CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2021
| Author | Rozsahegyi, Zsanett Regina |
|---|---|
| Title | The power of discourse behind economic policies Why the common currency has not been introduced in Hungary? |
| Summary | Through the examination of the Hungarian government’s indefinite postponement of the legal obligation to join the Eurozone I aim to demonstrate how hegemonic discourse shapes policy outcomes. With the empirical analysis I will highlight that sole macroeconomic analyses fail to explain the opt-out choice of accession to the Eurozone of Hungary, as the macroeconomic conditions, set out in the Copenhagen Criteria, could be fulfilled by the country if political will would be present. The politically driven decision became even more complex, in 2014 when the accession to the Banking Union, a supranational organization has become an additional requirement to join the Eurozone. I argue that taking a closer look at the discourse of the elected party is essential in order to understand the political drive behind the decision. Therefore, through analyzing the speeches of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Gyorgy Matolcsy, the governor of the Hungarian Central Bank (MNB) made between 2005 and 2021 I aim to demonstrate the shift in political discourse through time and elaborate on the role of silence surrounding the issue in the recent years. Coupled with the overall discursive frame towards the European Union (EU) I conclude that through discourse an alternative reality is created, whereby the accession to the eurozone is presented as a non-desirable and nonviable option for Hungary. The ruling party’s discourse is anchored at the rigid attachment to monetary and banking sovereignty, restricting the government’s playing field to imitate economic growth. |
| Supervisor | Dóra Piroska |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2021/rozsahegyi_zsanett.pdf |
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