Madariaga - College of Europe Foundation

Can there be an EU democracy without an EU demos? The EU Institutions provide ample space for public engagement but, as yet, this space has not been filled. This is where the ‘democratic deficit’ lies: less an institutional deficit than a citizenship deficit. The European citizen has to take ownership of EU affairs.

One way to stir up EU citizenship is to foster a robust political debate at the pan-European level so as to enhance the perception of a ‘European common good’ distinct from the sum of national interests.

The Madariaga-College of Europe Foundation will strive, through research and action, to secure fair and contrasting views on key EU issues so as to make the pan-European political debate more substantive and proactive.

This programme will focus the citizen’s attention, through a series of debates and conferences highlighting the issues at stake such as the trade-offs or choices between:

• Solidarity and competitiveness
• Industrial strength and climate change
• Unity and diversity
• Strategic dependence and a balanced Transatlantic Partnership
• Energy and Environment
• Trade and Development
• Collective security and personal liberties

Click here for a list of the Citizen's Controversies

Events

• The New European Trade Strategy: Towards a Mercantilist Revival? 
• Energy Transition: Japanese and European Perspectives 
• Can Austerity Be Expansionary in Present-Day Europe? 
• European Economic Governance: Towards Which Banking Union?
• Décrypter le Fil Rouge de François Hollande
• Flexicurity is Dead, Long Life to Flexicurity?
• What Went Wrong with the European Central Bank?
• The Bank Resolution Fund: for the EU or for the Eurozone? 
• Is China Already a Market Economy? What Implications for the EU Trade Defence Policy?
• Is Europe Serious about Financial regulation? The Ban of Credit Default Swaps Naked Short-Selling as a Test Case
• What Are the Risks of Small Steps in a Changing World?
• The American and Chinese Views on the Euro Crisis
• A Good use of Treaties in Economic Policy: What Effectiveness and What Legitimacy?
• The Eurozone Crisis: between Disintegration and Federalisation
• How to Switch from jobless growth to Growless Jobs?
• Is the Crisis of Europe the Crisis of Social Democracy?
• How to Tackle Rising Inequalities in Europe?
• What Trade-off between Air Mobility and Climate Change Mitigation?
• Annual Brussels Think Tank Dialogue - Solidarity and Austerity: the 2012 State of the European Union
• GMOs: A Fair Case for Subsidiarity?
• Schengen in Trouble: Is Europe Still Able to Defend its Acquis?
• What Order of Priorities for the Common Fisheries Policy Reform?
• What do the 'Indignados' have to say to the EU? What does the EU have to say to the 'Indignados'?
• Any Hope of Reconnecting Citizens with the EU in the Post-Lisbon Era?
• L'immigration qualifiée: une fausse réponse à un vrai problème?
• Is the Enlargement Success Story Resisting the Crisis?
• Quelles garanties pour l'indépendance des médias?
• Europe 3.0: Building a Viable Union
• Food Security and Agricultural Strategies: What Room for Multilateral Governance?
• Quelles perspectives pour la Belgique? Quelles conséquences pour l'Europe?
• Does the Lisbon Treaty Really Make a Difference?
• La Turquie dans l'Europe: dans l'intérêt de qui?
• Has the Time Come for a Partial Renationalisation of the CAP?
• What's Wrong with Social Democracy in Europe?
• State of the Union: Annual Brussels Think Tank Forum 2010
• Les Irlandais ont voté: et maintenant? / The Irish have Voted: Now What?
• The Pros and Cons of Mr Barroso's Reappointment
• Commenting on the European Elections / Commenter les élections européennes
• Patients' Mobility in Europe: an Advance or a Threat?
• Quelle transition vers une société vraiment économe en carbone?
• Taking the Irish No for a Question

Publications

• Is Europe Responding to the Social Impact of the Crisis?
• The Social Tsunami Impact of the Eurocrisis
• An Answer to the Crisis: Social Model and Political Union
• French Solutions for Europe's Problems
• La modèle social comme principe d'identité de l'UE
• Regards sur notre Europe: politiques et citoyenneté
• Seulement 176 millions d'Européens
• Seule l'Europe / Only Europe
• Barroso intergouvernementalisé!
• Les à-coups de l'intergouvernemental
• Le Parlement Européen sous le vent vivifiant de la crise
• La Crise défera ou refera l'Europe
• Leaping Beyond the Lisbon Treaty
• Taking No for a Question

In the Media

• The sick man of Italian party politics
• CCTV+ interview Pierre Defraigne on the French elections
• Flexicurity: Not for Italy
• Un traité de circonstance, inutile et dangereux
• Renaissance de l'Union
• L'Europe doit se doter d'un corps politique qui assurera sa pérennité
• Now is the time for Ed Miliband to be vocal, not silent, on Europe
• No Euro without Political Integration
• EU Chief Says Banks Must Help with Greek Crisis
• Construire l'euro sur un contrat social
• Leaping Beyond the Lisbon Treaty
• Nous souffrons d'une absence de vision
• Idéal égalitaire contre pauvreté
• Citizens must be Allowed to Help the EU Advance