Melloni, Nicola, (2015), “Explaining The EU’s Politics Of Austerity”, Social Europe Journal, 17 August What is the logic behind austerity? The standard explanations given during the last five years do not hold solid ground. Many – including famous economists and central bankers – had supported budgetary cuts to restore market confidence. Markets, however, were hardly impressed: operators care about profits – usually associated with growth – and cuts in the …Read More
Rising inequality in the Eurozone underlines the need for a fiscal union
Sawicki, Dawid, (2015), “Rising inequality in the Eurozone underlines the need for a fiscal union”, LSE blog, 3 July. How has inequality within Eurozone states changed during the pursuit of Economic and Monetary Union? Dawid Sawicki writes that in the majority of Eurozone members income inequality has increased substantially since 1990. He argues that this is partly the result of a lack of automatic stabilisers within the Eurozone that can compensate …Read More
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The elusive quest for labour market reforms
Boeri, Tito, Jimeno, Juan Francisco, (2015), “The elusive quest for labour market reforms”, Voxeu, 27 July tructural reforms of labour markets are almost universally advocated by international institutions. They are included as key conditions for delivering financial assistance under formal rescue programmes, and the nth Greek agenda of reforms is no exception in this respect. They are also strongly recommended to countries under the supervision of the EU macroeconomic imbalance procedure; a commitment …Read More
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A World Without The Welfare State
Dr Richard M. Ebeling (2015) “A World Without The Welfare State“, The Cobden Centre – Politics, 29 March. We live in an era in which few can even conceive of a world without the welfare state. Who would care for the old? How would people provide for their medical needs? What would happen to the disadvantaged and needy that fell upon hard times? In fact, there were free market …Read More
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European Democracy Is In A State Of Emergency
Offe, C. (2015) “European Democracy Is In A State Of Emergency“, Social Europe Journal, 06 March. Europe has had a rocky start to 2015. The Eurozone crisis is back on the agenda, a war is developing at Europe’s border and people across the continent seem more and more discontent with their political systems leading to the rise of different forms of populism. How healthy do you think is European …Read More
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Tsipras And Syriza’s Win Reboots European Social Democracy
Gow, D. (2015) “Tsipras And Syriza’s Win Reboots European Social Democracy“, Social Europe Journal, 26 January. The “vicious circle of austerity is over,” said Alexis Tsipras, Syriza leader and Greece’s likely new premier, after his party won a stunning victory in yesterday’s general election. It would be replaced, he added, by “a politics of hope, solidarity and co-operation.” He and his senior colleagues say this is true for the …Read More
The fragmentation of power is irreversible
Conversation by Martin Eiermann with Parag Khanna: “The fragmentation of power is irreversible”, The European Magazine, 16 January 2015. The end of the nation-state as we know it: Parag Khanna discusses the path towards global connectivity and why we have to shift from Western history to global history. The European: Mr. Khanna, especially in Europe, we’re witnessing a resurgence of regionalist or nationalist thinking that seems to cast doubt …Read More
Interview with Thomas Piketty: “The myth of national sovereignty helps big corporations screw us over”
Interview with Thomas Piketty: “The myth of national sovereignty helps big corporations screw us over”, The European Magazine, 12 December. French economist Thomas Piketty has put inequality back on the map and is being hailed as the Karl Marx of the 21st century. He talked to Max Tholl and Florian Guckelsberger about a globalization gone wrong, a Eurozone parliament and our obsession with economic growth. The European: Mr. …Read More
The impact of the mass media on the quality of democracy within a state remains a much overlooked area of study
Müller, L. (2014) “The impact of the mass media on the quality of democracy within a state remains a much overlooked area of study“, LSE EUROPP, 05 December. Media organisations are generally assumed to play an important role in democracies, but how effective are they in performing this function within specific states? Lisa Müller outlines results from an analysis of 47 countries, based on a framework which rates two …Read More
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Erosion Or Exhaustion Of Democracy? The Challenge For Social Europe
Blühdorn, I. (2014) “Erosion Or Exhaustion Of Democracy? The Challenge For Social Europe“, Social Europe Journal, 18 Νοεμβρίου. Social Europe is caught between a rock and a hard place. It is supposed to restore confidence in democracy – which since the bailout of the failing banks and the ensuing politics of austerity can hardly be regarded as a plausible promise anymore and which, anyway, at EU-level is known primarily …Read More
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