Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

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This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation on International Affairs. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our topic today is the European Community and its relations with the United States. We're very pleased to welcome Professor Frans Andriessen, the Vice President of the Commission of the European Community. Professor Andriessen is the former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands, he is now a Professor at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. This week, he is an EEC Visiting Lecturer in the European Community Policies, Law, and Institutions program at Berkeley. Joining us in the studio is Gretchen Rodham Schills, who is a graduate student in Philosophy here at Berkeley and editor of the newsletter Diplomacy.

1. Working with the European Community ... international orientation of Benelux countries ... leaving nationalism behind ... idealism
2. Challenges for the EC ... Parliament must have a greater role ... alienation of voters from government ... new kind of democracy ... taking steps ... international accountability ... intergovernmentalism vs. federalism
3. The Role of Culture and Education ... historical roots of cultural unity ... WW II and the emphasis on economics ... national cultural identities ... cultural exchange
4. Europe - U.S. Relations ... collapse of Soviet Union ... Europe's ambivalence ... continued importance of US - Russia relationship ... need for explicit US - Europe treaty

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