*** PHILIPPE HERZOG: Europe, réveille-toi ! Editions Le Manuscrit (20 rue des Petits champs, F-75002 Paris. Tel: (33-890) 711018 - fax: (33-1) 48075010 - Email: communication@manuscrit.com - Internet: http://www.manuscrit.com ). « L'Europe après l'Europe » series. 2013, 206 pp. €17. ISBN 978-2-304-04226-9.
The future is unwritten, it is up to us to write it, we, the members of European civil society. This is the message that Philippe Herzog sends out loud in clear in this book from the first to the very last page. It constitutes a vibrant appeal for a general mobilisation to prevent the European project from going under. The enthusiasm of this former MEP is irresistible and he calls for the mountains of national sovereignty to be swept away in an effort to rebuild the Union, as explained by Commissioner Michel Barnier in his preface, on the basis of a “genuine social contract or citizens contract between Europe, its member states and citizens”. The hope that emanates from these pages is such that he even has the blessing of Michel Rocard, a friend of the author for more than 40 years, in the second preface, who confesses that, “Europe's cause is so great that even though I feel disabused, I feel that I don't have the right to deny others the right to it”. He argues that, “Philippe Herzog is so convincing” that he brilliantly shows that another Europe, one reconciled with its citizens and the idea of sustainable progress, is, “perfectly possible…”
At the beginning, this book appears to be, above all, a pamphlet and a powerful cry of anger at the shortcomings, hypocrisy and current impasse in which European construction now finds itself. Michel Barnier points out that what Philippe Herzog is saying, is that, “it is only after more than five years of unprecedented financial, economic, social and political crisis that Europeans now find themselves facing that moment of truth”. He argues that it is therefore important to immediately tackle the different factors underpinning this proteiform crisis, failing which, “it will get worse, even to the point of disintegration”. What can be done to get the idea of Europe re-evaluated? It should be explained, for example, that, “the sovereignty of nation states has become nothing short of obscurantism and there is a need to conceptualise what future can be built together in Europe and the world” and that globalisation is now a reality that must be drawn on to develop a new recalibration for prosperity on our planet and again encourage, “the ambition of a reconciled humanity that was at the origin of our Community”. It is therefore important to renew the concept of democracy and revive it by freeing it from the straitjacket of a single delegation, to open up to the potential now provided by the Internet and organised civil society. It is, above all, important to release, “the desire to live together, namely, the affectio societatis needed to develop a peaceful and sustainable link” between European citizens and their states. Ultimately, Philippe Herzog, continues to hammer home the idea that what is at the heart of his message is, “the duty of political leadership is to make society”. What is currently happening is, quite the contrary given that, “experts are replacing the politicians in programmes, who then choose from their 'toolbox' what society is supposed to accept, a society that has itself been buffeted from one side to the next by the opinion makers”. These features are criticised acerbically but never with the intention of doing harm. They are exclusively intended to encourage people to look the harshness of reality in the face by taking the blinkers off and finding what ways could be used to actually turn the situation around.
The second part of the book consists of a “programme for reconstruction” entirely based on a radical change of method. Therefore, this economist who became disenchanted with dogmatic communism to become a liberal socialist, uses this part of the book to make a sustained and lucid defence of the point of view that companies and economic, social and civil actors should be the main driving forces in which an exit strategy to the crisis can be found. Herzog argues that, “instead of asking Europeans to wait for Godot” or growth, “let's build it together differently by renewing the areas from which we can draw hope”. He calls on all Europeans who wish to resist the temptation of populism and insularity, to unite their forces and build, “a Community of education, work and enterprise” of helping to contribute towards a crucial “industrial regeneration” and a “transformation of capitalism”, which is very much still there. There are so many different tasks to attend to, he explains, that “bring with them a promise of well-being and full employment”. This action plan would both result from consolidation of Economic and Monetary Union, regeneration of the single market and the pooling of resources between Europeans, which would provide some sense to European construction and would help to tackle the question of the democratic deficit in the Union by basing it on ultimately healthy foundations and involving as many citizens as possible, who have everything to win and so much to lose, in this great adventure. Can all these ideas put forward by the founder of Confrontations Europe in this book be used in a realistic way? Perhaps not, a lot of them are very huge demands, whilst others are perhaps a little too timid, for example what does the slow march towards the federation that he advocates, really mean? Nonetheless, this is not what is most important in this book. This important book, above all, invites all responsible European citizens and prevents it being fatally condemned to the same future of certain national leaders and that civil society can and must, have a voice in this new chapter. Failing which, disintegration of this project could be on the cards … Michel Theys
*** GEORGE MALOUCHOS: ÇÜíïäïò êáé ç ðôþóç ôçò ãåñìáíéêÞò Åõñþðçò (L' ascension et la chute de l'Europe allemande). Éditions Patakis (38 Pan. Tsaldari Str., GR-10437 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3650000 - fax: 3650069 - Email: info@patakis.gr - Internet: http://www.patakis.gr ). « Sciences sociales et politiques » series. 2012, 303 pp. €14. ISBN 978-960-16-4713-5.
