Former European Commission president Barroso joins Wilson School faculty

José Manuel Barroso, the former president of the European Commission, joined the Wilson School faculty on Feb. 1.

He will be a policy fellow for the Liechtenstein Institute of Self-Determination and a Frederick H. Schultz Class of 1951 Visiting Professor of International Economic Policy.

Barroso was not available for comment.

A former prime minister of Portugal,Barossowas elected president of the European Commission in 2004 and was later reelected to the post in 2009. The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union, which means it implements treaties and decisions and manages the EU’s daily operations.

Barroso’s most notable accomplishments were coaxing the eurozone through a debt crisisby creating a bailout fund, enacting newfinancial regulationand beginning to create a European banking union, according to anOct. 27New York Times article. However, Barroso left office while economic problems and anti-European Union sentiment remain problematic for his successor, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Barosso accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 on behalf of the EU for contributions to human rights and democracy over its approximately 60-year history.He also acted as the central EU emissary to global powers such as China, Russia and the United States and pushed for the EU to address climate change and adopt clean energy aggressively.

"He has been considered by many as one of the key mediating and negotiating and also agenda-shaping persona in the European Union for an entire decade,"Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, the founding director of the LISD, said.

Harold James, the Director of Program in Contemporary European Politics and Society at the University said he is delighted that Barosso has joined the faculty. James explained that Barosso has significant experience with negotiating political, economic and security crises in Europe.

"He’s obviously one of the most experienced, most interesting European policy makers," James said, adding that students interested in European affairs would benefit enormously from his guidance.

Barosso will offer insight into negotiation, diplomacy and the international economic dimension, Danspeckgruber said.

"He is really like the interface between the EU as suchundthe rest of the world," he explained, using the German word for "and."

Barosso first delivered a policy address at the University in September 2012 titled, "European Union: An Indispensable Partner." Barosso called for the further integration of the EU’s economy and said claims that European integration was falling apart were "greatly exaggerated," according to aDaily Princetonian article at the time.

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"I have to confess I was thrilled how he interacted with students and facultyundthat sort of instilled in me the idea that [it] could be interesting to have him with us for some time," Danspeckgruber said.

Sophie Meunier, the co-director of the University’sEuropean Union program, said she hopes that if Barosso’s schedule allows, he will be able to participate in the European Union Program events this spring.

"I am meeting with Mr. Barosso next week actually to go over how he is going to be involved," Meunier said.

According to Danspeckgruber, Wilson School Dean Cecilia Rouse supported the initiative to bring Barosso to the University faculty.

Rouse and Vice Dean Keith Wailoo were not available for comment.

"I really wish that my friends and colleagues ... have the opportunity, through him and with him together, to explore some of these insights because that opportunity to interact with a person who was in this position still eight weeks ago is absolutely unique," Danspeckgruber said.

Justinas Mickus ’18, who is involved with the European Union program, said that Barosso will offer a unique insight into the governance of an international institution, a dimension that is not always addressed in regard to international relations.

Director of the European Union program Andrew Moravcsik did not respond to a request for comment.