European Stories: an Introduction*
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Conseildeeurope GB.Indd
The house of human rights Aerial view of Strasbourg’s European district. “Our first duty is not to forget the slogan of the founding fathers of European integration, ‘never again!’. We must keep alert so as never to allow a recurrence of the scourges that the founders of our Organisation set out to eradicate.” These words, spoken by Lluís Maria de Puig, currently President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, at the ceremony marking the Council’s 60th anni- versary on 27 April 2009, provide a clear reminder of the primary aim of the oldest European institution: to prevent barbarism from returning by protecting human rights and democracy throughout the continent. Ever since it was founded on the ruins of a shattered continent in 1949, the Council of Europe (we shall also call it “the Organisation”) has been a force for peace and unity between peoples. Built up in the course of half a century, its 47-state membership puts it ahead of other European organ- isations, for example the EU, which has 27 members. We cannot hope to give a full picture of its numerous and wide-ranging activities here, but we will attempt to present its main achievements, one of the most important being the European Court of Human Rights – that unique institution, and first of its kind, which allows Europe’s 800 million- plus people to seek individual redress when states violate their basic rights. The Council of Europe 3 Origins In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, it was generally felt that a new-style organisation was needed to ensure that totalitarianism would never get a second chance in Europe, and guarantee peace, democracy* and human rights* throughout the continent. -
Paul Preston. Juan Carlos: Steering Spain from Dictatorship to Democracy
Paul Preston. Juan Carlos: Steering Spain from Dictatorship to Democracy . New York and London: W. W. Norton and Company, 2004, 608 pp. by Lynn Purkey Paul Preston, a distinguished historian in the field of twentieth century Spain, has written a timely and engaging new biography Juan Carlos: Steering Spain from Dicta torship to Democracy. The book is an insightful and often probing biography of this visionary King, while also tracing Spain’s transition from fascism to democracy during the tenuous period following Francisco Franco’s death (1975). Divided into eleven chronologically arranged chapters, the text is followed by an extensive bibliography, endnotes and an index. Moreover, the impeccably researched work boasts a wealth of interviews and private correspondence as well as the usual bibliography. In addition to being of interest to Hispanists and historians, Juan Carlos appeals to the casual reader, since it is an intensely personal look at Juan Carlos and other members of the House of Borbon, as well as being an emi nently readable text. Juan Carlos begins by recounting the history of the exiled royal family during the Second Republic (1931-1936) and the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), during which Juan Carlos was born (1938). It further catalogues the political intrigues and machinations that characterize the tense relationship between Franco and the exiled King Alfonso XIII (1886-1941), and his heir Don Juan de Borbon (1913-1993). whom Franco excluded from rule with the passage of the Law of Succession, which granted the dictator the right to choose his own successor. One of the author’s key contentions is the royal family’s dedication to service above personal considerations, which has been a hallmark of Juan Carlos’s up bringing and indeed his reign as King of Spain. -
Values for the Future : the Role of Ethics in European and Global Governance
#EthicsGroup_EU Values for the Future : The Role of Ethics in European and Global Governance European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies Research and Innovation European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies Values for the Future: The Role of Ethics in European and Global Governance European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Unit 03 Contact Jim DRATWA Email [email protected] [email protected] European Commission B-1049 Brussels Manuscript completed in May 2021. The European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this publication. The contents of this opinion are the sole responsibility of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE). The views expressed in this document reflect the collective view of the EGE and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission. This is an EGE Statement, adopted by the members of the EGE: Emmanuel Agius, Anne Cambon-Thomsen, Ana Sofia Carvalho, Eugenijus Gefenas, Julian Kinderlerer, Andreas Kurtz, Herman Nys (Vice-Chair), Siobhán O’Sullivan (Vice-Chair), Laura Palazzani, Barbara Prainsack, Carlos Maria Romeo Casabona, Nils-Eric Sahlin, Jeroen van den Hoven, Christiane Woopen (Chair). Rapporteur: Jeroen van den Hoven. More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu). PDF ISBN 978-92-76-37870-9 doi:10.2777/595827 KI-08-21-136-EN-N Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2021 © European Union, 2021 The reuse policy of European Commission documents is implemented based on Commission Decision 2011/833/EU of 12 December 2011 on the reuse of Commission documents (OJ L 330, 14.12.2011, p. -
