The Politicization of Core-Periphery Relations in the EU

In this paper we deal with the questions of why and when we can expect change
in the politicization of core-periphery relations within the EU and with what
consequences for integration. Our approach to the “why” question relies on
comparative federalism, whereas our approach to the “when” question relies on
the political economy of growth models. Our discussion of the consequences of
the politicization of core-periphery relations combines these two approaches. We
argue that the confederal EU polity contributes to the production of divisions
among member states at different levels of development. The room for
politicizing inequalities in integration varies among the different peripheral
growth models and so do patterns of economic dependence. The greatest
opportunity for transforming core-periphery relations in the EU could come from
a symmetric crisis that would bring economic troubles to the core and both the
Eastern and Southern peripheries simultaneously. The EU’s confederal polity is a
key constraint against making a lasting commitment to mutualizing the
developmental externalities of integration.