Europe's Crisis of Legitimacy - Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone

This volume examines the interrelationship between democratic legitimacy at the European level and the ongoing Eurozone crisis that began in 2010.

Europe's crisis of legitimacy stems from 'governing by rules and ruling by numbers' in the sovereign debt crisis, which played havoc with the eurozone economy while fueling political discontent. Using the lens of democratic theory, the book assesses the legitimacy of EU governing activities first in terms of their procedural quality ('throughput),' by charting EU actors' different pathways to legitimacy, and then evaluates their policy effectiveness ('output') and political responsiveness ('input'). In addition to an engaging and distinctive analysis of Eurozone crisis governance and its impact on democratic legitimacy, the book offers a number of theoretical insights into the broader question of the functioning of the EU and supranational governance more generally. It concludes with proposals for how to remedy the EU's problems of legitimacy, reinvigorate its national democracies, and rethink its future.

1: Introduction: Europe's Crisis of Legitimacy
PART I Conceptualizing Legitimacy in the EU
2: Conceptualizing Legitimacy: Input, Output, and Throughput
3: Split-Level Legitimacy and Politicization in EU Governance
PART II Throughput Legitimacy in the Eurozone Crisis
4: Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone Crisis
5: Council Governance: 'Dictatorship' or 'Deliberative Body'?
6: European Central Bank Governance: ' Hero' or 'Ogre'?
7: Commission Governance: 'Ayatollahs of Austerity' or 'Ministers of Moderation'
8: European Parliament Governance: From 'Talking Shop' to 'Equal Partner'?
PART III Output and Input Legitimacy in the Eurozone Crisis
9: Policy Effectiveness and Performance in the Eurozone Crisis
10: National 'Politics against Policy' in the Eurozone Crisis
Conclusion: How to (Re) Envision Eurozone Governance: Beyond Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers