Call for Papers

Call for papers for workshop: 

The Economic Adjustment Programmes and their Alternatives: Exploring the Impact of Austerity on Southern Europe, which will take place on 2 May at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. 

Please submit a paper proposal (maximum 500 words), a biographical note and contact details (email and university address) by 9 March 2014 to Dr Eleni Xiarchogiannopoulou at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Institute for European Studies – Université Libre de Bruxelles

1. The workshop agenda

Domestic adjustment in response to EU policy commitments has preoccupied both academics and policymakers for decades. Recently, this discussion has been particularly intense within the context of the Economic Adjustment Programmes (EAP) that have been introduced to some Eurozone member-states since 2009. Indeed, spending cuts and sweeping reforms at the structure of the economy, the welfare state and public administration constitute the mix of neo-liberal policies of the EAPs. At the same time, and despite the harsh conditionality, the EAPs have not generated the expected economic and structural reforms and outcomes. The aim of the workshop is to analyse the domestic impact of the EU/IMF/ECB imposed EAPs, to showcase their socio-economic implications and to suggest alternative policy solutions that could overcome their limitations. Despite the wide interest in and the various discussions about the programmes, little research has been conducted in order to assess their actual impact domestically on a comparative basis. The workshop will pay particular attention to neo-liberalism as the driving force of the EU policymaking and the logic that underpins the EAPs and to progressive reforms as the potential policy solutions.

2. Call for papers

The workshop welcomes original contributions aimed at answering the following questions:

·   What are the characteristics, the possible merits and limitations of the EAPs? What could the policy alternatives be?

·    How the EAPs have affected the EU itself and its relationship with its member-states?

·    What domestic factors affect the member-states adjustment process?

Ideally, the workshop invites participants to integrate to their analysis both theoretical elements and empirical findings on the impact of the EPAs. Theworkshop will embrace diverse approaches and variables, such as institutions, political/policy actors and policy ideas.

3. Considered themes

Research Theme I: the context, content, characteristics and limitations of the EPA’s.

Research Theme II: the domestic impact of the EPAs.

Research Theme III: the broader implications of austerity and harsh conditionality for the EU and the member states. Particular attention will be paid on democratic quality and the possible solutions that could help end the crisis.

4. Submission process and deadlines

Please submit a paper proposal (maximum 500 words), a biographical note and contact details (email and university address) by 9 March 2014 to Dr Eleni Xiarchogiannopoulou at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Authors will be notified of the acceptance/rejection of their papers by 16 March, once the review process is completed. The review of the paper proposals will be conducted in cooperation with the members of the Greek Politics Specialist Group. The selected participants will be invited to send a complete draft version of their papers (between 4.000 and 8.000 words) by 20 April 2014 the latest.