In a country where weapons failed to triumph, will the single currency impose German sovereignty on Greece and, as a result, on the rest of Europe? The journalist, George Malouchos, believes that Germany is undeniably consistent in its ideas. He also thinks that although the attempts to impose German hegemony on the continent were aborted in the 1940s and 70s, German reunification and the gradual introduction of the euro in the 1990s has changed everything: today, Chancellor Merkel is using the crisis to assert German hegemony in Europe, which has fractured the illusion of equality between European Union member states and which has destabilised the way democracy functions in Greece but also elsewhere. The author does provide a few reassuring ideas insofar as this latest project, is also doomed to failure …(AKa)
*** COSTAS VERGOPOULOS: Ç áíÜñìïóôç ó÷Ýóç: ÅëëÜäá-Åõñþðç (Relation inappropriée: Grèce-Europe). Éditions Patakis ( see adress details attached « Sciences sociales et politiques » series. 2012, 240 pp. €12. ISBN 978-960-16-4690-9.
According to this author, a professor of economics at the University of Paris VIII, the future of Greece is in the European Union and Eurozone. Frome a rational point of view, it does not have any other economic, social or cultural choice. Nonetheless, instead of benefiting from the assistance and solidarity that it naturally and legally expected as a right, Greece is now being shaken to its very foundations by its partners and sometimes these foundations appear ready to be rent asunder. The author believes that this in itself should be enough to shift the position of the European Union in our modern world, even more so given that Greece is so weak that its rescue plan will cost its partners less than if it were to totally collapse. Costas Vergopoulos has no doubt that Greece is not sufficiently healthy to lead a future outside the Union but could the European Union be perhaps a little different? Who knows, perhaps the Greek crisis will speed up an awareness amongst Europeans that changing its hierarchy of economic, social and cultural values is of the utmost urgency.
(AKa)
*** COSTAS SIMITIS: Ï åêôñï÷éáóìüò (Le déraillement). Éditions Polis (33 Eolou Str., GR-10551 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3643382 - fax: 3636501 - Email: info@polis-ed.gr - Internet: http://www.polis-ed.gr ). 2012, 600 pp. €18. ISBN 978-960-435-376-7.
Costas Simitis was the Greek prime minister from 1996-2004 and on several occasions was also a minister in the Socialist government. In this book, he seeks to demonstrate that the crisis hitting Greece has its roots in the socio-political structure and backwardness of the country. Greece's accession to the Economic and Monetary Union required reforms to adapt the country to its new environment but the political and social leaders opposed these reforms or proceeded to insufficient adaptations. A coherent policy would have reduced the distance separating Greece from the developed countries in the euro zone. Given that the country failed to take action in this sense, all the negative effects linked to development differences have been exacerbated. The disparities in competitiveness increased and the crisis developed at the same pace. The European Union is currently imposing conditions on the way in which Greece develops economic and socially but the Greek situation will also have negative repercussions in the euro zone as well as on itself because everything is now so interlinked. Professor Simitis sees a scenario in which Greece slowly but surely finds a way out of the crisis.
