ifo Schnelldienst 02/2021: Recovery Plan

Coronavirus Recovery Plan: Test of Cohesion in the EU?

The coronavirus pandemic is leaving deep marks on the economy and society. In view of the economic recession, the EU has launched the largest aid program in its history. The NextGenerationEU package – a EUR 750 billion fund – aims to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis and support economic recovery. The initiative includes grants and credit facilities for member states financed by EU bonds. Can the program stabilize the economies of EU countries and strengthen social cohesion within the EU? Or does it undermine the financial discipline of EU countries and create the conditions for a transfer union? What opportunities and risks for Europe’s future lie in the Recovery Plan for Europe?

With contributions from:

• Florian Dorn and Clemens Fuest, NextGenerationEU: Is There an Economic Rationale?
• Friedrich Heinemann, NextGenerationEU: EUR 750 Billion in Search of Meaning
• Margit Schratzenstaller, Coronavirus Recovery Plan – Great Potential for Strengthening Cohesion in the EU
• Michael Thöne, NextGenerationEU – the First of Many Steps Has Been Taken
• Peter Becker, NextGenerationEU – Efficient Implementation as a Catalyst for Integration Policy
• Christian Waldhoff and Christian Neumeier, Compromise with Poland and Hungary: Leveraging the Rule-of-Law Mechanism?
• Katarina Barley, A Valuable Victory for the Rule of Law
• Daniel Freund, Corruption Plunges Europe’s Rule of Law into Crisis – How Can the EU Tackle It?