News and Research on Europe highlighting Robert Schuman's political, economic, philosophical contribution from the independent Schuman Project Directed by David H Price.
Further information Tel/Fax: +322 230 7621. email: info@schuman.info            ©Bron 1999- 2009
ROBERT SCHUMAN

Learn about Schuman's life

What contemporaries thought of Schuman 

Robert Schuman's Proposal of 9 May 1950 

Was the Proposal the start of a European Federation?

Europe's democratic institutions
FIVE institutions for Europe

Schuman on Democratic Liberty

What is the difference between a federation or a supranational Community?

EUROPE'S HISTORY

WARNING! Counterfeiters of European History OFFICIALLY at Work! 

What did Schuman say about post-Soviet Europe? 

POLICY

EU's ENERGY non-policy 

 How to manage disastrous CLIMATE    CHANGE 

ENLARGEMENT
Europe's Geography already extends worldwide!  
Is Turkey European? Is Cyprus? Is Russia?   

  Enlargement: long awaited! Collect EU's 5 keys 



Biggest money challenge in history!

 

By David Heilbron Price © 20020128 all rights reserved.

The changeover of twelve national currencies to a single European one – the euro – has gone over ‘incredibly smoothly’. It was a ‘tremendous accomplishment.’ The words are from an outside observer – the US Ambassador in Brussels, the European Union’s capital. Behind the changeover of billions of euro bank notes and coins lies decades of effort to stabilize currencies and shrink government debt.

Together, said Ambassador Rockwell Schnabel, the USA and the European Union represent half of world commerce. That astounding statistic brings with it heavy responsibilities as well as unprecedented wealth. Jump-starting the world economy was a pre-condition for solving the problems of poverty, he said. Reform of the capital markets was essential for economic strategy.

The complexity and breadth of the changes in Europe from January 1, 2002 can be judged by simple comparisons. The euro zone population of over 300 millions is far bigger than the USA. That is the most important criterion when it is a matter of swapping coins and notes in people’s pockets. That population is equivalent to the whole world population at the time of the Roman Empire. Imagine the complexities of making the changeover then – and all in a few weeks! Yet, as a US diplomat admitted, a little shame-facedly, most Americans were completely unaware of the monetary drama and success just across the Atlantic. Many who consider themselves to be well-educated Americans are not even sure were Brussels is!

Wealth and power bring responsibility. There are two immediate lessons for the Atlantic Community. First we have to really get to understand each other better. We need to work together at that by creating better institutions and means for human contact and education. America cannot act as an island. The European states have learned that they are all interdependent. This realisation stopped its incessant wars and brought a strategy for prosperity. Secondly we should direct that institution-building process to make sure – for once – that the Atlantic Community is dealing with the most urgent world problems: debt, poverty, de-humanisation of a burgeoning world population, ignorance.

We shouldn’t be dazzled by money. The events of September 11 had cost ‘far more’ than a trillion dollars. They were perpetrated with dollar box knives. The Atlantic Community is only a tenth of the world’s population. Yet it represents the world’s hope for values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

This is our chance to decide a global history. Let’s give it our best values!

© bron 2002

David Heilbron Price runs the Schuman Project, researching the history and trends of the European Union at www.schuman.info.

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