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Franco-German cooperation and the rescuing of the Eurozone

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  • Hanno Degner
  • Dirk Leuffen

Abstract

This article analyzes the effect of Franco-German cooperation on Economic and Monetary Union reforms, negotiated between 2010 and 2015. We identify three causal mechanisms theorizing how Franco-German cooperation affected the outcomes of EMU negotiations, namely through (a) the elimination of issues from the negotiation agenda; (b) the identification of compromise solutions or the provision of compensations; and (c) the power-based imposition of joint agreements on other member states. We use process tracing to analyze almost the full sample of contested issues included in the ‘EMU Positions’ dataset. Our findings underline that France and Germany indeed eliminated issues to which they were jointly opposed, but they also positively shaped the agenda by proposing compromises and offering compensation. No evidence supports the power-focused perspective of a Franco-German directoire .

Suggested Citation

  • Hanno Degner & Dirk Leuffen, 2019. "Franco-German cooperation and the rescuing of the Eurozone," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 89-108, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:20:y:2019:i:1:p:89-108
    DOI: 10.1177/1465116518811076
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
    2. Sebastian Blesse & Pierre C Boyer & Friedrich Heinemann & Eckhard Janeba & Anasuya Raj, 2019. "European Monetary Union reform preferences of French and German parliamentarians," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(3), pages 406-424, September.
    3. Eisele, Olga & Heidenreich, Tobias & Kriegler, Nina & Syed Ali, Pamina & Boomgaarden, Hajo G., 2022. "A window of opportunity? The relevance of the rotating European Union presidency in the public eye," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue OnlineFir, pages 1-21.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Olga Eisele & Tobias Heidenreich & Nina Kriegler & Pamina Syed Ali & Hajo G. Boomgaarden, 2023. "A window of opportunity? The relevance of the rotating European Union presidency in the public eye," European Union Politics, , vol. 24(2), pages 327-347, June.
    7. 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.
    8. Thomas Lehner & Fabio Wasserfallen, 2019. "Political conflict in the reform of the Eurozone," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(1), pages 45-64, March.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. Iryna Kushnir & Nuve Yazgan, 2023. "The politics of higher education: the European Higher Education Area through the eyes of its stakeholders in France and Italy," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.

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