Jointly organized by the Embassy of Luxemburg, the Athens Concert Hall and the Greek Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), the event entitled “Euro: Review and Prospects” was successfully held at the Concert Hall on 10 June, with Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxemburg and former President of the Eurogroup, being the main speaker; the event was introduced by Mr. Ioannis Manos, Chairman of the Board of the Concert Hall, whereas the discussion was moderated by Professor Loukas Tsoukalis, President of ELIAMEP.
Mr. Juncker referred to the negative impact of the economic crisis on the influence and prestige of the E.U. He reiterated that Europe is a small -both in size and population- continent (compared with the other continents), which has seen its economic power considerably descending over the last decades, its demographic trends being regressive as well. In this regard, Mr. Juncker argued that, in order for the E.U. to overcome the crisis and secure its long-term financial viability, it should support the first option in face of the dilemma “More Europe or Less Europe?” whereas he rejected the idea of returning to the nation-state.
Then, Mr. Juncker made a flashback to modern European history, with particular emphasis on the two world-wars, in an attempt to demonstrate the great accomplishments achieved by the European integration, which secured peace for its Member-States, along with democratic normality and improved living standards in Europe.
With regard to the European crisis, Mr. Juncker criticized the European institutions and governments for their reaction, as he believes that no proper diagnosis of the Greek problem and its spread to the rest of the Eurozone had been made and, therefore, the reaction was not the most appropriate.
On several occasions, the speaker praised the Greek adjustment effort in recent years, which he considers to be the most intense effort made in Europe over the past years. He also criticized the -often dishonest- attacks on Greece by the mass media and political forces of certain countries of Northern Europe.
Concerning the issue of the E.U. overcoming the crisis, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg focused on two points: firstly, on carrying out reforms for more integration and better coordination of the economic and social policy of the Community. Secondly, he mentioned the importance of solving the problem of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, which is a blow to the European economy.
Lastly, with reference to the Greek program, Mr. Juncker focused on the implementation of structural reforms, on the creation of a just and efficient tax-system, as well as on the implementation of the privatization program.
You can find the video here.