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Europe’s citizens between autonomy and paternalism

“A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of deficient democracy,” according to Andrew Moravcsik, Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton and director of the university’s EU Program. The European Union is increasingly seen as an ambitious project promoted primarily by the continent’s elites. The question of whether this project is being carried out for the benefit of Europe’s populace is the subject of this series.
The point of departure of the four events staged in November 2009 was the skepticism widespread in Austria towards European institutions and their policies. Addresses by experts and follow-up panel discussions were meant to provide a setting in which to describe and analyze democracy’s possible deficiencies and to discuss alternatives. The ultimate aim was to contribute to Europe’s participative model. The list of prominent speakers included Alfred Gusenbauer (Vienna), Sonja Puntscher-Riekmann (Salzburg), Stefan Collignon (Pisa), Ruth Wodak (Lancaster), Elmar Altvater (Berlin) and Birgit Mahnkopf (Berlin).


WHAT // Lectures, discussions
WHEN // November 4 – 27, 2009
WHERE // Wissensturm

CONCEPT // Hubert Hummer, Harald Wildfellner