Europe’s legitimacy crisis. From causes to solutions

This book examines the complex and interwoven issues raised by the EU's crisis of legitimacy, as well as possible roads to recovery. It is distinctive in presenting an analysis that not only examines the Eurozone crisis in its financial and economic dimensions but also illustrates that the crisis is in fact a series of crises at the heart of the entire EU project of integration. It considers this crisis of legitimacy as a culmination of institutional and governmental deficiencies, including inadequate structures and weak policy responses to regional and domestic challenges.

The persistence of the crisis draws attention to the inadequacy of the treaty route and of current policy responses to deal effectively with challenges of legitimacy, economic stagnation, loss of competitiveness and related problems. The authors argue that a clearer focus on social cohesion and democratic participation, with a central role for citizen debate, are key routes to recovery.

Contents:

Part I: Narrating the Past
1. The EU has been shaped by crisis: Chronicle of a crisis foretold
2. The search for leadership and a convincing narrative
3. The sources of the crisis in Europe

Part II: Seeking a Future
4. Contesting Europe’s past and imagining Europe’s future: Do identity and participation matter?
5. Problems in search of a solution, solutions in search of legitimacy

This book examines the latest developments and scholarly debates surrounding the sources of the European Union's crisis of legitimacy and possible solutions. It examines not only the financial and economic dimensions of the current crisis, but also those crises at the heart of the EU integration project.