European Institute

March 2013

The financial crisis has challenged the leadership of governments, financial institutions and the European Union itself. Mr Bajnai talks about these regional economic and political challenges, including the impact of the Eurozone crisis, the rise of populism and nationalism, the internal dynamics of the region as well as ECE countries’ future relationship with the EU. He discusses the two-speed development of the EU, the concept that some countries will progress and integrate into the EU faster than others based on economic and social conditions within their own borders. He also refers to the democratic deficit of the EU and the inefficient functioning of the European institutions and politicians' incompetence that could be deduced from one another, and thought it possible that politicians represent their own voters at the Council, but try to find solutions on a European level.

• Chair: John Peet, The Economist
• Introduction: Tim Beasley-Murray, UCL SSEES

Bio: Gordon BAJNAI, former Prime Minister of Hungary (2009-2010). Currently Mr Bajnai is an  adjunct professor at Columbia University SIPA and a visiting fellow at John Hopkins University (SAIS). He is also a senior adviser to the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS), the Washington based think tank and a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). He acts on the  global and regional advisory boards of important European corporations. In 2009 - 2010 Mr Bajnai served as  the Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary, leading the crisis management government as a non-partisan technocrat.  Prior to this, from 2006 he was appointed a Government Commissioner in charge of the National Development Plan; then Minister of Local Government and then Minister of National Development and Economic Affairs.

This event was co-hosted by UCL SSEES

Gordon Bajnai from UCL European Institute on Vimeo.

Soundcloud ucl-ei: Gordon Bajnai audio