Connor Geary ’14 – Even though we have only been here for two days, today was one of the most educational days yet. The purpose of this trip was to have a hands on learning experience about the EU. Today our agenda consisted of visiting the European Central bank (ECB). After going through security we soon realized that we had stumbled upon a special chance to have our informational session in the same conference room as the Governor’s council.
The Governor’s Council consists of all of the presidents of the EU member states central banks, as well as the board and the president of the ECB. Victor, the senior press secretary of the ECB was the one leading the presentation about the ECB. This was a real treat, since Victor was very knowledgeable about what goes on in the ECB. One of the many things that we learned today was why the ECB keeps the inflation rate around 2%, which is due to the inability to have a negative interest rate; which is the tool used to combat inflation. Being able to sit in the same chair that one of the member states of the EU has sat in and made a decision that has affected that European Union in some manner, was really one of the highlights of the trip so far.
After our experience at the ECB, we all had roughly 4 hours before we have to leave to catch the train to Brussels (which is where I am currently writing this from at 270 kmh). Frankfurt has a multitude of cultural experiences to discover, and that is exactly what my friend Devan Taylor and I did. We left the ECB and headed east across the city with no real plan as to what we were going to do for lunch and the rest of the afternoon. One of the things that we discovered in a square was a protest of a new law that was being passed to subsidize parents who homeschool their children. The police officer that we talked to was very informative about what was going on and knowledgeable about the situation as well.
After observing the protest, we headed farther east in search of food. We stumbled across a hole in the wall place that specialized in Donner sandwiches, which consist of shaved of meat in a pita bread. If you ever get the chance to try one, do it, you will not regret it. After lunch we headed back to the hostel, but took a detour and strolled down the riverside, observing the locals.
We are currently headed to Brussels where we will see the European Commission, Parliament, and possibly take a trip to Waterloo. I think I speak for everyone in our group when I say that we are really gaining invaluable experience from immersing ourselves within the culture and with the institutions that run the EU.
I would like to thank the Rogge Fund for being so generous as to fund this trip. We really are gaining invaluable knowledge and experience. I would also like to say thank you to my professors Dr. Mikek and Dr. Hollander, who have done a fantastic job educating us about the economics and politics of the EU.