FUTURE of JUSTICE: STRENGTHENING the RULE of LAW Independence, Quality and Efficiency of National Justice Systems and the Importance of a Fair Trial
Finland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union EU 2019.FI Informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, 18-19 July 2019, Helsinki Working session I of Justice Ministers on 19 July 2019 FUTURE OF JUSTICE: STRENGTHENING THE RULE OF LAW Independence, quality and efficiency of national justice systems and the importance of a fair trial Protecting citizens and freedoms is the first priority of the new strategic Agenda for the Union 2019-2024, adopted by the June European Council. According to the Agenda, the EU will defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens, as recognised in the Treaties, and protect them against existing and emerging threats. Common values underpinning our democratic and societal models are the foundation of European freedom, security and prosperity. The rule of law, with its crucial role in all our democracies, is a key guarantor that these values are well protected; it must be fully respected by all Member States and the EU. A strong common value base makes it possible for the EU to reach its goals and ensure the rights of citizens and businesses. It is only by acting together and defending our common values that the EU can tackle the major challenges of our time while promoting the well-being and prosperity of its citizens. The rule of law is the core foundation of the European Union; it is one of the common values of the Union and as such is enshrined in the Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). The EU Treaties require effective judicial protection as a concrete expression of the value of the rule of law (Article 19(1) TEU), as underlined by the Court of Justice of the European Union in its recent case-law. -
World Values Surveys and European Values Surveys, 1999-2001 User Guide and Codebook
ICPSR 3975 World Values Surveys and European Values Surveys, 1999-2001 User Guide and Codebook Ronald Inglehart et al. University of Michigan Institute for Social Research First ICPSR Version May 2004 Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research P.O. Box 1248 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 www.icpsr.umich.edu Terms of Use Bibliographic Citation: Publications based on ICPSR data collections should acknowledge those sources by means of bibliographic citations. To ensure that such source attributions are captured for social science bibliographic utilities, citations must appear in footnotes or in the reference section of publications. The bibliographic citation for this data collection is: Inglehart, Ronald, et al. WORLD VALUES SURVEYS AND EUROPEAN VALUES SURVEYS, 1999-2001 [Computer file]. ICPSR version. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research [producer], 2002. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2004. Request for Information on To provide funding agencies with essential information about use of Use of ICPSR Resources: archival resources and to facilitate the exchange of information about ICPSR participants' research activities, users of ICPSR data are requested to send to ICPSR bibliographic citations for each completed manuscript or thesis abstract. Visit the ICPSR Web site for more information on submitting citations. Data Disclaimer: The original collector of the data, ICPSR, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for uses of this collection or for interpretations or inferences based upon such uses. Responsible Use In preparing data for public release, ICPSR performs a number of Statement: procedures to ensure that the identity of research subjects cannot be disclosed. -
In Search of Common Values Amid Large-Scale Immigrant Integration Pressures
