Between failure and success of the integration process: explaining the policy impact (the case of the fiscal and energy unions)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to explain why the EU integration efforts have different outcomes in times of crisis with regards to impact on key stakeholders. Besides traditional political theories of European integration, authors suggest to take into account the importance of behavioural intentions and stimuli to adhere to the reforms agenda. The research results presented in this article explain two recent deep EU crises: energy crisis and fiscal crisis, which evolved simultaneously, but resulted in different integration projects within the same political and institutional background. Authors analysed Eurobarometer public opinion surveys together with empirical data on the impact on stakeholders, based on available indicators in Eurostat. Authors found that the key for a policy to succeed in targeting agents’ and groups’ behaviour is its direct ties with stakeholders’ motivation which can be done only at market level. Thus, policy shift in integration areas should be reinforced by direct and clear market solutions and corrective mechanisms avoiding politically-relevant targets.