Schmidt Keynotes DGB Event on European Economic Policy
On April 19, Vivien Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration and Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, delivered a keynote speech during an event organized by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) together with the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation and the Hans-Böckler-Foundation.
Schmidt’s keynote came among a series of online events titled “Towards the United States of Europe? Trade union visions for a progressive European economic policy.” Other keynotes were delivered by former President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and Frank Werneke, head of the German industrial services Union.
In addition to her keynote, Schmidt participated in a panel on the same day titled “How united should the United States of Europe be? Opportunities and limitations of flexible integration in EU economic policy.” Participants in the panel discussion were: Reiner Hoffmann (German Trade Union Confederation), Philippa Sigl-Glöckner (member in the economic advisory board of the German Social Democratic Party) and Lukas Oberndorfer (Chamber of Labour Vienna). Participants discussed what a flexible European union (EU) economic policy could be, whether the current EU economic governance has a legitimacy problem, and what kind of reforms and integration are needed in EU economic policy.
Vivien Schmidt is Professor of International Relations and Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and was the first Director of BU’s Center for the Study of Europe, housed at the Pardee School. Schmidt’s research focuses on European political economy, institutions, democracy, and political theory—in particular on the importance of ideas and discourse in political analysis. Read more about Professor Schmidt on her faculty profile.