19th Conference of the EuroMemo Group

From 20 to 22 September, the European Economists for an Alternative Economic Policy in Europe (EuroMemo Group) organized their 19th Annual Workshop in London.

The purpose of the annual meetings of the group is to prepare the edition of the Euromemorandum, a critical analysis of the developments of the economic policy of the EU and alternative proposals. However, the discussion among critical economists participating in the course of the meeting, is much richer and broader.
This year’s meeting was introduced by three keynote speakers. Klaus Dräger from GUE/NGL spoke about the political state of the Union while Engelbert Stockhammer from Kingston University analysed the economic state in the current conjuncture. Finally, Marcella Corsi from Sapienza University of Rome outlined the gender dimension of the economic crisis.
The main conference was organized in five parallel workshops:

  • Economic and financial policy
  • Governance and democracy in the EU
  • Tax policy, poverty & inequality
  • Industrial policy and social-ecological transformation
  • The EU-US free trade agreement and EU external relations

Most of the papers presented in the workshop can be found here. However, more detailed reports will soon be available on transform!’s website.  
It is worth noting that the issue of European industrial policy and social-ecological transformation was at the center of the debate, which the General Assembly of transform! europe decided to include with special emphasis in this year’s “Crisis” project.
The EuroMemo Conference closed with four interesting presentations by Dany Lang from the University of Paris 13, Marica Frangakis from the Nicos Poulantzas Institute, Jože Mencinger from the University of Ljubljana, and Mario Pianta from the University of Urbino, followed by a lively discussion.