Introduction: Euro-outsiders and the politics of asymmetry

Abstract:

The opening article to the special issue explores the general conceptual, political and practical challenges confronting the euro-outsiders - here defined as European Union Member States that do not at present participate in the Third Stage of Economic and Monetary Union. The guest editor of the special issue argues that the perspectives of the governments of the euro-outsiders may be understood as the politics of asymmetry, and introduces five forms of asymmetry as a comparative tool to evaluate the respective euro-outsiders. The article also sets out prospective strategies that the outsider governments may utilise to help manage their situations outside the euro as well as a number of research themes important to the study of the euro-outsiders.