The European Connection

It was a matter of time. In a rather obvious consequence of the global economic downturn (particularly acute in Britain), the famous Good Schools list of the best educational institutions in the nation witnessed the rise of state entries in the rankings, usually dominated by what the Brits call “independent schools” (private preparatory schools). 

Although several headmasters and analysts interviewed by the FT were surprised, I am surprised at their amazement. The credit crunch that has been afflicting markets for now over a year, with severe consequences for governments’ fiscal balance around the world, not to mention the high-earning financial sector, has hit the demographic that has always been most likely to send their offspring to elite schools.

As Britain’s top (fee-free) state schools receive more and more applications, it will be interesting to see how this trend impact education enrollment rates in the rest of Europe and in the US, not only in terms of private elementary and high schools, but also when it comes to higher education. 

Fewer and fewer, it seems, can avoid the consequences of the economic malaise, which – if nothing else – reinforces the strength of the phenomenon.

In a very interesting interview on FT.com, World Bank president Robert Zoellick warns about the dangers inherent in the current global economic downturn. With rhetoric reminiscent to historians’ talk about the 1930s, Zoellick makes an interesting point about Eastern Europe and its relationship with the EU.

Considering the relatively recent openness of these economies and the lack of “strong foundations” in their market and democratic institutions (merely as a function of time, if nothing else), it is important for developed economies to help reduce the volatility associated with Eastern European economies. Given the importance of European FDI and its political stake in the region, Zoellick convincingly argues that it falls on to the EU to act. Unlike where the French and British may be heading, the solution is to help these economies not veer away from the path of market integration, open regulation, and perhaps most importantly, democratic institutions.

Even in the era of the European Union, the Weimar Republic nightmare is never too distant in Central Europe.

To say the Spanish economy has faced a hard landing in the last few months is nothing but an understatement. After the bursting of a real estate bubble only comparable to the United States’ (with prices rising on average 247% between 1998 and 2005), Prime Minister Rodríguez Zapatero has overseen an economy constrained by the euro’s strength and thus hemorrhaging jobs.

In this context, the authorities are trying to get rid of illegal immigrants that for many years flocked into Spain to get jobs very few Spaniards were willing to do. Perhaps most interestingly, now Madrid police trade unions have confirmed that the city’s security forces have “quotas” of sin papeles to catch. This applies mostly to Latin Americans overstaying their (usually) generous visas or North Africans who had traveled across the Strait in barges. 

The internal memo leaked to the press not only addressed quotas, but also a “preference for Moroccans,” which according to the report could be repatriated cheaply and swiftly. Although repatriating illegal immigrants must definitely be an EU priority, to do so with police quotas and preference for a particular nationality (which suffers from discrimination in Spain), is not the way to do it.

Although the NYT has a story today claiming that “Death ends coma case debate that set off furor in Italy,” the debate around Eluana Englaro’s case and euthanasia in general in Italy is just getting started. 

Ms. Englaro had been in a coma for over fifteen years after an accident in 1992, but in recent weeks, her father had successfully moved her to a private clinic in Udine that agreed to remove her feeding tube. As soon as the issue hit the media, the Vatican reacted violently claiming that such action would be euthanasia, a practice illegal in Italy. The right-wing administration of Premier Silvio Berlusconi then first attempted to pass a decree preventing the removal of the feeding tube (until President Napolitano announced he would not sign it into law) and then drafted a four-line Senate bill that was being debated when Eluana suddenly died. 

Although most Italian dailies are as of now focusing on whether or not there will be an autopsy to determine how she suddenly died (some Senators cried: “Murderers!” when the news was first reported during the debate session), the issue will quickly merge into a debate about euthanasia itself, where Italy has very different laws than other countries in Europe. If nothing more, it will be another opportunity for clash between Berlusconi’s conservative government, allied to the Vatican, and the leftist coalition in opposition. 

In this case, convergence with the Northern European norm may never happen with a country with strong Catholic roots like Italy.

This morning US Vice-president Biden gave a speech in Munich that sent a very clear message to Moscow: Rapprochement is not near, not by a long shot. At the foreign policy conference where then-President and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin first denounced US interventionism two years ago, Biden was explicit about limiting Russia’s influence in the Caucasus: “…the United States will not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. We will not recognize a sphere of influence.”

The European reaction was between openly positive and cautiously expectant. Whereas German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to focus on the need to improve dialogue with Russia (which Biden also stressed), French President Sarkozy said it was obvious the relationship with the Kremlin was not great. Specifically, he referred to a “distrust” between the EU and Russia. At this point, rather vox populi. 

The real issue here is how much of an alignment this (new) American stance will bring with Europe, and how hostile the revitalized alliance will be toward Putin (and Medvedev).

Although it has not been properly covered by US media outlets, the situation in Greece has been quite chaotic in the last few days. Since the death of a teenager on Sunday, riots have spread from city to city, from suburb to suburb, leading many analysts to draw comparisons with les banlieues some years ago.

According to a Greek Socialist leader, these troubles symbolize people’s lack of trust in their government. It is hard to understand what the riots actually mean. Is it like France some years ago or more like Paris in 1968? Or is it a reaction against a police force that has been associated with authoritarianism in the past? Or something else?

The answer may yet elude us… but it is hard not to be surprised to see such a developed country like Greece descend into anarchy and see its politicians rendered almost useless facing the crisis. Modernity is fragile indeed.

On the Crimson today, I wrote a column on the Somali pirates terrorizing trade and tourism in the Gulf of Aden, in east Africa. For the European Union, this has become a very important issue, and not because of the crimes themselves. In order to quell the attacks, seven EU nations have decided to form a multinational naval force. This may be the first step toward making the EU a military power in itself. 

Such developments usually come from crises, just like when the United States decided to form an army during the Revolutionary Wars. When it comes to Europe, the focus on terrorism earlier in the decade led to the creation of a EU Rapid Reaction Force. Operation Atalanta, however, will take it to the next level; it will bring together Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and three other European countries under what may just be a European flag. It will be a good development for security in the Aden Gulf, and an even better precedent for future European humanitarian missions, like the one that the developed world must send to stabilize Somalia itself.

The Library of Alexandria has always been one of the most cherished memories of Antiquity: the largest, most comprehensive biblioteke of the world, founded in the third century BC and destroyed in one of the many wars of the classical age (some time between Ceasar’s conquest of Egypt and the Muslim invasion in 642 AD).

But now, Europe is trying to rebuild it in the modern age, without endless corridors or vulnerable volumes. With the slogan of ‘connecting cultural heritage,’ a team based in the Dutch National Library is building Europeana, “website giving users direct access to some 2 million digital objects, including film material, photos, paintings, sounds, maps, manuscripts, books, newspapers and archival papers.” By 2010, they plan to have 6 million digital objects. 

If what happened some days ago when the prototype launched is any indication, there definitely is a market for Europeana. Now the question is what types of information will be included in Europe’s cultural DNA database and how European citizens will react to it. But at least everyone, you included, can contribute…