The European Central Bank (ECB) is an important institute of the European Union that has been perceived as becoming more political. To analyze this, this paper looks at the concept of...Show moreThe European Central Bank (ECB) is an important institute of the European Union that has been perceived as becoming more political. To analyze this, this paper looks at the concept of politicization and how it can be related to the European Central Bank in the period from 2003 to 2019. In this research there will be a focus on institutional politicization, meaning that it will look at institutional aspects of the ECB itself to see if they are politicized. To measure the relevance of politicization within this case study, four dimensions will be looked into: (1) the voting behavior, on recommendations for candidates for the ECB executive board, of the European parliament; (2) the questionnaires that the three candidates for ECB president received from the European parliament; (3) the communication strategy of the ECB; and (4) the centralization within the ECB. The findings suggest that the dimensions demonstrate potentially politicized aspects.Show less
The ratification of the Paris Agreement by the European Union has determined its trajectory and set in motion the green transition of the European economy. Even though the European climate...Show moreThe ratification of the Paris Agreement by the European Union has determined its trajectory and set in motion the green transition of the European economy. Even though the European climate ambitions seem political of nature, the European Central Bank has recently shown its willingness to support the Union’s climate ambitions within its institutional capacity. European policy research organisations put forward new ideas on greening policy instruments, which also touch upon other institutional characteristics of the ECB. However, the monetary authority is de jure independent of exogenous actors in determining its policies and strategy. Recently though, under Lagarde's presidency, the ECB has for the first time opened up to ideas from civil society, think tanks and academia when defining its new long-term "green" strategy. While the new strategy is still on the drawing board, theories from discursive institutionalism assert that ideas resonate the ECB’s communication strategy, through discourse. When juxtaposing and comparing the results from two qualitative research methods, the study concluded that specific, programmatic ideas are not significantly represented in the ECB's discourse. Instead, more a general and normative ideational shift has taken place where a stronger and more decisive change in tone has become visible in the ECB’s discourse on its green strategy that can rather be explained by other exogenous events and factors.Show less
This thesis offers a qualitative approach to understanding the interactions between the European Parliament (EP) and the European Central Bank (ECB). The European Parliament supervises the ECB...Show moreThis thesis offers a qualitative approach to understanding the interactions between the European Parliament (EP) and the European Central Bank (ECB). The European Parliament supervises the ECB through the Banking Dialogue and the Monetary Dialogue. By doing this, the EP actively seeks to demand accountability from the ECB. The extent to which the EP does this is examined in this work. An interactionist qualitative model is used to analyse 10 hearings (1,5-3 hours) between April 2018 and June 2019. It is found that althought the European Parliament is restrained in its possibilities to demand accountability, members of the EP make effective use of the tools they have: they engage in informed and targeted dialogue, and demand accountability through scrutiny and justification requests.Show less
This thesis analyses the behaviour of the European Central Bank during the sovereign debt crisis. It argues that the ECB deviated in some key aspects from the expected behaviour of central banks,...Show moreThis thesis analyses the behaviour of the European Central Bank during the sovereign debt crisis. It argues that the ECB deviated in some key aspects from the expected behaviour of central banks, in particular in its role as a lender of last resort.Show less
This thesis contains comparative analyses between deflation in Japan in the 1990s and the current disinflation/deflation in the European Union in the period 2008-2014. This thesis will especially...Show moreThis thesis contains comparative analyses between deflation in Japan in the 1990s and the current disinflation/deflation in the European Union in the period 2008-2014. This thesis will especially focus on the role of financial authorities in both Japan and the EU, and the measures they have taken to attack the issue of deflation. A light will be shed on the definition of deflation and on the debate on the causes, consequences and approaches on deflation in both Japan as well as the EU. Also a closer look will be taken on why several measures, taken by the financial authorities worked or did not work, especially on the areas of internal price-stability to raise public demand, and on the area of currency-appreciation to boost external demand.Show less
