We are pleased to announce that the Natolin Library has purchased a new book: “Balancing Pressures : The Politics of Governing the European Economy” by Fabio Franchino and Camilla Mariotto.
Balancing Pressures : The Politics of Governing the European Economy / Fabio Franchino, Camilla Mariotto. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025. ISBN 9781009595865
This book examines how the economy, national politics, and supranational dynamics influence economic policymaking in the European Union. It highlights how economic theories warn policymakers about the challenges posed by various policy initiatives. Economic uncertainties play a significant role in shaping political positions during negotiations, while actual economic conditions impact both the negotiating process and implementation of policies. National pressures to secure office and pursue specific policies systematically affect negotiating stances, implementation patterns, and overall outcomes. Supranational influences stem from the dynamics of Euro area membership, including expected and actual compliance patterns and the context of negotiations. Covering the years from 1994 to 2019, this book investigates how these pressures have shaped the identification of policy problems, the debates surrounding policy reforms, and the outcomes, timing, and direction of these reforms. It also looks into negotiations over preventive surveillance, compliance with recommendations, and the effectiveness of measures taken to address excessive fiscal deficits. The book concludes with an assessment of the effectiveness, fairness, and responsiveness of the policies discussed.
Reviews
‘Franchino and Mariotto masterfully combine insights from several different theoretical perspectives to explain the supranational governance of economic policy in the European Union since the Maastricht Treaty. Anyone who wants to understand the policy choices taken in this period, which included the Euro Crisis, and why the EU’s economic framework evolved the way it did, should read this book.’
— Mark Hallerberg – Dean of Research and Faculty and Professor of Public Management and Political Economy, the Hertie School
‘A completely new way of thinking about how economic policies work in Europe that will transform research and teaching on this topic for many years to come. Franchino and Mariotto show how the combination of incentives and constraints lead to policy outcomes that, overall, are effective, responsive to the public and balance the interests of smaller and larger countries.’
— Simon Hix – Stein Rokkan Chair in Comparative Politics, European University Institute
‘A landmark contribution to the analysis of economic policymaking in the European Union. This book is not only essential reading for all students of European Union Politics, it is also a model for political scientists and economists alike seeking to contribute to our understanding of policymaking in advanced democracies.’
— Bjørn Høyland – Professor of Political Science, University of Oslo
This path-breaking book offers a new theoretical framework to examine European public policymaking. By looking at ideas, cleavages, negotiations, timing, political ideology, public opinion and more, the authors provide a detailed analysis of the policy process that is sophisticated and informative: a must-read for anyone who seeks to understand the intersection of comparative politics and international relations in Europe.’
— Amy Verdun – Professor of Political Science, University of Victoria