Overview

Today Europe finds itself in a crisis that casts a dark shadow over an entire generation. The seriousness of the crisis stems from one core political contradiction at the heart of the European project: namely, that what urgently needs to be done is also extremely unpopular and therefore virtually impossible to do democratically. What must be done - and almost everyone agrees in principle on the measures that would be needed to deal with the financial crisis - cannot be sold to the voting public of the core member states, which so far have been less affected by the crisis than those on the periphery, nor can the conditions that core members try to impose be easily sold to voters in the deficit countries. The European Union is therefore becoming increasingly disunited, with deepening divides between the German-dominated ‘core’ and the southern ‘periphery’, between the winners and the losers of the common currency, between the advocates of greater integration and the anti-Europeans, between the technocrats and the populists. Europe finds itself trapped by the deepening divisions that are opening up across the Continent, obstructing its ability to deal with a crisis that has already caused massive social suffering in the countries of the European periphery and is threatening to derail the very project of the European Union. In this short book, Claus Offe brings into sharp focus the central political problem that lies at the heart of the EU and shackles its ability to deal with the most serious crisis of its short history.

Full Product Details

Author:   Claus Offe (Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany)
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Imprint:   Polity Press
Dimensions:   Width: 14.50cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 22.40cm
Weight:   0.308kg
ISBN:  

9780745687513

ISBN 10:   0745687512
Pages:   104
Publication Date:   21 November 2014
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations vi Preface vii Introduction 1 1 Democratic Capitalism and the European Union 6 2 The Nature of the Crisis 16 3 Growth, Debt, and Doom Loops 32 4 No Return to Square One 48 5 In Search of Political Agency 56 6 Finalitées: Bases of Identification with European Integration as a Political Project 61 7 The Configuration of Political Forces and Preferences 81 8 Germany’s Leadership Role for Europe: A Non-Starter 90 9 “Thin” Citizenship: The Ugly Face of the EU System of Rule 109 10 Redistribution Across State Borders and Social Divides 120 References 131

Reviews

<p>This is a strangely heart-warming book. While Claus Offeanalyses the weaknesses and failures of European integration withruthless precision, he also reminds us powerfully of the values ofthe European ideal, and shows how we could come closer to realisingthem - if only political leaders had the will and tenacity to doso. In the current climate of Europhobia, this is the nearest thingto realistic optimism that we are likely to get. Colin Crouch, University of Warwick <p>Claus Offe has written a passionate, probing, and deeplyperturbing book that both excoriates the European Union andprovides a glimpse of hope in the struggle for a social Europe.[CHANGES NEED TO BE CHECKED WITH THE AUTHOR] Gary Marks, UNC-Chapel Hill and RVU Amsterdam <p>After so many years without a resolution, it is hard to feelhopeful about the euro crisis. If there are grounds for hope theylie in this volume. In it Claus Offe describes how the citizens ofEurope, and of Germany in particular, frame the crisis. He explainshow that framing defines the range of feasible policy options. Offeshows how it is in the capacity of those citizens and their leaders-- of European society, in other words -- to modify that framing inways that open the door to a more constructive policy response.Offe's careful analysis deserves a wide audience. If it receivesone, Europe will be a better place. Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley <p>At the core of this book is the proposition that, though theEuro was a mistake, its undoing would be a greater mistake. Around this insight, Offe describes the logic of the economic,institutional, political and cultural traps that have been sprungon European polities. The great merit of this book is that itposes the fundamental question implicit in any attempt to escapesuch traps: who is to be the agent of change? No one readingthis book will think that this question has an easy answer; theywill realise that an answer is desperately called for. Albert Weale, University College London

This is a strangely heart-warming book. While Claus Offe analyses the weaknesses and failures of European integration with ruthless precision, he also reminds us powerfully of the values of the European ideal, and shows how we could come closer to realising them - if only political leaders had the will and tenacity to do so. In the current climate of Europhobia, this is the nearest thing to realistic optimism that we are likely to get. Colin Crouch, University of Warwick Claus Offe has written a passionate, probing, and deeply perturbing book that both excoriates the European Union and provides a glimpse of hope in the struggle for a social Europe. [CHANGES NEED TO BE CHECKED WITH THE AUTHOR] Gary Marks, UNC-Chapel Hill and RVU Amsterdam After so many years without a resolution, it is hard to feel hopeful about the euro crisis. If there are grounds for hope they lie in this volume. In it Claus Offe describes how the citizens of Europe, and of Germany in particular, frame the crisis. He explains how that framing defines the range of feasible policy options. Offe shows how it is in the capacity of those citizens and their leaders -- of European society, in other words -- to modify that framing in ways that open the door to a more constructive policy response. Offe's careful analysis deserves a wide audience. If it receives one, Europe will be a better place. Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley At the core of this book is the proposition that, though the Euro was a mistake, its undoing would be a greater mistake. Around this insight, Offe describes the logic of the economic, institutional, political and cultural traps that have been sprung on European polities. The great merit of this book is that it poses the fundamental question implicit in any attempt to escape such traps: who is to be the agent of change? No one reading this book will think that this question has an easy answer; they will realise that an answer is desperately called for. Albert Weale, University College London

<p>This is a strangely heart-warming book. While Claus Offe analyses the weaknesses and failures of European integration with ruthless precision, he also reminds us powerfully of the values of the European ideal, and shows how we could come closer to realising them - if only political leaders had the will and tenacity to do so. In the current climate of Europhobia, this is the nearest thing to realistic optimism that we are likely to get. Colin Crouch, University of Warwick <p>Claus Offe has written a passionate, probing, and deeply perturbing book that both excoriates the European Union and provides a glimpse of hope in the struggle for a social Europe. [CHANGES NEED TO BE CHECKED WITH THE AUTHOR] Gary Marks, UNC-Chapel Hill and RVU Amsterdam <p>After so many years without a resolution, it is hard to feel hopeful about the euro crisis. If there are grounds for hope they lie in this volume. In it Claus Offe describes how the citizens of Europe, and of Germany in particular, frame the crisis. He explains how that framing defines the range of feasible policy options. Offe shows how it is in the capacity of those citizens and their leaders -- of European society, in other words -- to modify that framing in ways that open the door to a more constructive policy response. Offe's careful analysis deserves a wide audience. If it receives one, Europe will be a better place. Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley <p>At the core of this book is the proposition that, though the Euro was a mistake, its undoing would be a greater mistake. Around this insight, Offe describes the logic of the economic, institutional, political and cultural traps that have been sprung on European polities. The great merit of this book is that it poses the fundamental question implicit in any attempt to escape such traps: who is to be the agent of change? No one reading this book will think that this question has an easy answer; they will realise that an answer is desperately called for. Albert Weale, University College London

Author Information

Claus Offe is Professor of Political Sociology at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. He is author of numerous books, including Contradictions of the Welfare State, Disorganized Capitalism, Modernity and the State, and Reflections on America: Tocqueville, Weber and Adorno in the United States.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions