This timely book examines the imminent dangers to European stability: the socio-economic crisis of global production that has reinforced structural inequalities; the climate crisis and its associated environmental degradation; and the onset and fallout of Covid-19. Placing the triple crisis in the context of EU, European and global geographies, it introduces a new conceptual framework to describe continuing systemic crisis and change in the EU.
This timely book examines the imminent dangers to European stability: the socio-economic crisis of global production that has reinforced structural inequalities; the climate crisis and its associated environmental degradation; and the onset and fallout of Covid-19. Placing the triple crisis in the context of EU, European and global geographies, it introduces a new conceptual framework to describe continuing systemic crisis and change in the EU. Based on a rich and varied array of source material, Attila Ágh offers a new insight into the future of European politics through twin conceptual pillars: 'Awaking Europe', which describes a Re-United Europe that brings together its key regions; and 'Emerging Europe', which refers to the upgrading of EU mechanisms to shape Europe as a global player through multilateralism. Presenting an integrative analysis of the triple crisis and its management, it describes and dissects the overarching creative crisis of the EU and the major direction of the Union's strategy for renewal. Incisive and provocative, this book is critical reading for scholars and researchers in political science, European studies and economics, particularly those focusing on EU economic policy and the relationships between global powers. It will also benefit policymakers looking for innovative approaches to social investment and sustainable development.
The financial and economic crisis in Europe is not over, and the radically opposing strategies on how to proceed has only increased the complexity of problems in the region, revealing the shortcomings of the EU’s architecture. The European Union, perhaps for the first time in its history of more than seventy years, is being perceived as a threat to the financial and monetary stability of the world. A Global Perspective on the European Economic Crisis explores the connection between internal EU actions and institutions and the external factors that influence the ongoing response to the European crisis. With a unique collection of international and interdisciplinary essays, this book considers the complex macroeconomic and challenging political landscape of Europe, looking at how and why the European Union is untenable in its current state. The chapters outline what should be done to make the common currency area more resilient, and explain why external events are particularly problematic for the EU, ultimately offering suggestions for what Europeans should do in order to avoid harmful internal consequences. This volume confronts the causes of the crisis’ persistence, its economic and political consequences, and the impact of more recent events and policy decisions. It will be of interest to researchers and policy-makers keen to understand the EU relations and the influence of international organizations in the European economic crisis.
“This collective volume is undoubtedly a major contribution to understanding the causes and consequences of the crisis of the Euro-zone, with a special emphasis on the implications of new and not yet EMU members. A skilful combination of contrasting theoretical and policy perspectives, a refreshing interchange among academics and practitioners from a number of countries, it is a must reading for anyone seriously interested in the political economy of crisis and reform in Europe.” – László Csaba, Professor of International Political Economy, Central European University and Corvinus University of Budapest; Past President, the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies “This book offers a refreshing analysis of what is rapidly becoming Europe’s lost decade. The authors, all established experts in their fields, see light at the end of the tunnel, but it seems quite distant.” – André Sapir, Senior Fellow, Bruegel; Professor of Economics, Université libre de Bruxelles “The papers included in the volume uphold the pressing question of whether Europe can resume its role as a ‘growth and convergence engine’. Issues of growth, macro-stabilization and employment in the economically diversified internal market come in this context to the fore of the discussion. The editor of the volume, Professor Beata Farkas, skilfully brings together research focusing on diverse facets of the European economies in order to address questions such as: (1) Does one size fit all? (2) How can we change the EU budget to make it more effective? (3) Can Europe learn some lessons from the two lost decades in Japan? (4) Is inflation targeting a proper approach in defining monetary policy? (5) How do we conduct an effective fiscal policy? The added value of the volume consists in diversified methodological and conceptual perspectives employed to address the problems at hand. Ideas and arguments are presented in a novel and interdisciplinary manner. As such, the discussion that unfolds throughout the volume will be stimulating for researchers, decision-makers in the government and those in the corporate world. My recommendation is simple: take the book and read it . . .” – Katarzyna Żukrowska, Professor of International Economics and Political Science, Head of the International Security Department, Warsaw School of Economics; Member of the Prognoses Committee, Polish Academy of Science
Engaging in fundamental current European economic policy-related issues, this excellent book is a must read for scholars, policy advocates and students in the field.'--Lothar Funk, University of Applied Sciences, Germany. The EU And The Global Financial Crisis analyses the emerging new political economy of the EU Single Market in the wake of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. The crisis has initiated a new wave of functionalist spillover towards deeper integration in the eurozone, which in effect divides the EU into multiple integrative cores. Providing the first comprehensive examination of the emerging policy framework in the EU and the eurozone after the global financial crisis, this rigorous study applies a neofunctionalist approach to the analysis of the crisis implications by considering the emergence of the system of multiple cores in the EU as a result of the return of political spillover.
7 The Politics of Inclusion: Comparing the Contribution of Civil Society Actors to EU Legitimacy8 EU Internal and External Social Policy in Times of Global Crisis; 9 The EU as a 'Virtuous International Actor': Human Rights Indicators and Global Governmentality; Index.
This book provides the first comprehensive analyses of the challenges all European welfare systems have been facing since 2007, combining in-depth country-based studies and comparative chapters. It focuses on: 1) the economic and financial crisis, 2) demographic change, and 3) the balance between avoiding risks and opening up opportunities in social policy. The results show that European welfare systems tend to face the same challenges in different ways and that also their responses to those challenges differ considerably. Although the EU also plays a part in shaping national welfare systems, it becomes evident that European welfare systems are by no means converging: in terms of social policy, national diversity within Europe is still a major factor that will shape future developments in European welfare systems.
Identifying a crisis for representative democracy in Western European party systems, this essential book studies the widening gap between political parties’ ideological economic Left–Right rhetoric. Combining in-depth theoretical analysis with empirical research, it addresses whether political party ideologies are converging or diverging, and whether these changes are initiated by the parties themselves, aligned with voter demand, or forced by economic globalization.
The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.
While for some scholars the Euro crisis dashed the dream of Social Europe, this thought-provoking book proposes a more nuanced assessment, challenging the notion of austerity as the only way forward. Tracing the evolution of the political debate on European social integration and its interplay with the European economic governance after the Euro crisis, it sheds light on the conflict dynamics and political conditions that enabled the progressive shift away from the initial post-crisis EU ‘conservative reflex’, towards a new European holding environment for flourishing welfare states.
