Political Economy of Europe

Catalog description

The main objective of this course is to investigate how the process of economic and political integration that has involved an increasing number of European countries has shaped and continues to shape economic outcomes across the Old continent. The emphasis is on the challenges and opportunities created by the integration process and on the role that EU institutions play in addressing the former and seizing the latter. The list of topics includes but is not limited to: Competition policy: How do EU competition law and its enforcement shape market structure and consumer welfare? Development policy: How does the European Commission leverage its structural and investment funds to foster development in the poorest corners of the Union? Migration: How did within-EU migration serve the purpose of withstanding asymmetric shocks and address structural imbalances? How is the EU addressing immigration from poorer neighboring areas? What is the impact of such immigration flows on Europe’s economic and political outcomes? Monetary and financial integration: What are the costs and benefits of a single currency? How did the Maastricht Treaty and the Fiscal compact address the issue of moral hazard in fiscal policy? What is the mandate of the European Central Bank? What was the role of the European institutions during the 2010-2014 sovereign debt crises? What is the purpose of the banking union? Tax policy: How much tax competition is there between EU countries? Is more coordination desirable? International trade: How does the EU leverage its size when negotiating trade deals with the rest of the world? Accession: How did conditionality in the EU accession process affect the former members of the Eastern bloc?