Schmidt Argues for European Union Policy Reform in Policy Brief
On July 24, 2023, Vivien Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration and Professor of International Relations and Political Science, published a policy brief article entitled “Making EU Economic Governance Fit for Purpose: Investing in the Future and Reforming the Fiscal Rules While Decentralizing and Democratizing” in an EconPol journal for CESifo Network.
The policy brief recommended that the European Union (EU) undergo policy reform to overhaul its economic governance and better offset risks from climate change and security threats. Schmidt explained that a permanent EU debt facility, which would open up public expenditure to fund green transitions and private sector investment, would be a fitting solution to many of the EU’s current challenges.
Schmidt also argued that the European Semester, the EU’s main mechanism for economic and social policy coordination, should decentralize by encouraging national parliaments, social partners, and civil society actors to play their role and democratize by increasing stakeholder involvement at every level to ensure key interests are heard.
Read the rest of Schimdt’s key arguments on the CESifo Network site.
Vivien Schmidt is a Professor of International Relations and Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and was the first Director of BU’s Center for the Study of Europe, housed at the Pardee School. Schmidt’s research focuses on European political economy, institutions, democracy, and political theory—in particular on the importance of ideas and discourse in political analysis. Read more about Professor Schmidt on her faculty profile.