European Integration in Times of Crises A Comparative Case Study of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the 2015 Refugee Crisis
Author
Kuhlmann, Magnus
Term
4. term
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-05-31
Abstract
This thesis examines why EU integration in burden-sharing policies unfolded differently during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the 2015 refugee crisis. Using a comparative case study with a most-similar design, it analyzes four variables highlighted in the literature—dilutive boundary regimes, contractual incompleteness, asymmetrical bargaining power, and exclusive identities—situated within a theoretical discussion between post-functionalism and liberal intergovernmentalism. The analysis traces how these factors manifested across both crises. It finds that the decisive difference was the salience and mobilization of exclusive identities: during the refugee crisis, Eurosceptic political entrepreneurs activated exclusive national identities against EU burden-sharing, whereas such mobilization did not occur during COVID-19. This absence enabled fiscal solidarity and deeper coordination in the pandemic, even though boundary, contract, and bargaining conditions were broadly similar. The study concludes that the presence or absence of exclusive identities was the causal variable explaining the divergent outcomes of EU integration in burden-sharing policies across the two crises.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvorfor EU’s integration i byrdefordelingspolitikker udviklede sig forskelligt under COVID-19-pandemien og flygtningekrisen i 2015. Med et komparativt casestudie og et most-similar design analyseres fire variabler, som litteraturen peger på som styrende for integrationsudfald: udtyndende grænseregimer, kontraktuel ufuldstændighed, asymmetrisk forhandlingsmagt og eksklusive identiteter. Analysen er forankret i en teoretisk diskussion mellem post-funktionalisme og liberal intergovernmentalisme og kortlægger, hvordan disse variabler kom til udtryk på tværs af de to kriser. Resultatet viser, at forskellen især skyldes eksklusive identiteter: Under flygtningekrisen mobiliserede euroskeptiske politiske entreprenører eksklusive nationale identiteter imod europæisk byrdefordeling, mens en tilsvarende mobilisering ikke fandt sted under COVID-19. Dermed var der plads til finansiel solidaritet og tættere koordination under pandemien, selvom de øvrige forhold omkring grænser, ufuldstændige aftaler og forhandlingsasymmetrier i store træk var sammenlignelige. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at tilstedeværelsen eller fraværet af eksklusive identiteter var den kausale variabel, der forklarer de forskellige integrationsudfald i EU’s byrdefordelingspolitikker under de to kriser.
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Keywords