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The European Semester as Goldilocks: Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and the Recovery and Resilience Facility

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  • Bart Vanhercke
  • Amy Verdun

Abstract

How and why did the European Semester end up as the main institutional vehicle of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)? To what extent did this new set‐up change the power balance among key actors (for example, financial and economic actors versus social affairs actors)? Drawing on historical institutionalism and based on 28 semi‐structured interviews and document analysis, our assessment suggests that while social actors were initially side‐lined and national executives strengthened, over time the pendulum is swinging back. The usual actors are strategically using the institutional structures of the revised Semester as a vehicle to ‘have a say’ in the RRF. Having more carrots and sticks suggests further strengthening the pivotal role of the European Commission. Yet having the option of submitting national plans gives member states options too. The EU institutional response to the Covid‐19 pandemic built on, and further cemented, the EU's socio‐economic governance architecture.

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  • Bart Vanhercke & Amy Verdun, 2022. "The European Semester as Goldilocks: Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and the Recovery and Resilience Facility," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 204-223, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:60:y:2022:i:1:p:204-223
    DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13267
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Valerie J. D'Erman & Daniel F. Schulz & Amy Verdun & Dennis Zagermann, 2022. "The European Semester in the North and in the South: Domestic Politics and the Salience of EU‐Induced Wage Reform in Different Growth Models," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 21-39, January.
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    4. David Bokhorst, 2022. "The Influence of the European Semester: Case Study Analysis and Lessons for its Post‐Pandemic Transformation," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 101-117, January.
    5. Reinout Arthur van der Veer, 2022. "Walking the Tightrope: Politicization and the Commission's Enforcement of the SGP," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 81-100, January.
    6. Valerie D'Erman & Amy Verdun, 2022. "An Introduction: “Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and Domestic Politics: Policy Coordination in the EU from the European Semester to the Covid‐19 Crisis”," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 3-20, January.
    7. Marjoleine Hennis, 2022. "Par le Haut Ou Par les Pays‐Bas? French and Dutch Approaches to European Social Policy Coordination Compared," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 136-151, January.
    8. Giuseppe Celi & Dario Guarascio & Annamaria Simonazzi, 2020. "A fragile and divided European Union meets Covid-19: further disintegration or ‘Hamiltonian moment’?," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 47(3), pages 411-424, September.
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    2. Muireann O'Dwyer, 2022. "Gender and Crises in European Economic Governance: Is this Time Different?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 152-169, January.
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    4. David Bokhorst, 2022. "The Influence of the European Semester: Case Study Analysis and Lessons for its Post‐Pandemic Transformation," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 101-117, January.
    5. Annette Bongardt & Francisco Torres, 2022. "The European Green Deal: More than an Exit Strategy to the Pandemic Crisis, a Building Block of a Sustainable European Economic Model," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 170-185, January.
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    7. Camilla Mariotto, 2022. "The Implementation of Economic Rules: From the Stability and Growth Pact to the European Semester," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 40-57, January.
    8. Valerie D'Erman & Amy Verdun, 2022. "An Introduction: “Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and Domestic Politics: Policy Coordination in the EU from the European Semester to the Covid‐19 Crisis”," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 3-20, January.
    9. Albert Sanghoon Park, 2023. "Building resilience knowledge for sustainable development: Insights from development studies," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-33, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Manuele Citi & Caroline de la Porte, 2022. "NGEU and Vaccines Strategy in the Wake of the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Outgrowing the Regulatory State," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(S1), pages 101-113, September.

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