Overview

David Begg examines how four small open economies- Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Ireland- have managed the stresses and strains of Europeanisation since the single market came into being, and as fault lines begin to appear within the European integration project. In particular, he drills down into the Irish Polity to see how its institutions have engaged with Europe and how decisions on critical issues like integration, EMU and Social Partnership were reached. He finds that both Ireland and Europe are at a critical juncture for different but interconnected reasons, and identifies the options that are available to them.

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9781349719228

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Reviews

This book is a welcome addition to the literature on the development of the European Union. It studies four smaller members (Ireland Finland Netherlands and Denmark, three in the Eurozone, Denmark is not), all of whose policies are based on a social partnership approach. The book provides an academically rigorous and objective analysis of how these states have dealt, and deal with the issues posed by each phase of European integration. The author is a former Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and former Board member of the Central Bank of Ireland, he also played an important role in shaping Ireland's emphasis on Social Partnership. This book will be of benefit, not only to students but to all who are interested in gaining a more informed understanding of the process of European integration. - Martin O'Donoghue, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland This is a fascinating account of how Europe's small open economies have managed their way through the different recent waves of European integration - from trading bloc to monetary union and ultimately to the current crisis. Through insightful comparison with Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, Ireland is shown to have made itself particularly vulnerable through its weak social contract and stronger embrace of liberal economic policies. Far from being a model of economic policy, it serves as a cautionary tale for Europe. - Sean O Riain, National University of Ireland at Maynooth, Ireland This is the book you always wanted to read on Ireland's social partnership miracle and mirage and the deep impact of E(M)U-membership before and after the global financial crash of 2007-9. Told by a social-partnership-friendly insider, whose personal engagement is masterly held in check by a comparative perspective, it sets the historical contingencies of Irish corporatism in the context of recent experiences in four other small open European economies that faced similar external and internal challenges. A must read, with an array of future-oriented lessons for students, scholars, politicians and policy makers from Ireland and beyond. - Anton Hemerijck, VU University Amsterdam, Holland

"""This book is a welcome addition to the literature on the development of the European Union. It studies four smaller members (Ireland Finland Netherlands and Denmark, three in the Eurozone, Denmark is not), all of whose policies are based on a social partnership approach. The book provides an academically rigorous and objective analysis of how these states have dealt, and deal with the issues posed by each phase of European integration. The author is a former Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and former Board member of the Central Bank of Ireland, he also played an important role in shaping Ireland's emphasis on Social Partnership. This book will be of benefit, not only to students but to all who are interested in gaining a more informed understanding of the process of European integration."" - Martin O'Donoghue, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland     ""This is a fascinating account of how Europe's small open economies have managed their way through the different recent waves of European integration - from trading bloc to monetary union and ultimately to the current crisis. Through insightful comparison with Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, Ireland is shown to have made itself particularly vulnerable through its weak social contract and stronger embrace of liberal economic policies. Far from being a model of economic policy, it serves as a cautionary tale for Europe."" - Seán Ó Riain, National University of Ireland atMaynooth, Ireland    ""This is the book you always wanted to read on Ireland's social partnership miracle and mirage and the deep impact of E(M)U-membership before and after the global financial crash of 2007-9. Told by a social-partnership-friendly insider, whose personal engagement is masterly held in check by a comparative perspective, it sets the historical contingencies of Irish corporatism in the context of recent experiences in four other small open European economies that faced similar external and internal challenges. A must read, with an array of future-oriented lessons for students, scholars, politicians and policy makers from Ireland and beyond."" - Anton Hemerijck, VU University Amsterdam, Holland"

Author Information

David Begg is the Director of TASC (Think Tank for Action on Social Change), Ireland, a small independent think tank which generates ideas to challenge inequality and promote a flourishing society. Until March 2015 he was General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, a position he held for fourteen years. Before that he spent five years working in International Development as Chief Executive of Concern Worldwide. He holds a PhD in Sociology and a Masters Degree in International Relations.

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