The core research/teaching question we will address under this theme is:
Does global corporate tax avoidance necessitate a common European tax system?
More broadly, we will engage those debates on whether or not it is possible to imagine the emergence of a “Social Europe” in the absence of fiscal harmonisation. Concretely, we will examine whether the European Commission has the democratic legitimacy to intervene in domestic tax-setting policies of member-states through the use of competition law.
The core research/teaching question we will address under this theme is:
Can diverse political economies converge within the constraints of European monetary integration?
More broadly, we will engage those debates within the comparative political economy of Europe on whether or not it is possible to imagine the emergence of a fiscal and banking union in the eurozone without member-states giving up more political and economic sovereignty. Concretely we will examine the economic governance reforms that have emerged in the aftermath of the eurozone crisis, including the brave new world of European central banking.
The core research/teaching question we will address under this theme is:
Is the rise of populist politics in Europe - and associated parliamentary volatility - a direct outcome of the EU policy response to the euro crisis?
More broadly, we will engage those debates on whether or not the rise of challenger parties in Europe is a direct outcome of globalisation and European market liberalisation. Concretely, we will examine the structure of political conflict, through an examination of voting behaviour and public opinion, whilst inquiring into new forms of democratic innovation beyond parliament.