Japan Economic Foundation-Aspen France Forum
Japan and Europe:
Enduring partnerships amid global changes
Over the past several years, Japan and Europe have entered a world very different from that ofthe post-1945 era: Growth remains elusive despite heterodox and daring fiscal and monetary
policies; representative democracy is increasingly questioned by voters; and the United States,
once seen as the world sheriff of last resort, seems increasingly inward-looking, while China’s
rise commands central focus. With these timely topics at the center of global debates overcontemporary political and economic trends, how should Europe and Japan contextualize theirroles and partnerships? How can our countries understand and adjust to such unprecedentedand unexpected changes?
Venue: Fondation Del Duca, 10 rue Alfred de Vigny, Paris

Program:Monday, July 1, 2019

20:00 Opening Dinner
Keynote AddressFrançois Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Bank of France
Tuesday, July 2, 201909:30-09:45 Registration
09:45-10:00 Welcome Remarks & Introduction
Jean-Luc Allavena, Chairman of the Board, Institut Aspen France Kazumasa
Kusaka, Chairman and CEO, Japan Economic Foundation

10:00-10:30 Keynote Address
Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of the Economy and Finance10:20-12:00 Session 1: Strategies for growth amid world economic slowdown
Moderator: Philippe Manière, Member of the Executive Committee, Institut Aspen France

Speakers:--Takatoshi Ito, Ph.D., Professor, Columbia University, USA, and Senior Professor, National Graduate
Institute for Policy Studies, Japan--Aspen France: Thierry Bolloré, Managing Director, Groupe Renault
Discussions will focus on the impact of Industry 4.0 and demographic change, notably the role ofageing societies and immigration, on socio-economic structures, and their implications for futurejobs, inclusive growth, and the limits of fiscal and monetary stimulus policies.

Guiding questions:-

Is it possible for demographically “shrinking” countries to achieve GDP growth?
How should countries adjust economically to demographic decline and an ageingworkforce?

-Will the digital age kill industrial employment? How might the benefits of robotics
be combined with the maintenance of a significant industrial workforce?

-

When deficits and public debts are at record highs and interest rates at record lows,
what tools are left to policy-makers seeking stimulus measures? Can we rely on
permanent “artificial” stimuli to achieve robust and needed growth?

12:00-13:15 Lunch

13:15-14:30 Session 2: The rise of populism and its impact on domestic politicaloptions, social stability, and globalization
Moderator: Naoyuki Haraoka, Executive Managing Director, JEF

Speakers:--Sota Kato, Ph.D., Executive Director and Research Director, Tokyo Foundation for Policy Researchand Professor, International University of Japan--Aspen France: Anne Lauvergeon, Former CEO, Areva; President, ALP SA

Guiding questions:-To what extent are Japan and EU countries facing the same rejection of traditionalpolitics? How should we compare and contrast such manifestations of populism
and anti-globalization?

-Populist and anti-elite movements first targeted globalization, and now criticize
representative democracy as a whole. Will this be a lasting phenomenon? Howshould democracies defend themselves against anti-democratic ideas propagatedin the name of “the people”?

-How should policy-makers take new demands into account without abandoning
core democratic values? What types of policies are prohibited or perhaps
facilitated by the populist wave?

14:45-15:00 Coffee Break15:00-16:30 Session 3: The emerging new order in a globalized world
Moderator: Philippe Manière, Member of the Executive Committee, Institut Aspen FranceSpeakers:--Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, Secretary General, Ministry of Europe and ForeignAffairs, France--Hideo Suzuki, Managing Executive Officer, Nippon Steel Corporation--Masahiko Yamamoto, Acting General Manager, Global Research Team Leader, Global Strategyand Regional Management Department, Mitsubishi Corporation

Guiding questions:-How have the EU and Japan approached China’s rise and what should be thestrategy for future cooperation?

-To what extent does “Trump diplomacy” change the geopolitical environment ofJapan and the EU?

-Are we entering a new “bipolar” world with the US and China as the global
superpowers and, if so, how do we adjust?

-How does the EU-Japan FTA contribute to mitigating protectionism? Can suchcooperation serve as a model for future challenges in global trade? Can the EU andJapan help the world remain open in spite of a mounting protectionism from theUS and elsewhere?

16:30-16:50 Closing remarks
Jean-Luc Allavena, Chairman of the Board, Institut Aspen FranceKazumasa

Kusaka,Chairman

Foundation (JEF)

16:50-17:30 Cocktail Reception

andCEO,Japan

Economic