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Understanding Political Reconciliations: European Experiences Wednesday, April 22 Political reconciliation has become a major goal in domestic and international politics since the end of the Cold War in 1989. But what does it mean exactly? This lecture focuses on a few “success stories,” albeit very imperfect ones, to learn from what has worked rather than from what failed. It examines European experiences of international reconciliation, starting with the rapprochement between France and Germany in the 1950s, and after 1989 the attempts at reconciliation that followed in other parts of Europe. In light of these European experiences, should reconciliation be considered at best a fragile, temporary equilibrium between opposite political forces that must be reenacted with each passing generation? Or can it bring a definitive end to longstanding conflicts? Is reconciliation an action that rests on religious faith? Or could it/should it be motivated by political conviction only or economic interest? Is there a dark side to reconciliation that undermines justice? Have trials helped or hindered reconciliation? While there may be no one right answer to these questions, this lecture reviews some of the many ways of thinking and acting out political reconciliation. Catherine Guisan is a lecturer in the Political Science Department at the University of Minnesota and has taught at the University of Utrecht, Netherlands. She is the author of Un sens à l’Europe: Gagner la paix (1950-2003) (Paris: Odile Jacob 2003). She has lectured widely in Europe on issues of European integration and political ethics. |
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