Economics & Trade

by Costanza Marcellino On 26 March the Joint Statement adopted by members of the European Council contained firm demands for a coordinated exit strategy, a comprehensive recovery plan and an unprecedented level of investment. It invited both the Presidents of the European Council and Commission, in consultation with the other institutions, and particularly the European Central Bank […]

The socio-economic effects of the coronavirus requires a massive and coordinated response from the EU. So far, the EU has not been up to the challenge, argues Marco Dani and Agustín José Menéndez.   The coronavirus pandemic has deepened and radicalised a set of crises that the European Union postponed but did not solve in […]

by Chiara Russo On Friday 17th April 2020, little more than one month after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the European Parliament approved the freeing up of €3.08 billion to support member states’ healthcare systems during this time of crisis. The financing of this action is to come entirely from EU budget. The EP and the Council […]

In the Netherlands, the public underestimates how much Southern Europe has already suffered. And how we benefited ourselves, says Joris Melman, analysing the Dutch stance in the negotiations on the EU’s economic responses to the corona crisis. The Dutch stance in the EU negotiations about the economic response to the corona crisis has sparked criticism […]

Although European financial regulation directly affects citizens as consumers, it is only to a limited extent exposed to public debate. There has also been widespread criticism that European regulators were too close to the financial sector, both before and after the financial crisis. The EU introduced permanent advisory councils, so-called Stakeholder Groups, to include more […]

by Thomas Ewert Last year’s report by Transparency International EU (TI EU) about asset restitution in Europe showcases what is a rather ‘unequal race’. On the one hand, we have autocrats and officials from non-EU countries attempting to hide their illegally acquired assets (tens of billions of dollars) in the European Union (EU). On the other hand, we […]

Given the ravages of the coronavirus crisis, the future of Europe cannot be one of permanent division between its northern and southern states. We are going through the gravest European crisis since the integration project began. The divisions which emerged during the European Council on March 26th are unprecedented in the history of the European […]

Why do some European citizens support sharing economic resources across national borders within the EU while others do not? While the EU and its supporters stand for ‘solidarity across borders’, opponents to increased economic integration argue that the money is better spent at home, exemplified by the Brexit leave campaign’s slogan “we can spend our […]

Public opinion has a central role in the politics of the Eurozone. But how do citizens form their opinions? Joris Melman’s original research indicates that opinions on the euro are often embedded in more general political orientations. For most people, the euro is above all a practical artefact in their daily lives, which makes them […]

Britain’s greatest war leader, Sir Winston Churchill, was one of the first to call for the creation of a ‘United States of Europe’. He is recognised as one of the 11 founders of today’s European Union. In the immediate years following the Second World War, Churchill was convinced that only a ‘united Europe’ could guarantee peace. His […]