On December 5th, The European Institute presented its Transatlantic Leadership Award to The Honorable Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and to The Honorable Elias Zerhouni, President of Global Research and Development at Sanofi and former Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, at the Annual Ambassadors’ Gala Dinner. Madame Lagarde was recognized for exercising uncommon leadership in seeking to resolve the European sovereign debt crisis and stem further contagion of the global economy. Dr. Zerhouni was honored for his pivotal role in furthering translational medical innovation to the benefit of global public health.

Click here to read Christine Lagarde's remarks.

Click here to read Dr. Elias Zerhouni's remarks.

"Why the IMF Should Be Led by a European" by Jean-Dominique Giuliani, head of the Robert Schuman Foundation, a think tank promoting stronger EU integration. Despite calls for the next Managing Director to come from the emerging countries in Asia or Latin America, the author makes the case succinctly for the Fund to reserve its top job for a European embodying deeply-rooted Western values such as openness, impartiality and accountability. Recommended by European Affairs. (6/2)

On May 17, 2011, The European Institute hosted a program with Pankraz Freitag, President of the Swiss Senate Banking Committee. Senator Freitag shared best practices from Switzerland’s fiscal policies and budget management.  He also offered his perspective on what the European Union and United States might take away from Switzerland’s  “debt brake” experience, while continuing to secure the global strength of the dollar and the euro, balance their budgets and work to reform fiscal regulations in order to avoid future crises.

On May 9th, The European Institute held a dinner discussion with His Excellency François Delattre, France’s newly appointed Ambassador to the United States. Paris and Washington now share a more convergent vision, the Ambassador said, as both view the transatlantic relationship as not only key to meeting the new challenges of a multi-polar world, but also as the cornerstone of global economic trade. While particular policy differences remain, the Ambassador stressed the shared Franco-American goal of integrating emerging countries into international institutions. Indeed, this year’s French presidency of the G8 and particularly the G20 is central to furthering ongoing reform of “global governance” on a number of pivotal fronts.

On April 27, 2011, Jonathan Faull, Director General for Internal Market at the European Commission, Commissioner Michel Barnier’s principal deputy, discussed the ongoing development and implementation of the EU’s ambitious financial governance reforms, the challenges that lay ahead for renewed efforts to strengthen the Single Market and assessed the prospects for greater European-American cooperation in restoring financial and economic health to both sides of the Atlantic. Richard Weiner, Partner at Sidley Austin LLP moderated the discussion.