condoleezza and Democracy: Five Transatlantic Challenges

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Justin Vaisse, Le Monde (2/10/05)

Using the U.S. and U.K. Censuses for Comparative Research

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

In this discussion paper Rebecca Tunstall outlines key features of the U.S. and U.K. censuses of population, their main similarities and differences, and how the two canvasses can be used for comparative research on population, housing, and other key

Fateful Triangle: The United State, Europe and the Middle East

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Justin Vaisse, New Europe Review (2/1/2005)

Americans and Britons: Key Population Data from the Last Three U.S. and U.K. Censuses

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Using census data from the United States and the United Kingdom, this survey employs basic demographic analysis to assess key similarities and differences between the two countries.

There Goes the Neighbourhood

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Bruce Katz argues that both American and British neighborhood policies should aim to create neighborhoods of choice and connection in a brief recently delivered at the Joseph Rountree Foundations Centenary Event in London.

Neighborhoods of Choice and Connection: The Evolution of American Neighborhood Policy and What It Means for the United Kingdom

Thu, 01 Jul 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Bruce Katz argues that both American and British neighborhood policies should aim to create ""neighborhoods of choice and connection"" in a brief recently delivered at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Centenary Event in London.

The Turkish Turnaround

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Omer Taspinar, The Daily Times (10/14/03)

The United States and France After the War in Iraq

Mon, 12 May 2003 08:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

May 12, 2003, 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM

EMU : Facts, Challenges & Policies

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 GMT

This book draws on analyses and figures never before published and attempts to identify the best policies for ensuring the success of the European Monetary Union.

Greece's Economic Performance and Prospects

Tue, 30 Apr 2002 16:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 30, 2002, 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Greece's Economic Performance and Prospects

Wed, 17 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Sponsored by the Bank of Greece and the Brookings Institution, this book is a collaboration among Greek and non-Greek economists to facilitate understanding of Greek observers about their economy and to stimulate a constructive policy debate within G

The French Challenge : Adapting to Globalization

Tue, 20 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The French Challenge deals with France's effort to adapt to globalization and its consequences for France's economy, cultural identity, domestic politics, and foreign relations. By examining a wide variety of possible measures of globalization and li

It's Time for Germany to Start Pulling Its Weight in Europe

Fri, 10 Aug 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, Senior Fellow, and Karla J. Nieting, Research Analyst, The Brookings Institution, in The International Herald Tribune, August 10, 2001

Are the United States and Europe Heading for Divorce?

Fri, 01 Jun 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Are the U.S. and Europe headed for divorce, article in International Affairs, Summer 2001, by Ivo Daalder, senior fellow, foreign policy studies, the Brookings Institution

Bush's Unilateralism Risks Alienating America's Allies

Mon, 02 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Bush?s Unilateralism Risks Alienating America?s Allies, Opinion in Handelsblaat, Philip Gordon, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

How to Remain America's Privileged Partner

Thu, 01 Feb 2001 00:00:00 GMT

How to remain America's privileged partner, book chapter by Philip Gordon in Britain and Europe: The choices we face, published 2001.

America's New President Will Need to Earn European Trust

Fri, 15 Dec 2000 00:00:00 GMT

America's New President Will Need to Earn European Trust, Opinion in Handelsblatt, by Philip H. Gordon, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

The Domestic Politics of National Missile Defense

Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The Domestic Politics of National Missile Defense, Opinion distributed by Netherlands Press Association, July 10, 2000, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Squeeze Austria to Cleanse Its Government

Mon, 14 Feb 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Squeeze Austria to Cleanse Its Government, Opinion in Newsday, February 14, 2000, by Ivo Daalder, senior fellow, foreign policy studies, the Brookings Institution

The Birth of the Euro: Monetary Union in Western Europe

Tue, 01 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review, Summer 1999

From War to Wealth : 50 Years of Innovation

Tue, 01 Jul 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Produced to mark the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Plan, this book traces OECD's development from its Marshall Plan roots to the challenges it now faces in integrating new countries in an era of globalization.

Welcome to Hard Times : The Fiscal Consequences of German Unity

Tue, 24 Jan 1995 00:00:00 GMT

Despite the success from the progressive economic miracle, the authors argue for a somewhat less ambitious attitude toward Germany's deficit problems and believe a more subtle approach is the best hope for resolving the countrys economic challenge

Labor and an Integrated Europe

Mon, 16 Aug 1993 00:00:00 GMT

In this book, leading labor economists and social scientists address an array of concerns about economic integration and the challenges of the Single Market Program, and offer insight into the labor community's likely response.

Brookings Papers on Economic Activity 1991:1, Macroeconomics

Wed, 17 Jul 1991 00:00:00 GMT

For almost thirty years, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) has provided academic and business economists, government officials, and members of the financial and business communities with timely research of current economic issues.

Fifth Annual Conference of the Center on the United States and Europe

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 GMT

On May 20, 2008, the Center on the United States and Europe held its fifth annual conference. As is in previous years, the conference brought together leading scholars, officials and policy-makers from both sides of the Atlantic to examine issues shaping the transatlantic relationship and to assess the evolving roles of the United States and Europe in the global arena.