euro|topics - Dominique Berns

Berns, Dominique

4 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

Le Soir - Belgium | 07/01/2008

According to Guy Hermet, democracy is bound to disappear

In an interview conduced by Dominique Berns, the political scientist Guy Hermet predicts the disappearance of the democratic system. "More and more countries are said to be 'democratic', even though we have good reason to doubt the quality of their democratic systems. But in terms of density, depth and quality, democracy is receding. It is spreading on the periphery, but thinning within our old democracies. ... I deeply believe that democracy as we now know it will soon cease to exist. ... There is now a philosophical doubt regarding the relevance of popular sovereignty. We are even going so far as to deny the will of the majority, despite this being the very core of democracy. When in a developing country the elections bring an Islamist party to power, do we not hear that the elections had better be cancelled ? And what about when a large proportion of voters in Antwerp opt for Vlaams Belang, don't some feel that it would be better not take their votes into account ?"

Le Soir - Belgium | 21/05/2007

Robert Ayres on sustainable growth

In an interview conducted by Dominique Berns, the American economist Robert Ayres ponders how to reconcile economic growth and energy-saving. "If we project ourselves 40 or 50 years into the future, we can, from a technological point of view, envisage a scenario with low energy intensity, maybe even non-nuclear, in which the consumption of hydrocarbons and greenhouse gas could be reduced by 90%. The problem lies in changing from one model to another. .. We can manage, I believe, by following the road taken by Denmark and the Nordic countries. This implies turning to renewable energies far more efficiently than most countries do today; the use of public transport, car-sharing and cycling to replace most cars and trucks on the roads today; and the struggle against energy wasting, especially the heat produced by electric power stations."

Le Soir - Belgium | 26/03/2007

Marc Fleurbaey weighs up capitalism and democracy

Author of 'Capitalism or Democracy? The 21st century alternative', the French economist Marc Fleurbaey explains in an interview conducted by Dominique Berns why it is difficult to reconcile the two concepts. "Although I consider that the market economy is where our future lies because it is the most efficient as well as the fairest in some respects - particularly as a means of promoting the autonomy of individuals -, I also feel that its current form is not destined to last. Why? Because there is an incredible gap between our culture, steeped as it is in democratic values, and the way that economy continues to work in a very undemocratic manner in general as much as within individual companies. ... There is a gap, as everyone concedes, between democracy's arena, whether political or social, and the field of action where economic operators and particularly investors work, which goes well beyond the level of Nation States and dialogue with social partners."

Le Soir - Belgium | 12/03/2007

Anne-Marie Le Gloannec considers that Germany is more European than before

Anne-Marie Le Gloannec, French director of research at the Center for International Studies and Research (CERI), recently published a work entitled 'Berlin and the world'. In an interview with Dominique Berns she considers that the German view of Europe has changed. "The Germans - I mean public opinion - now have a vision that is more French than before. This is rather interesting at a time marked by a Franco-German rift. German public opinion has distanced itself from the United States. For the most part, it considers that France is Germany's best friend, that the EU should have common foreign policy and that Europe should act as a counter-point to the United States, which was really a French idea to start with. Thus Germany has become more European when it comes to ideas and feelings."

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