During the European debt crisis it became clear that the European fiscal framework needed to be reformed. Part of this reform process was the Fiscal Compact, which required the signatory states to...Show moreDuring the European debt crisis it became clear that the European fiscal framework needed to be reformed. Part of this reform process was the Fiscal Compact, which required the signatory states to adopt a balanced budget rule in their domestic legislation ‘preferably’ on constitutional level. The Fiscal Compact thus required change and reform of the domestic fiscal frameworks. However, the degree of change of the domestic fiscal frameworks in the various Member States is very different. This thesis tried to explain why this is the case. Firstly, this thesis determined the degree of change in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands by comparing the domestic fiscal frameworks of these countries before the crisis to the domestic fiscal frameworks after the introduction of the Fiscal Compact. Secondly, this thesis tried to explain the variety in the degree of change in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, by using concepts from Europeanization theory and Historical Institutionalism, such as the ‘degree of misfit’, veto-players and other mediating factors.Show less