In Search of Common Values amid Large-Scale Immigrant Integration Pressures Integration Futures Working Group By Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Meghan Benton MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE EUROPE In Search of Common Values amid Large-Scale Immigrant Integration Pressures By Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Meghan Benton June 2017 Integration Futures Working Group ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was commissioned for a meeting of the Integration Futures Working Group held in Vienna in January 2017. The theme of the meeting was ‘Debating Values: Immigrant Integration in a Time of Social Change’, and this report was among those that in- formed the working group’s discussions. The authors are grateful for the feedback they received from the working group, as well as to Aliyyah Ahad for research assistance and to Elizabeth Collett and Lauren Shaw for their helpful edits and suggestions. The Integration Futures Working Group is a Migration Policy Institute Europe initiative that brings together senior policymakers, experts, civil-society officials, and private-sector leaders to stimulate new thinking on integration policy. It is supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation. For more on the Integration Futures Working Group, visit: www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/integration-futures-working-group. © 2017 Migration Policy Institute Europe. All Rights Reserved. Cover Design: April Siruno, MPI Typesetting: Liz Heimann, MPI No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Migration Policy Institute. A full-text PDF of this document is avail- able for free download from www.migrationpolicy.org. -
Council of Europe's Invisible Forces: Power, European Values and Communication in the Committee of Ministers
Council of Europe's Invisible Forces: Power, European Values and Communication in the Committee of Ministers Olga Filippova, Institute of Sociology, Kharkow Justyna Giezynska, Georgetown University Introduction 1989, the annum mirabilis, brought among other changes a significant shift in the understanding of the political role of international organisations. The collapse of the Communist regime caused alterations in structure of international organisations and institutions and changed the ideology of intergovernmental relationships from resistance and confrontation to cooperation. The Enlargement of the Council of Europe initiated after 1989 was therefore more dramatic and fruit bearing than any other enlargement of this institution. The inclusion of the newly democratic, i.e. post-communist countries proves to be more complex than the people who represent both the old and the new member states to the Council are willing to admit. The cooperation between countries in Europe is based on common ideological principles and the Council of Europe proposes to be a leader in this matter. It defines its role through propagating the philosophy of democracy, human rights and the rule of law which are to be part of the European value system. Until the Enlargement caused by the 1989 transformations little changed in the structures of the Council, but the Enlargement challenged the function of the Council and altered the interactions within its Committee of Ministers. The Committee of Ministers is the executive organ of the Council representing the governments of the member states. It provides a link between the Council of Europe and the governments and communicates with the Parliamentary Assembly. The Secretariat of the Committee of Ministers handles all matters pertaining to the activities of the Committee along the lines prescribed by the Council of Europe. -
Omnipotent Government: the Rise of Total State and Total
Copyright Preface Contents Introduction Part I Part II Part III Part IV Conclusion Index OMNIPOTENT GOVERNMENT The Rise of the Total State and Total War Ludwig von Mises Libertarian Press, Inc. P.O. Box 309 Grove City, PA 16127 (412) 458-5861 Copyright © 1985, Margit von Mises. Reprinted 1985 with permission of Margit von Mises by the Center for Futures Education, Inc., Grove City, PA. Special permission to print the Center’s edition granted to Libertarian Press, Inc., Spring Mills, PA, by the Center for Futures Education, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in connection with a review. This online edition made available by the Mises Institute by special lease arrangement with the Libertarian Press. All copyrights held by Libertarian Press remain applicable to this online edition. Copyright © 1969, Arlington House, New Rochelle, NY. Copyright © 1944, Yale University Press. Reprinted 1969 with permission of Yale University Press in an unaltered and unabridged edition. ISBN 0-910884-15-3 iii Preface In dealing with the problems of social and economic policies, the social sciences consider only one question: whether the measures suggested are really suited to bringing about the effects sought by their authors, or whether they result in a state of affairs which—from the viewpoint of their supporters—is even more undesirable than the previous state which it was intended to alter. The economist does not substitute his own judgment about the desirability of ultimate ends for that of his fellow citizens. -
Why Doesn't the United States Have a European-Style Welfare State?
