Architects of disunion? Southern Europe, the crisis and the European Union

Bull, MJ

Abstract

This paper views the southern European enlargement in the 1980s and the EU-southern European relationship as based on a form of ‘trade-off’ between ‘solidarity’ on the one hand and ‘discipline’ on the other. It will suggest that, while the ‘trade-off’ appeared to work well until the launch of the single currency, in the period since then the ‘trade-off’ has entered into crisis. There was a gradual decline in the commitment to traditional forms of solidarity at the same time as an increase in the requirements of economic and fiscal discipline which southern European states generally failed to meet. More generally, the 2000s marked a deterioration in the relationship through a combination of different factors (launch of the Euro, enlargement, reform of cohesion policy, prospective reform of the common agricultural policy, economic crisis), of which the sovereign debt crisis was the most critical reflection. This is leading to the development of new forms of solidarity and discipline.

Citation

Bull, M. (2011, September). Architects of disunion? Southern Europe, the crisis and the European Union. Presented at European Disunion: The Multidimensional Power Struggles, Holiday Inn Hull Marina (University of Hull)

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: European Disunion: The Multidimensional Power Struggles
• Conference Location: Holiday Inn Hull Marina (University of Hull)
• Start Date: Sep 30, 2011
• End Date: Oct 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Dec 2, 2011
• Keywords: Southern Europe, European Union, Eurozone, solidarity, discipline, crisis
• Additional Information: Event Type : Workshop