Author Archives: JamesPCross

Iceland and the EU: Foul-weather Friends?

This blog post is the second in a series of posts that come from students of our Politics of the European Union undergraduate course. As part of the course, students were asked to write about an issue pertaining to European integration. The best blog posts have been selected to provide an opportunity to exceptional young scholars at UCD toContinue reading “Iceland and the EU: Foul-weather Friends?”

Varieties of Capitalism and European Integration

The Eurozone crisis has resulted in a shift toward greater market liberalisation and flexibility rather than social protection and security. This seriously calls into question the notion of a ‘social Europe’, and the future direction of European integration more generally. In the study of comparative capitalism there has been a long debate on whether Europe integrationContinue reading “Varieties of Capitalism and European Integration”

The Problem with Enlargement

This blog post is the first in a series of posts that come from students of our Politics of the European Union undergraduate course. As part of the course, students were asked to write about an issue pertaining to European integration. The best blog posts have been selected to provide an opportunity to exceptional young scholars at UCDContinue reading “The Problem with Enlargement”

More Strategists, Less Strategy: The Case for a European Defense University

In December 2003 the European Council took one of its most ambitious and important steps so far in transforming the European Union into a unified and global security actor – it adopted and issued the European Security Strategy (ESS). To mark its tenth anniversary and reflect on its achievements, shortcomings and way ahead, the journalContinue reading “More Strategists, Less Strategy: The Case for a European Defense University”

A Dialogue with Prof Paul de Grauwe on the Power of Economic Ideas

Why did the ECB not intervene in the sovereign bond markets when the crisis first erupted in Greece? There are several reasons. One is German opposition.   Germans just don’t want to have it. Your question  then, might be, is why do the Germans not want it? Here it is a combination of different things.Continue reading “A Dialogue with Prof Paul de Grauwe on the Power of Economic Ideas”

Lessons for the Ukraine crisis from a British television comedy

A 28-year old British television comedy brings us salient lessons for the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. In it, a British Prime Minister is teasing out the implications of nuclear deterrence with his central European-accented scientific advisor. The adviser is pressing the newly installed Prime Minister to clarify the precise circumstances under which he will beContinue reading “Lessons for the Ukraine crisis from a British television comedy”

Inside the Mind of Mario Monti

Mario Monti, the previous Prime Minister of Italy, gave a lecture to the European People’s Party at the European University Institute (EUI) last year. In advance of this lecture I was lucky enough to attend a private discussion with him on the impact of the Eurozone crisis on European integration. The theme of the seminarContinue reading “Inside the Mind of Mario Monti”

The convergence of interest rates in the Eurozone has fuelled rather than removed economic divergences between the north and south

 When the European Monetary Union was created in the    late 1990s it was assumed that the ensuing convergence of interest rates would also lead to economic convergence across Europe. This has clearly not been the case, with the countries of the Eurozone periphery now forced into implementing austerity measures. Aidan Regan argues that these countries are payingContinue reading “The convergence of interest rates in the Eurozone has fuelled rather than removed economic divergences between the north and south”

Event: Disarmament and Non-Proliferation: Historical Perspectives & Future Objectives

Our colleagues at UCC have asked us to draw attention to the following event on March 28th: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in partnership with the School of History, UCC and the Japanese Embassy in Dublin, is delighted to announce a major multi-disciplinary Disarmament and Non-Proliferation symposium: Historical Perspectives & Future Objectives. TheContinue reading “Event: Disarmament and Non-Proliferation: Historical Perspectives & Future Objectives”