Since the mid-1980s German collective bargaining coverage of employees has continuously declined. Current explanations attribute this decline to structural changes in the German economy, but...Show moreSince the mid-1980s German collective bargaining coverage of employees has continuously declined. Current explanations attribute this decline to structural changes in the German economy, but structural factors by themselves fail to explain why coverage has increased in other European Coordinated Market Economies during the same period. The resulting divergence in coverage can instead be attributed to differences in employer support for the use of statutory mechanisms to shore up collective bargaining. As shown here, German employers have, in contrast to employers elsewhere, continuously opposed such measures. Based on a set of semi-structured elite interviews and case studies, I analyse what explains this opposition. This thesis shows that German employer associations oppose a frequent use of statutory extension by default based on 1) a strong normative aversion to state intervention, 2) a normative appreciation of wage competition, and 3) the believe that statutory extension can itself undermine coverage. Furthermore, I demonstrate that when there are highly salient problems in a sector which employers believe can be remedied by statutory extension sectoral employers can overcome the German default position and use extensions however only to an extent that is perceived as strictly necessary.Show less
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
Since its accession to the European Union in 2004, but especially since 2010, emigration rates from Hungary have significantly increased. Migration patterns have shifted; young, highly skilled...Show moreSince its accession to the European Union in 2004, but especially since 2010, emigration rates from Hungary have significantly increased. Migration patterns have shifted; young, highly skilled professionals are most likely to migrate and they are increasingly leaving the country with no intention to return. This leads to severe shortages in the Hungarian labour market in several sectors, such as academia, IT, tourism, and in particular healthcare. Studies on the ‘brain drain’ have been mainly concerned with the effects of the phenomenon on receiving and sending countries, whereas research focused little on the determinants of migration and solutions to controlling the human capital flow. Opposition parties, the media and several sectors are putting pressure on the government to act and scholars have highlighted the role states can play in influencing the ‘brain drain’ (Vas-Zoltán, 1976; De Haas, 2011). The government approach is contradictory and at times controversial. This thesis studies the approach of the Hungarian government to the ‘brain drain’ based on attitude demonstrated as well as policies pursued and whether it addresses the causes of migration.Show less
This thesis researches the views of Dutch politicians on the effects of the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure (MIP) on social economic policy in the Netherlands. This research reveals the...Show moreThis thesis researches the views of Dutch politicians on the effects of the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure (MIP) on social economic policy in the Netherlands. This research reveals the discrepancy between national opinions of Dutch politicians on the MIP and the outcome on the European level. Hence it illustrates the poorly organised democratic process of discussing European legislative proposals in the Dutch House of Representatives and thereby contributes to the discussion about the democratic deficit in the EU.Show less
A unified party for the working class or communist isolation? The changing attitude of the Dutch Communist (CON) towards cooperation with social democrats after World War II (1945-1950)
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
