Kris Orsini, Counsellor for Economic and Financial Affairs, European Union in Washington DC, EU Delegation to the US
Ben Carliner, Senior Economist, European Union in Washington DC, EU Delegation to the US
Co-sponsored by the European Studies Jean Monnet Projects, the Madison International Trade Association (MITA), the WEDC, ME Dey, and ABS Global. Jean Monnet Projects are funded by a grant from the Erasmus + Program of the European Commission.
The European Union is set to renew its leadership starting on November 1. The current German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen will be the new President of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and most key portfolios are likely to be led by new Commissioners. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde will take over from Mario Draghi as the new President of the European Central Bank. This new leadership will take office as Europe faces a number of important domestic and global economic challenges. Brexit will be an immediate concern, as the UK is currently set to leave the EU on October 31 and the terms of the divorce have not yet been finalized. Rising international trade tensions and slowing global growth present another set of difficulties for the highly integrated block of European economies. The EU also still has an ambitious domestic policy agenda focused on deepening the Economic and Monetary Union and completing banking and capital markets union.
Agenda:
7:30-8:00am Registration and Networking
8:00-8:40am Introductions and Presentations
8:40-9:00am Q&A and Group Discussion
Kris Orsini is Counsellor for Economic and Financial Affairs and Ben Carliner is the Senior Economist at the EU’s embassy in Washington DC. They cover the US and EU economies, focusing on monetary and fiscal policies; international economic coordination including the G-7 and G-20; Multilateral Financial Institutions, particularly the IMF; and trans-Atlantic economic relations. Prior to joining the Delegation, Mr. Orsini worked in the European Commission’s Directorate General of Economic and Finance, producing fiscal and macroeconomic surveillance of EU member states and providing policy advice on economic reforms in several countries including Spain and Croatia. Mr. Carliner was previously an economist at the Economic Strategy Institute, a think tank, where he covered international economics. Prior to that, Mr. Carliner was a financial journalist for Thomson Financial.