Solidarity and convergence at risk...

Convergence – in the sense of economic catching-up – is not a goal specified in European Treaties, one seminar participant observed on January 14th. But convergence and political reconciliation have in practice operated as the mutually-reinforcing drivers of the EU machine, and especially of the Enlargement process. In the case of South East Europe, with its deep reform challenges, some problems had emerged in implementing this formula before the crisis, and one silver lining (it was noted) has been to remove the ‘deniability’ of such problems. But the risk is that the crisis may have gone beyond this and fundamentally shaken faith in solidarity – North and South, East and West, core and periphery.

The question was also raised, in light of the crisis, whether the EU’s economic paradigm truly works. If not only Greece but even Ireland can descend into crisis, and at times appear politically isolated, then what are the prospects for the candidate countries in the South East European region. Is the convergence model still valid? – That is indeed the question to be addressed centrally in the second seminar on Monday 21^st...

Max Watson