The global financial crisis has many causes and many different effects, but is it a concern if the European Union and the United States take different approaches to address the problem? EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquín Almunia told the Friends of Europe Policymakers’ Dinner Debate that transatlantic coordination was already good, but he’d like to see it go further. However, he was more concerned about internal consistency within the EU itself. Gallup Chief Executive Officer Jim Clifton said dire warnings about the US economy had been wrong in the past – notably after the 1970s oil shocks – and he was confident that the US economy would be able to ride out the crisis.

The dinner debate was held at the Bibliothèque Solvay on Tuesday 20 May.

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