The Question of European Unity

John Gillingham, Department of History, University of Missouri - St. Louis, talked about the history of European integration, the roots of its current problems, and implications for its future. He argued that shared political principles rather than economic interests should be the rationale for the next phase of European integration and that successful re-launching of the process requires popular mandate. Bernard Cassen, Institute of European Studies, University of Paris VIII, talked about neo-liberalism and the French referendum on the European Constitution. He explained the French rejection in the context of popular opposition to neo-liberalism and distrust of the free enterprise system. He argued that people were voting against free trade and competition rather than Europe. The accompanying audio files provide the complete recording of the talks given by the authors. Those who download the audio files must have their own software for playing and listening.