Abstract
The chapter aims at filling a gap in the current debate on the financial crisis. While the financial crisis as such has been rather broadly discussed, the democratic dilemmas it brought about have been much less in the focus. The chapter therefore analyses the impact of the financial crisis’ governance structures on the quality of democracy on (a) the EU level; and (b) the national level. The cases of seven donor states and the five debtor states in EFSF and ESM budgetary aid are analysed in comparison, focusing on parliamentary competencies, governments strategies and national balances of powers. It is argued that already existing tensions have been intensified and the powers of parliaments on both EU and national level have been severely affected by what can be termed a crisis mode.
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Notes
- 1.
As said in chapter “Studying Conceptual Controversies in This Book”, the following is based on an analysis of documents of the participating institutions and press articles as well as on country reports carried out by a research group at the EUI (European University Institute, Department of Law).
- 2.
“Die Entscheidung über Einnahmen und Ausgaben der öffentlichen Hand ist grundlegender Teil der demokratischen Selbstgestaltungsfähigkeit im Verfassungsstaat. Der Deutsche Bundestag muss dem Volk gegenüber verantwortlich über Einnahmen und Ausgaben entscheiden. Das Budgetrecht stellt insofern ein zentrales Element der demokratischen Willensbildung dar” (Bundesverfassungsgericht 2011).
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Wiesner, C. (2019). Parliaments Versus Executives in the Financial Crisis. In: Inventing the EU as a Democratic Polity. Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94415-9_17
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