(AKa)
*** GEORGE ROMEOS: Ç ÅëëÜäá ôùí äáíåßùí êáé ôùí ÷ñåïêïðéþí (La Grèce des dettes et des faillites). Éditions Patakis (see address attached). 2012, 384 pp. €17. ISBN 978-960-16-4493-6.
Was the debt crisis a time bomb waiting to go off under the foundations of the Greek state? It finally exploded in 2009 transforming itself into a multifaceted economic, social and political crisis. According to the former Greek Socialist prime minister, George Romeos, Greece is having to confront in this desperate storm, threats that appear to go back to the past: bankruptcy, default, foreign aid, international audits and financial tutelage etc. This book takes the shape of an anthology of historical journeys throughout Greece's past economic crises and major economic challenges. Bankruptcies, agonising efforts to conclude for loans, international audits, intense political struggle at a domestic level, foreign interference, major contradictions and an almost infinite period of “economic tutelage” accompany this the visit to the past, which begins with the first loans for independence in 1824, right up to be Troika imposed austerity and the apparent allergy that this has provoked. Throughout these different stages, the fundamental but unanswered question of decades: Will the Greek state one-day become economically and, subsequently, politically independent? (AKa)
*** YANNIS VAROUFAKIS: Ï ðáãêüóìéïò ìéíþôáõñïò (Le minotaure mondial. Les véritables causes de la crise (Ïé ðñáãìáôéêÝò áéôßåò ôçò Êñßóçò). Editions Livanis (98 Solonos, GR-10680 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3661200 - fax: 3617791- Email: webmaster@livanis.gr - Internet: http://www.livanis.gr ). « Economie » series. 2012, 469 pp. €17. ISBN 978-960-14-2495-8.
What exactly isn't going well? Greed? Politicians? The banks? All these, however, are just a few minor details in an enormous drama of almost mythical proportions. In this book, the economist Yannis Varoufakis, Professor at the University of Athens, locates the current crisis in a universal epoque whose roots go back to the Great Depression of 1929, before stretching themselves out into the 1970s. The “Global Minotaur” provides an account of the real causes of the crisis in the world and although they remain hidden, could impact on both Greeks and Europeans alike. The author asks the reader to look at who they are in the world, that we look at a situation and take action on a local level so as to improve everything around us and to take our destiny into our own hands. (AKa)
*** HORST HAMMEN (Editors): Börsenerlaubnis, Anteilseignerkontrolle und Niederlassungsfreiheit bei der Fusion von Börsenorganisationen Das Projekt Gamma. Peter Lang (1 Moostrasse, Postfach 350, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "Börsen- und kapitalmarktrechtliche Abhandlungen" series, No. 13. 2013, 125 pp. €27.95. ISBN 978-3-631-62654-2.
In 2011, the Frankfurt and New York stock exchanges prepared their merger. In this context, the Frankfurt stock exchange requested Professor Horst Hammen to draw up a new legal expertise on questions relating to stock market law in the context of the forthcoming merger. In February 2012, however, the European Commission refused to give its approval for the merger. In this book Professor Hammen presents his expertise, which has been added to and adapted in the context of the Commission's rejection. His expertise looks at the question of shareholder control in mergers, questions which would have been raised in the New York Stock Exchange takeover of the German stock exchange, as initially planned. The expertise also looks at the question of respecting freedom of establishment, which is anchored into European texts, in connection with stock market mergers. (GLe)
*** KARSTEN FINK: Der Freiverkehr. Die rechtliche Organisation des Handelssegments Freiverkehr an deutschen Börsen. Peter Lang (see address details attached). "Börsen- und kapitalmarktrechtliche Abhandlungen" series, No 10. 2013, 308 pp. €57.95. ISBN 978-3-631-62962-8.
Karsten Fink looks at the way the German stock markets are legally organised in the free market. Application of the European directive on financial market instruments has seen the German legislator significantly amend certain aspects of the German market in this connection. After retracing the historical perspective of this market since it was set up, the author then provides a detailed insight into its legal foundations and organisation. On this last point, he highlights some of the most recent legal innovations. In addition to tackling some of the more usual subjects such as stock market law, the author also looks at legal questions relating to the practice of stock market law on the free market. (GLe)