Europe’s ‘structural reform’ agenda is little more than a fairytale

The policy response to the Eurozone crisis has incorporated a number of different elements, including the structural reform of European economies. Aidan Regan argues that this ‘structural reform agenda’ has been defined in exceptionally vague terms, and that it is still unclear precisely which reforms would lead to tangible economic improvements in European countries. He writes that with the European Parliament due to hold elections in May 2014, there may be an opportunity for opposition parties to politicise the issue and subject prevailing policies to proper scrutiny.