Europe’s Crisis of Legitimacy: A Book Presentation by Vivien Schmidt

Join us for a presentation of Vivien Schmidt's newest publication: Europe’s Crisis of Legitimacy: Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone, now available from Oxford University Press. The book examines the interrelationship between democratic legitimacy at the European level and the ongoing Eurozone crisis that began in 2010. Europe's crisis of legitimacy stems from 'governing by rules and ruling by numbers' in the sovereign debt crisis, which played havoc with the eurozone economy while fueling political discontent. Using the lens of democratic theory, Schmidt assesses the legitimacy of EU governing activities first in terms of their procedural quality ('throughput),' by charting EU actors' different pathways to legitimacy, and then evaluates their policy effectiveness ('output') and political responsiveness ('input'). In addition to an engaging and distinctive analysis of Eurozone crisis governance and its impact on democratic legitimacy, she offers a number of theoretical insights into the broader question of the functioning of the EU and supranational governance more generally. She concludes with proposals for how to remedy the EU's problems of legitimacy, reinvigorate its national democracies, and rethink its future.

When 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 17, 2020
Contact Name Elizabeth Amrien
Phone 617-358-0919
Contact Organization Center for the Study of Europe
Fees Free
Speakers Speakers: Viviven Schmidt (Boston University), Mark Blyth (Brown University), Vlad Perju (Boston College), and Philomila Tsoukala (Georgetown University). Moderator: Daniela Caruso (Boston University).