0332-04-Alesina 1/3/02 15:31 Page 187 ALBERTO ALESINA Harvard University EDWARD GLAESER Harvard University BRUCE SACERDOTE Dartmouth College Why Doesn’t the United States Have a European-Style Welfare State? EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS REDISTRIBUTE income among their citizens on a much larger scale than does the U.S. government. European social pro- grams are more generous and reach a larger share of citizens. European tax systems are more progressive. European regulations designed to protect the poor are more intrusive. In this paper we try to understand why. The literature on the size of government is rich and varied. However, here we do not focus on the size of government as such, but rather on the redistributive side of government policies. Thus our goal is in one sense narrower than answering the question, “What explains the size of govern- ment?” since we focus on a single, but increasingly important, role of fis- cal policy. Yet in another sense our focus is broader, because redistributive policies go beyond the government budget—think, for instance, of labor market policies. We consider economic, political, and behavioral explanations for these differences between the United States and Europe. Economic explanations focus on the variance of income and the skewness of the income distribu- tion before taxes and transfers, the social costs of taxation, the volatility of income, and expected changes in income for the median voter. We con- clude that most of these theories cannot explain the observed differences. We are grateful to our discussants for very useful suggestions. We also thank William Easterly, Benjamin Friedman, Michael Mandler, Casey Mulligan, Roberto Perotti, Andrei Shleifer, Theda Skocpol, and a large number of conference participants for very useful com- ments. -
Latin America and European ‘Soft Power’ Geopolitics by Fredo Arias King
Latin America and European ‘Soft Power’ Geopolitics By Fredo Arias King D The Treaty of Rome (1957) and the acquis communautaire give the impression that the EU is broadly aware of responsible political and economic policies. However, these gospels applied so stringently to aspiring Member States O don’t seem to be a guide for relations with Latin America. The policy, if there is one, instead seems a mixture of patronisation, appeasement, confusion and even encouragement of unacceptable behaviour. Brussels ably C diagnosed Vladimír Meèiar’s and Leonid Kuchma’s regimes but fails to do the same across the ocean. Moreover, the behaviour of the chavista axis countries contradicts more U recent EU official policies. The EU Commission states that the main goals include the fight against corruption and ‘contributing to the development of a stable and predictable framework to help the Latin American countries attract M more European investment’ (EU Commission 2005). This Document argues for refocusing EU engagement in Latin America away from appeasement of the emerging illiberal regimes and towards active support for liberal E forces, consistent with the EU’s founding philosophy, N economic goals and geopolitical future. T O Fredo Arias-King is founder of the academic quarterly Demokratizatsiaya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, S published since 1992 in Washington, DC. He is an analyst with two regional think tanks: CEON (Miami) and CADAL (Buenos Aires). He Year VI Number 86 is author of the book Transiciones: La experiencia de Europa del Este. June 20, 2008 2 Documentos / CADAL June 20, 2008 In the European Union’s list of political priorities, Latin Jorge Negrete, loved throughout Latin America. -
European Identity
Peaceful, prosperous, democratic and respectful of people’s rights, building talk about Europe need to We Europe is an ongoing challenge. For many years it seemed that Europeans lived on a continent of shared values and a common destiny. No one paid attention to the alarm bells warning of growing divisions across the continent, which have become more insistent since the economic and social crisis. Europe and We need to talk its values, previously taken for granted, are now being contested. These clouds are casting a shadow across Europe’s future, and old demons, long dormant, have started to raise their voices again. about Europe With a deepening values divide there is an urgent need for public debate and a reconsideration of how Europeans can strengthen the European project. Is a “Europe united in diversity” still feasible? Can a consensus be forged on a set of values pertaining to a common European identity? What should be done to preserve European unity? The Council of Europe, with its membership covering Europe from Vladivostok to Lisbon and from Reykjavik to Ankara, and its mission to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, provides an excellent framework for discuss- ing the current state of thinking and dynamics behind the concept of European identity. For these reasons, the Council of Europe, together with the École nationale d’administration in Strasbourg, held a series of European Identity Debates fea- turing eminent personalities from a variety of backgrounds including politics, civil society, academia and the humanities. European Identity This publication presents the 10 European Identity Debates lectures. -
Definition of the Most Basic European Values
Definition of the most basic European Values and their significance for our modern society CC by EuropeanValues.info Text and graphics are allowed to use freely, if EuropeanValues.info is mentioned as the author. Contents: 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 The Nature of the Problem ..................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Objective and Benefit............................................................................................................. 3 1.3 What is a “Value” anyway? ................................................................................................... 4 2 European Values ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Short Explanation of the European values ............................................................................. 5 2.2 Explanation of the Individual Values..................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Step 1 – Humanistic Thinking ........................................................................................... 7 2.2.2 Step 2 – Rationality .......................................................................................................... 10 2.2.3 Step 3 – Secularity ..........................................................................................................