How Europe Nearly Failed

The crisis that nearly sank the post-war European integration project provides another dramatic demonstration of economic policy cooperation as a morality play. While European leaders kept insisting that markets should trust their ability to resolve the crisis, it was also clear that they didn’t really trust one another. Economic and financial policy was subsumed in the rancorous domestic politics of very different countries bound together by the same currency. This session will examine key moments in the crisis and the roles played by top U.S. officials, including the President, to help Europe overcome rivalries and resentments to avoid global economic disaster.

Room: Faculty Dining Room, HKS

***All study groups are off-the-record and not for media coverage***