Happy New Year
A Message from the Director
To all those who have been following the programs of the Center for the Study of Europe in 2020:
Thank you for being with us through trying times. Nothing this year unfolded normally and we at the CSE, like many of our colleagues, had to reinvent ourselves as producers of internet-based academic programs. We did so, timidly at first but with growing enthusiasm, in the hope of continuing to serve the BU community and many off-campus friends and affiliates, and to offer – as always in the history of this Center – a steady stream of reflections from Europe and about Europe. We did so in the belief that scholars, viewers, and students from all walks of life would find important insights and inspiration at most critical junctures by looking across the Atlantic from the standpoint of Boston University.
Through many of this year’s events we focused, in particular, on a variety of structural inequalities, ranging from stubborn patterns of racial discrimination to the privatization of common ownership and public offices. We featured a range of impressive guest speakers whose reflections are now part of our digital library, and we are now gearing up for a busy spring semester. In between, there’s the winter break – a time of year usually marked by cheerful gatherings and festive symbols – and again according to tradition the CSE would like to send everyone on our mailing list and beyond a seasonal message of heartfelt wishes.
But what European symbol – which holiday postcard, which colorful meme – could be sufficiently hopeful, auspicious, and inclusive for times like the present one? Here is an image that might do this year: a blue and yellow pie chart. [1]
For those of us who have followed the legal and political journey of the European Union for a while, this image speaks volumes and perhaps marks the beginning of a new era: as of December 10, 2020, all the EU member states are committed to pooling resources towards the goal of post-Covid recovery. Money borrowed jointly by all the EU member states will be distributed to states most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, in some cases without repayment obligations.
Season greetings are not the place to discuss how momentous it is for the EU to tackle a crisis via joint debt, how hard it was to come to this agreement, how much more money will be needed, or how many divisive issues will arise along the path to recovery; a rich research agenda is ahead of us, and will involve a continued focus on endemic inequalities both within the EU and across its outer borders in a post-pandemic era. For now, may this image in the colors of the EU flag serve as our holiday postcard – as a New Year charm, and as a reminder that solidarity across borders is both necessary and possible, through politics and through law.
Yours truly,
Daniela(*)
(*) For all the CSE activities of this year, I am deeply grateful to Adil Najam, Dean of the Fredrick S. Pardee School of Global Studies of Boston University, whose vision and unfailing support have allowed for the continuation of our programs through the Covid-19 pandemic; to Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Dean of the School of Law of Boston University, for her faith in inter-disciplinary work; to Elizabeth Amrien, Assistant Director of this Center, who has been both a steely force of continuity and a most versatile embracer of novelty since our programs became fully virtual; to the Center Directors who preceded me, Vivien Schmidt and Cathie Martin, for guidance, vision, and scholarly contributions to our events; to my wonderful colleagues on the CSE executive board; to the eminent Europeanists on the Charles River Campus; and to the extraordinary range of scholars and professionals who shared with us their expertise and opinions.
[1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/ngeu-covid-19-recovery-package/