Divisive integration. The triumph of failed ideas in Europe — revisited

Download or read book Divisive integration. The triumph of failed ideas in Europe — revisited written by Steffen Lehndorff and published by ETUI. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a follow-up to the ETUI 2012 volume 'The triumph of failed ideas'. The focus of the book is the weight attributed to the different economic and social development paths in ten individual EU countries, and their interaction with the austerity regime established at EU level which in fact is deepening the crisis rather than paving ways out of it. The most dangerous implication of this policy approach is, according to this study, that it is driving countries apart - misleadingly in the name of 'Europe', hence the title of the book 'divisive integration'. The main message of the book is that a gradual recovery is possible only if there is a change of course in individual countries that then triggers reactions in the policies of other countries and perturbations at the EU level. However, these changes in individual countries is no longer feasible without a green light or at least toleration from the level of the European institutions.