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Political conflict in the reform of the Eurozone

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  • Thomas Lehner
  • Fabio Wasserfallen

Abstract

The negotiations on the reforms of the Economic and Monetary Union were highly conflictual. This article analyses the dimensions of conflict that structured these negotiations. Using several dimension-reduction methods, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the ‘EMU Positions’ dataset, which codes the positions of all EU member states over a broad range of fiscal, financial, economic, and institutional integration proposals. The empirical findings show that the political contestation in the reform of the Eurozone is one-dimensional between advocates of fiscal transfer and discipline. On this one-dimensional scale, we identify three broader coalitions, while Germany and France lead the two opposing groups. This conflict structure provides a setting conducive to the constant (re-)negotiation of compromises. We conclude the analysis with a discussion of several implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Lehner & Fabio Wasserfallen, 2019. "Political conflict in the reform of the Eurozone," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 45-64, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:20:y:2019:i:1:p:45-64
    DOI: 10.1177/1465116518814338
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kapeller, Jakob & Gräbner, Claudius & Heimberger, Philipp, 2019. "Economic polarisation in Europe: Causes and policy options," ifso working paper series 5, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Socioeconomics (ifso).
    3. Mathias Dolls, 2019. "An Unemployment Re-Insurance Scheme for the Eurozone? Stabilizing and Redistributive Effects," EconPol Policy Reports 10, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    4. Joshua C Fjelstul, 2022. "Explaining public opinion on the enforcement of the Stability and Growth Pact during the European sovereign debt crisis," European Union Politics, , vol. 23(2), pages 192-211, June.
    5. Magnus Lundgren & Stefanie Bailer & Lisa M Dellmuth & Jonas Tallberg & Silvana Târlea, 2019. "Bargaining success in the reform of the Eurozone," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 65-88, March.
    6. Johannes Karremans, 2021. "This Time Wasn't Different: Responsiveness and Responsibility in the Eurozone between 2007 and 2019," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(6), pages 1536-1554, November.
    7. PETRIC Nicolae, 2019. "Fiscal Pressure In The Eu: An Econometric Approach," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 189-199, December.
    8. Dolls, Mathias & Wehrhöfer, Nils, 2021. "Attitudes towards euro area reforms: Evidence from a randomized survey experiment," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    9. Fabio Franchino & Camilla Mariotto, 2021. "Noncompliance risk, asymmetric power and the design of enforcement of the European economic governance," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(4), pages 591-610, December.
    10. Fabio Wasserfallen & Dirk Leuffen & Zdenek Kudrna & Hanno Degner, 2019. "Analysing European Union decision-making during the Eurozone crisis with new data," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 3-23, March.
    11. Blesse, Sebastian & Havlik, Annika & Heinemann, Friedrich, 2019. "Searching for a Euro reform consensus: The perspective from Central and Eastern Europe," ZEW Expertises, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, number 201191.
    12. Sebastian Blesse & Annika Havlik & Friedrich Heinemann, 2021. "Euro area reform preferences of Central and Eastern European economic experts," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 48(1), pages 155-179, February.
    13. Jeffry Frieden & Stefanie Walter, 2019. "Analyzing inter-state negotiations in the Eurozone crisis and beyond," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 134-151, March.
    14. Daniel Finke & Stefanie Bailer, 2019. "Crisis bargaining in the European Union: Formal rules or market pressure?," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 109-133, March.
    15. Leonce Röth, 2022. "After Merkel – The 2021 German Election and its Implications for European Union Politics," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(S1), pages 48-59, September.
    16. Silvana Târlea & Stefanie Bailer & Hanno Degner & Lisa M Dellmuth & Dirk Leuffen & Magnus Lundgren & Jonas Tallberg & Fabio Wasserfallen, 2019. "Explaining governmental preferences on Economic and Monetary Union Reform," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 24-44, March.
    17. Shawn Donnelly, 2021. "German Politics and Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Eurozone Budget," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 230-240.
    18. Anna-Lena Högenauer, 2021. "Scrutiny or Complacency? Banking Union in the Bundestag and the Assemblée Nationale," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 219-229.
    19. Hanno Degner & Dirk Leuffen, 2019. "Franco-German cooperation and the rescuing of the Eurozone," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 89-108, March.

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