LEAP2020 and Anticipolis editions publish a Special review: “Euroland at a crossroads“, a compilation of texts written by about fifteen authors. The purpose of it, is to report on the vigor of the debate on this reform in order to encourage citizens to better grasp it, in line with the concern that has been ours for 30 years: European democratization (see article on this website).
On the occasion of this release we invite our readers to a return in the future: 1997 !
At that time, while the Euro was only at its first embryonic emotions, Franck Biancheri, had already weighed for a long time all the political and therefore democratic challenges that the introduction of the currency would weigh on its future and the future of Europe.
In 1997 Franck Biancheri was already talking about policies of austerity and budget balancing, clash of economic cultures: discipline of the most lax countries and solidarity of the richest countries, Euro for ever and the democratic community space of Euro-citizens, a success of the project based on the necessary adhesion of public opinion. A support that he judged certainly necessary from the establishment of the single currency, but especially after: “in the future that the real logic behind the single currency will be discovered. There are two simple but essential principles, discipline and solidarity“…
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Tomorrow the Euro – twelve Euro-conferences organized simultaneously in Amsterdam, (Barcelona), Bari, Birmingham, Bologna, Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Lille, Munich, Nijmegen, Oxford, Perugia, November 28, 1997!
In order to prepare these public opinions and to open with them the necessary political debate of the Euro, Franck Biancheri initiated at the end of 1997 a series of Euro-conferences titled “Tomorrow the Euro” organized by Prometheus-Europe -whose he was president, on the same day, November 28, 1997 (20 years ago!), simultaneously in 12 European cities, demonstrating once more his commitment to the trans-European dimension as a forum for debate on European issues and technological challenges, never stopping to show that in Europe it was possible.
Twenty years later, it is clear that single currency did not lead to this expected single citizenship. But, the crisis of the Euro of the last ten years, which questioned the Greeks on the question of discipline and the Germans on that of solidarity, demonstrated the correctness of the anticipations of Franck Biancheri and makes regret that his initiatives unique to the times were not supported and followed.
We publish today the Word of Welcome on the Euro-conferences Franck Biancheri had addressed to all the speakers and participants of these 12 euro-conferences. Enjoy reading here: From a single currency to a single citizenship (Franck Biancheri, 1997) !
