International institutions and the power of the EU

How has it been affected by the financial crisis?

Thèse de Master , 2011 , 63 Pages , Note: 1,7

Politique - Sujet: Union européenne

„Power is shifting at the global level but it is doing so unevenly across different dimensions.“ The statement of Giovanni Grevi describes the phenomenon of power shift. Such shifts happened multiple times throughout history. But they do not occur frequently and are often connected with use of force. At present there is a power shift from the western industrialized states, e.g. from member states of the European Union (EU), to Asian states, in particular China. This shift builds on the fast economic growth of the emerging countries. Yet, in spite of this growth, it is disputed to what extent the rise of these economies already transcended into power and how it will develop in the future.

The recent global financial and economic crisis was the worst one in post World War II history, because it led to an economic downturn with unprecedented global depth. The crisis emerged in the United States (US) and then spread to the EU and as well to other countries. It led to steeply rising public debt levels in western industrialized states. Many scholars, like Giovanni Grevi and Roger C. Altman, are of the opinion that the crisis accelerated the recent shift of power. During this course of time, states like China or India extended their participation within global economic governance foras, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the G20. This raises the question how the power of the European Union within these international institutions was affected by the crisis? The purpose of this thesis is to research this question.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Purpose of this thesis
• Structure of the thesis and state of research
• Conceptual and theoretical framework
• The notion of power
• Power concepts of the European Union as an international actor
• Institutions in international relations theory
• Concluding remarks on the conceptual and theoretical framework
• The global financial and economic crisis and the reactions of the European Union
• The power of the European Union in the International Monetary Fund and the G20 during the global financial and economic crisis
• The International Monetary Fund
• The function and quota structure of the International Monetary Fund
• Development up to and during the global financial and economic crisis
• The power of the European Union before and after the crisis
• The G20
• The structure and function of the G20
• Development during the global financial and economic crisis
• The power of the European Union before and after the crisis
• Conclusion: How did the crisis affect the Unions' power in international institutions like the IMF and the G20?

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on the power of the European Union within international institutions. It aims to understand how the crisis affected the EU's influence in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the G20. The key themes explored in this work include:

• Power shift in international relations
• The role of international institutions in managing global crises
• The influence of economic power on political influence
• The impact of the global financial and economic crisis on the EU's position in the IMF and the G20
• The EU's strategies for maintaining its power in a changing global order

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The first chapter introduces the thesis's purpose, structure, and research context. It describes the global power shift and explores the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on this shift. The second chapter delves into the theoretical framework, defining power and examining its application to the EU's international role. It analyzes different power concepts related to the EU, highlighting the importance of international institutions. The chapter also explores institutionalism in international relations theory, focusing on neorealism and neoliberal institutionalism. The third chapter examines the global financial and economic crisis and its implications for the EU. This section analyzes the EU's response to the crisis, laying the foundation for investigating its power within international institutions. The fourth chapter investigates the EU's power within the IMF and the G20. It examines the structure, function, and development of these institutions during the crisis, assessing the EU's influence before and after the crisis.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis explores key themes such as power shift, international institutions, global financial and economic crisis, European Union, IMF, G20, and economic governance. It examines the impact of the crisis on the EU's power and its strategies for maintaining influence in a changing global order.

• Université: University of Bonn
• Note: 1,7
• Auteur: Jan-David Blaese (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2011
• Pages: 63
• N° de catalogue: V194955
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656202905
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656206828
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Internationale Politik, Europäische Union, Power Shift, Finanzkrise, Macht