Professor Fritz W. Scharpf (Emeritus Director of the Max Planck Institute for the Studies of Societies, Cologne, Germany) talks to Associate Professor Stefan Auer (Jean Monnet Chair in EU Interdisciplinary Studies, La Trobe University) about the genesis of the Eurozone crisis and its impact on the European project. Scharpf argues that the Euro is destroying the European unity by pitching the nations of Europe against each other. What’s more, the attempts of dealing with the crisis are...

Dr Stefan Auer (European Studies, La Trobe University) and Nicole Scicluna (European Studies, La Trobe University) debate what is to come for the European Union. Chaired by John Hirst. Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

H.E. Hynek Kmonicek (Czech ambassador to Australia) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (European Studies, La Trobe University) about the Czech Republic and the EU, the post-communist transformation of Central Europe and ‘return’ to Europe, and Central Europe and the Eurozone crisis. Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

H.E. Stephane Romatet (French ambassador to Australia) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (European Studies, La Trobe University) about the French presidential elections, and the French position on the Eurozone crisis. Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Professor Norman Davies (University of Oxford) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (European Studies, La Trobe University) about Poland, Central Europe, but also the Eurozone crisis and the possibility of the EU becoming the next 'Vanished Kingdom'. Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr Ben Wellings (Convenor of European Studies at the ANU) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (European Studies, La Trobe University) on Britain and the EU; English nationalism and Euroscepticism; and the Cameron government’s EU policies. Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Sven Olof-Petersson (Swedish Ambassador to Australia) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (European Studies, La Trobe University) on Sweden and the EU, the Swedish position on the Euro, and the current crisis (as a country outside the Eurozone). Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr. Daniel Naurin (Director, Centre for European Research, University of Gothenburg, Sweden) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (European Studies, La Trobe University) about European Union governance and democracy. Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr Oliver Hartwich (Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (La Trobe University) about about Germany's role in the European Union, the Eurozone, and the financial crisis. Copyright 2012 Stefan Auer / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Joschka Fischer (former German Foreign Minister) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) about his vision for a future United States of Europe. The discussion, fervent throughout, delves into the both positive and negative aspect of European integration, potential conflict between nationalist and cosmopolitan visions of Europe and the impact of the economic and financial crisis on EU’s future. Recorded in Berlin. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact...

Professor Dieter Grimm (former German Constitutional Court Judge) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) about the legal and political nature of sovereignty within the European Union. The discussion explores the tensions between EU treaties and current EU actions taken to address the economic and financial crisis of the Eurozone. The conversation also deals with the future of the European Union, the idea of a European federation and whether it is possible and desirable to create...

Professor Simon Hix (London School of Economics) revisits the key arguments of his influential study ‘What’s Wrong with the European Union and How to Fix It’ (2008) against the background of the deteriorating crisis in the Eurozone. In the conversation with Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University), Hix maintains that Europe needs more political contestation, which can be accomplished within the existing institutional architecture. Recorded in Dublin in June 2011. Copyright 2011 La Trobe...

Dr Robert Thomson (Trinity College Dublin) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) about the EU system of governance and the power relations between the key EU institutions, such as the EU Commission, the European Parliament and the EU Council. Also discussed is the impact of the 2004 enlargement and the 2010-11 Eurozone crisis on the EU’s decision-making processes. Recorded in Dublin in June 2011. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Professor Andrew Hughes Hallett (Economics, George Masson and St Andrew's Universities), talks to Dr Jan Libich (Economics, La Trobe University) about the state of the European Union, the common currency, and possible future scenarios. Support from the Australian Research Council is gratefully acknowledged. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Professor Juergen Broehmer (University of New England) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) about the EU's legal dimension, particularly the process of constitutionalism. The interview focused on German constitutional court and its decisions, as well as the changing role of Germany within the EU. For example, is there a danger of the German Constitutional Court undermining the rescue efforts of the Eurozone, if they end up violating the provisions of the Maastricht Treaty (no...

Prof Agnes Heller (The New School for Social Research, New York) discusses Hungary’s position in Europe tracing it back to the 1956 uprising with Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University. The interview also dealt with questions of identity and what role nations of Central Europe have played in an enlarged European Union. Furthermore, Prof Heller analysed the setbacks to Hungarian democracy under the current leadership of Viktor Orban (2011), and the concerted effort of Hungarian populist...

H.E. Gabor Csaba (Hungarian ambassador to Australia), and Stefan Auer (La Trobe University) on the role of small member states in the EU and the way in which their influence is enhanced through the institution of EU rotating presidency. Also discussed were the priorities of the Hungarian EU presidency, such as further enlargements and the expansion of the Schengen area, as well as the plans for economic governance. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for...

H.E. Martin O'Fainin (Irish ambassador to Australia) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) about the reasons for the dramatically changed fortunes of Ireland in the EU and whether the economic problems, which necessitated the bail-out, will make Irish more Euro-sceptic. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Prof Thomas Risse and Prof Tanja Borzel, (Free University Berlin) talk to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) about the challenges that the EU faces as a global actor in response to the crisis in Libya. Another key topic of conversation was the process of Europeanization and whether and how it is affected by the crisis of the Eurozone. Copyright 2011 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Dr Brendan Nelson (Australian Ambassador to the EU) talks with Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) on the changing nature of Australian-EU relationship against the background of the transformation that the EU underwent owing to the Lisbon Treaty. The EU is keen to strengthen its role as a global player and sees in Australia, according to Dr Nelson, an important ally in key areas, such as environmental policies (including with respect to the climate change), education, research and...

Dr Oliver Hartwich (Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney) explains to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU Centre, La Trobe University) how the Eurozone has damaged the economic interests of participating member states. Will underperforming economies with unsustainable levels of sovereign debt, such as Greece and Portugal, ever regain their competiveness? Is Iceland in a better shape today (as of April 2011) than Ireland owing to the fact that it never entered the EU and the Eurozone? Was British...

Dr Jan Libich (School of Economics and Finance, La Trobe University) talks to Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU Centre, La Trobe University) and explains the economic theories informing the project of the common European currency, the Euro, and the way in which the violation of basic rules (the Maastricht criteria) has potentially undermined its viability. He discusses why one-fits-all monetary policy may not be optimal in the Union, and how further harmonization of fiscal policies could improve the...

Dr Ben Wellings (School of Politics, ANU) speaks with Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) about how Euro-scepticism has fused with English nationalism and populism. Also discussed is how the question of European integration has been an ongoing source of division within both major parties: the Labour party as well as the Conservative party, particularly under Margaret Thatcher. Copyright 2011 IUEU Centre / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Professor Doug Webber (INSEAD) speaks with Dr Stefan Auer (IUEU, La Trobe University) on the Franco-German relationship, from the early stages of European integration to the present. It also covers the potential impact of the Eurozone crisis on both the EU's future and the relationship between France and Germany. Copyright 2011 IUEU Centre / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Professor Wolfgang Merkel (Politics, Humboldt University) interviewed by Dr Stefan Auer (European and Historical Studies, La Trobe University). Focus is on the current challenges to European integration and what impact they might have on the European social model. It also deals with the bail-out of Ireland that is neither popular in Germany, nor Ireland. Copyright 2010 IUEU Centre / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions. The recording includes a marvellous song...