Arpad von Lazar, professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, said it is more accurate to divide Europe into rich and poor, rather than east and west, in a lecture held Wednesday.
More than 30 people attended von Lazar's lecture titled, "Aging Europe - Emerging Europe: Politics and Business in the Mid-Nineties" in the General Motors Amphitheater at the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration.
Von Lazar spoke about the recent economic problems in Europe and the inherent complications Europe will face in searching for a solution to these problems.
Although the speech dealt with complex economic and political issues, von Lazar injected humor and personal anecdotes into his lecture, eliciting many laughs and applause from the audience.
"He says it in a way that makes it lively and interesting," said Penny Paquette, director of the International University of Japan program office. The Japanese university offers an M.B.A. program the Tuck School helped initiate.
Von Lazar stressed that emerging European nations are attempting to gain a greater presence in the new European Community, which offers incentives like free trade and looser restrictions on capital and labor movement.
"Everyone says to Europe, 'Let us in the house. Don't leave us on the front porch. Let us share your sister's bathroom,'" he said.
Von Lazar attributed the current European recession to the dislocated U.S. economy that has weakened world economies and the collapse of Eastern Europe in 1989, which placed a financial burden on Western Europe.
Von Lazar has been an advisor to several European governments and corporations and has used his experiences to examine the structural problems of the European economy.
According to von Lazar, America has well-trained recession management because of quick, extreme economic cycles, while Europe has experienced slow, steady growth leading to an inexperienced managerial class that cannot deal with recessions and thus cannot cope psychologically.
"Rich Europe (Western Europe) is moving into a recession which is more damaging psychologically than structurally," von Lazar said. "Europe isn't very good at recession management," he added. "By and large, Europe is led by jokers."
Von Lazar said most European leaders are adequate bureaucrats but not strong leaders. He said there is an underlying mentality to avoid risks because past European experience has proven growth will continue without countries having to take many risks.
Professor Joseph Massey, a visiting professor of international business at Tuck, introduced von Lazar. Massey and von Lazar are co-editors of the Global Competitor, a quarterly international business magazine published jointly by Tuck and the Fletcher School.
Von Lazar also addressed a conflict between rich and poor Europe over the issue of migration. He said there is a fear in rich Europe that migration from poor Europe will cause an economic strain on already fragile economies.
Von Lazar is a regular commentator on National Public Radio who has taught in America and overseas. He specializes in trade and energy policy, as well as environmental management, about which he has written several books.