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G. Hanappi:
"The Dynamics of the Global Political Economy. The Role of Europe";
Vortrag: Encuento Internacional de Economista Sobre Globalización y Problemas del Desarrollo, Havanna, Kuba (eingeladen); 02.02.2007 - 09.02.2007; in: "IX Encuento Internacional de Economista Sobre Globalización y Problemas del Desarrollo", (2007), 12 S.

Abstract

This paper sets out to interpret the current global economic and political dynamics. It does so with the specific aim to provide insights that could guide action in the immediate future; action on an international political level, but also action on a more narrow continental economic level. The special focus will be on Europe´s current evolution, how far and in which sense can and will it be an important player in world politics and economics.

To start, part 1 of the paper will provide a brief `synopsis of the after war period´, in particular the period after the political collapse of the Sovjetunion. The changing modi operandi of US hegemony will be interpreted; reactions from the other continents will be evaluated. Since the rest of the paper builds on this interpretation it has to be very concise - despite its dense form.

In the second part of the paper, called "Europe´s Second Renaissance´, a closer look at European developments will be taken. With the astonishing drive towards polititical and economic unification, even managing several steps of enlargement, the European Union has emerged as the largest continental unit of effective demand in the world. But its peculiar structure of distinct and historically loaded cultures has provoked a series of political crisis too. In the meantime even for conservative economists it is evident that the USA is not an appropriate blueprint for Europe to become an `USB´. Indeed quite the opposite seems to happen - Europe´s diversity, including its labour movements, in a global perspective becomes an advantage over an US model whose strength more and more reduces to pure brutal military intervention.

Finally the last part of the paper returns to the more pro-active economic (and political) realms which will have to be further developed in the immediate future. The title of this chapter is `Progressive Global Alliances´. Of course, this agenda has many aspects and only an eclectic choice of them can be touched upon in a single research paper. One idea builds on the observation that in Europe (contrary to the USA) finance capital, e.g. banks, dominates industrial capital, alliances thus might be accomodated by the influence of the European labour movement on international finance. An innovative choice of selected ideas like this will conclude the chapter.

In the conclusion some action lines for enhanced cooperation between political economists of the Marxian variety all over the world will be proposed.

Global Political Economy