NEWS - Law

SBJ Staff Report

Feb 20, 2012 - The Savannah Council on World Affairs and Hunter Maclean, Attorneys at Law, will host a lecture this week by Dr. Michael J. Baun entitled, ‘The Euro Zone Debt Crisis and the EU: What Future for Europe?’

Michael Baun received his Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 1988, and is currently Professor and Marguerite Langdale Pizer Chair in International Relations at Valdosta State University, where he teaches international and comparative politics in the Department of Political Science. He is the author of "A Wider Europe: The Process and Politics of European Union Enlargement" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2000) and "An Imperfect Union: The Maastricht Treaty and the New Politics of European Integration" (Westview Press, 1996). His other publications include several book chapters and articles on European and German politics.

The European Union (EU) is experiencing the worst crisis since its inception. The Euro Zone debt problem poses a severe existential threat to the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), the European common currency (the euro), and to the EU itself.

Although prior crises lead to the advancement of the European project and furthered the EU’s economic and political integration; will the same results occur? What is the likelihood that the Euro Zone and EMU will survive the current debt crisis, and how will this affect the EU’s future shape and direction? And finally, what are the implications on the United States and transatlantic relations?

The event will be held Thursday, February 23, 2012 at the Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm St, and is open to the public. The membership social will be at 7:30 PM, with the program at 8:00 PM.  The event is free for members, students, educators and active military & spouses, and $10.00 for non-members.