The European Union (EU) has often been accused of displaying a neoliberal bias. In the new phase of positive integration, this academic debate has primarily focused on the substantive ideological...Show moreThe European Union (EU) has often been accused of displaying a neoliberal bias. In the new phase of positive integration, this academic debate has primarily focused on the substantive ideological orientation of European policies within the framework of European economic governance. In this regard, some scholars have argued that, based on the intricacies of its practical operation, the process of implementation can have a considerable effect on the final ideological orientation of these EU policies. This thesis aims to build on the existing debate by focusing on the role played by the European Commission in managing the implementation of these EU policies through the so-called Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs). For this purpose, this thesis carries out a qualitative and contextualised in-depth analysis of the process of implementation by conducting a single case study that focuses on employment-related CSRs issued to Spain during the period 2005-2014. The aim is to find patterns in the ideological orientation of CSRs issued by the European Commission that could reveal the existence of a neoliberal bias in European economic governance.Show less
