Biography
George Papaconstantinou holds the Chair of International Political economy at the Florence School of Transnational Governance and is also the Academic Director of the EUI Global Executive Master.
He is an economist who holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and has served government at the highest level, as cabinet minister, Member of Parliament and Member of European Parliament (MEP). As Greece’s Finance Minister during the Greek and Eurozone crisis and subsequently Minister of Environment and Energy, he guided implementation of an ambitious and wide-ranging governance reform programme relating to budget and revenue processes, market liberalisation, publicly owned corporations and the divestment of state assets, as well as for the transition to clean energy and a green economy.
In the earlier part of his career, he was a senior economist at the OECD, subsequently served in a policy advisory capacity for the Greek government, was a Board member of the largest telecoms company in Greece, taught at the Athens University of Economics and Business and consulted for the European Commission and international think-tanks. Since leaving public office, his work has focused on economic and financial policy-related analysis and governance issues. He has recently published ’New World, New Rules: Global Cooperation in a World of Geopolitical Rivalries’ (with Jean Pisani-Ferry), where he explored emerging global governance arrangements and collective action in a number of key policy areas covering global public goods, channels of international economic interdependence and “behind the border” integration.
At the Florence STG, Professor Papaconstantinou teaches international political economy courses at the Master in Transnational Governance and the Global Executive Master, as well the Crisis Seminar, comparing recent crisis episodes. His research focuses on the economics and politics of crises, on the transformation of global governance and the political economy of European integration.
Courses:
- Economics for Policy II - Macroeconomics and International Economics (MTnG - 1st year core)
- The Crisis Seminar (MTnG - 2nd year elective)
- Economics for Policy (GEM - Core 1st year course)
- Current Issues in International Political Economy (GEM - elective 2nd year course)