Announcement: Seminars on the European Union

2016-03-05

This post is archived. Opinions expressed herein may no longer represent my current views. Links, images and other media might not work as intended. Information may be out of date. For further questions contact me.

Starting today, this website also hosts my latest initiative: seminars on the EU.¹

I intend to produce a series of them covering a range of issues, from the very basics, to advanced topics, to special issues. The first item is an introduction to the European integration process.²

The structure of each seminar will be as follows:

• an audio file with me speaking about the topic;³
• objective of the seminar and/or outline of its contents;
• the transcript of my talk;
• if necessary, notes on the subject, which may include links to relevant articles.

I intend to publish the seminars in regular intervals, maybe once every three-to-six days.

I am always searching for ways to improve the quality of my work and increase the overall usefulness of this website. My hope is that this initiative contributes to that effort.

Expected content

The seminars will cover the following topics (some changes may be made along the way):

• Basics
  • integration process and European legislation
  • what kind of political entity is the EU
• Advanced
  • statelessness of the euro
  • accountability of the European Central Bank
• Special issues
  • European res publica or the EU as a republic manqué
  • a Union of universal values and fundamental freedoms
  • the sovereignty mismatch of intergovernmentalism

Further information

How much do you charge?
Nothing. No hidden clauses. No secret fees.

What gave you the idea?
I am about to start preparing for my new ebook on the European Union. This will be a major update to my previous publication.⁴ It will probably be ready some time between late April and early May. Given that I will already be in the process of researching the various topics in the European integration process, I thought I could share my progress with the public in a format that is meaningful and, hopefully, enjoyable. Delivering a seminar seems like a natural choice.

Are you qualified for this kind of thing?
No, at least not in strict terms. I am not an academic, think tanker, technocrat, or anything of the sort. I’m just an independent researcher who believes that the specifics of the EU have to be studied and any findings thereof be shared with the public. By producing those seminars I do not purport to be anything more than an active citizen.

I am a student. Can I quote your work?
Use your discretion. My recommendation is that you should never take one’s claims at face value. Use my arguments as pointers for your own research. If you happen to find out that I speak the truth, then—and only then—you may consider referencing me.

I actually learned something! How can I express my gratitude?
Simple: share your impressions with your family, friends, social network, or anyone else who could be interested.

I still have questions. Can you help?
Yes. Just contact me and I’ll see what I can do.⁵

1. Seminar series section. [^]

2. Introduction to the European integration process. Published on March 5, 2016. [^]

3. Actually these will be youtube videos with only audio playing. A static image will be shown instead of real footage. The reason is that hosting mp3 files on the web can be an expensive or otherwise time-consuming venture. [^]

4. A Handbook on the European Union. Published on November 8, 2015. [^]

5. My contact information. One simple request: stick to the point. [^]