The Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics have co-organized a roundtable discussion on the topic “Is the EU about to implode?” on November 10, 2016 in the Aula (community room) of the Faculty of Economics. Members of the panel were Martin Jones, Visiting Professor at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, John O’Sullivan, President of the Danube Institute and Béla Tomka, Professor of European Political and Social History at the University of Szeged.
The conversation focused on the question, whether the European Union is on the point of collapse? Britain’s vote to leave the EU has encouraged citizens in other EU countries to demand a referendum on membership. The countries of Central Europe are resisting the drive for ever closer political union, and are adamant in their refusal to allow the EU to impose a quota system for immigrants. Meanwhile, it is evident that the economic problems caused by the creation of the euro are far from over, with Otmar Issing, the ECB’s first chief economist warning that the Euro project is unworkable in its present form, and will one day collapse “like a pack of cards.”
The conversation was opened by Prof. Tomka, and was followed by Mr. Jones’ speech on the issue. Mr. Jones has also pointed out the possibilities how Brexit might affect the British economy positively. Students and members of the panel continued with an interesting debate on the matter, where some have expressed their concerns about the reasonability of Brexit and its long term effects upon all-European markets, as well as political stability.
