CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2013
| Author | Csurgó, Dénes |
|---|---|
| Title | German Interest Groups and the Eurocrisis: Is Austerity Hegemonic? |
| Summary | The aim of this thesis is to explore the entrenchment of the German government’s austerity-focused position among the main interest groups of the German society. By presenting and explaining the positions and motivations of fractions of German capital and labor in supporting or opposing the austerity-consensus of the Merkel government, it aimed to add an interest-based and societal account to understanding the German position on the management of the Eurocrisis and the reform of EMU, and explore the possibility of a change in this position. The main question is if the neoliberal position represented by the Merkel government is hegemonic within Germany, enjoying the support of a historical bloc consisting of a united business class and at least fractions of labor. It tests the existence of this hegemony, using economic statistics, quantitative data and interviews to analyze the interests and policy preferences of the two most important sectors of the German economy, finance and industry, and of organized labor in connection to the Eurozone crisis. The main finding of the thesis is the Merkel government’s position is hegemonic without serious opposition within Germany. We see a united business position, as both sectors are benefitted from the crisis management and the reform of economic governance pursuiting more market discipline and focus on competitiveness. Although unions present a Keynesian alternative position, they face many constraints in forming this critique into a counter-hegemonic project, experiencing a loss on policy influence in relation to it political partners and both horizontal and vertical divides within the union movement. |
| Supervisor | Bohle, Dorothee |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2013/csurgo_denes.pdf |
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