Political aspects of the Economic and Monetary Union: The European challenge

Book abstract:

This book is the latest in a series published by Ashgate, which present analyses of a range of novel regional relations and institutions. The volume itself arises from studies conducted in Denmark at the time of that country's referendum on membership of the Economic Monetary Union in September 2000.

The first part of the book introduces the developments leading up to the creation of the EMU and its first years of performance as well as the institutional set-up of the EMU. Part 2 explores issues such as the 'impact of the EMU on EU-integration' and the 'sustainability of the EMU without a fiscal union'. The democratic aspects of EMU and inevitably the EU are discussed in Part 3. Two papers comprise Part 4 which addresses the extent to which EU and EMU have impacted on welfare systems in Western European states and the paradoxes and dilemmas associated with the choice of retaining national sovereignty over welfare policy and attempts to strengthen EU's social policy image. The editor Søren Dosenrode provides the concluding chapter in which he draws together the findings of the earlier contributions and provides an appraisal of the extent to which the EU has moved towards 'statehood'.

This book will be essential for scholars and students of European Studies as the issue of EMU has become an almost compulsory part of any such course. Students of economics, modern history and international relations may also find it a useful reference book.

Søren Dosenrode is with The Institute for History, International and Social Studies, Aalborg University Denmark.