For over half a century, European Union has been a promising endeavor of cooperative institutionalism. It has shown that even nation states with a long history of conflict are capable of collaborating with one another to serve their own interests. However, the EU project has also made visible that there is no one-size-fits-all policy in economics that can be applied to all countries with success. Economics starts and ends with the society. Common culture determines the outcomes of economic policies, and ordinary people pick up the bill when policies turn out to be failures.
This book presents two different tales of the European Union to provide an empirical challenge to oversimplified assumptions behind the neoliberal orthodoxy in policymaking: Favorable experience of the EU-candidate Turkey, and the regrettable venture of the EU-member Greece. The fact that these two neighboring countries with similar cultures have had vastly different experiences with the European Union suggests that the EU functions as a catalyst of change in the countries that associate with it, but this impact could be negative as well as positive depending on the role the EU plays. Political economist B¼lent Temel presents a lucid analysis of the Turkish and Greek encounters with the EUâ"based on contributions from a diverse range of social sciences; economics, game theory, finance, political science and sociology.
Industry Reviews
Through detailed and systematic analysis of two markets on the margins, this book highlights the failures and oversights of the Eurozone leadership, and offers policy-relevant insight into how to move forward. The essays go beyond the standard analysis of the Euro straitjacket, and offer an insightful and eclectic understanding of the political, economic, ideological and social consequences of EU membership. -- Robert Gulotty, Stanford University
Tackling the issue of national sovereignty frontally, The Great Catalyst is an excellent collection of essays that throw light on the behavior of Greece and Turkey, and their constraints and opportunities. It rightly reminds that the ways by which Greece will solve her problems and the European Union will deal with Turkey's candidacy will have a significant impact on the EU, as well. -- Gianfranco Pasquino, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
This book is informative, cogently organized, and truly comparative. The authors present objective and even-handed analyses of the contrasting experiences of Greece and Turkey regarding their relations with the European Union. -- Sabri Sayari, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Bahcesehir University
The story of Greek membership in the EU and in the Euro-zone as well as Turkey's pending membership is an excellent example of the dual nature of the European project. This publication explores the great promise of European integration and the difficulties of Greece as a member state as well as Turkey as a candidate country to live up to the Copenhagen criteria and the acquis communautaire on a long term sustainable basis. -- Dieter Dettke, Center for Security Studies, Georgetown University
The European Union has had a powerful impact on Greece and Turkey - both good and bad. The challenge is to get a clear measure of the net effect. Bulent Temel and his colleagues offer a unique collection of insights on Europe's impact. Anyone interested in understanding the transformative power of European integration will want to consult this book. -- Erik Jones, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
The Great Catalyst is a great collection of essays about the EU's role in Greece and Turkey. The multidisciplinary scope of this volume offers the reader a very informative overview of the recent developments in the two countries. -- Spyros Kosmidis, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
Drawing upon multidimensional research on the experiences of Greece and Turkey, The Great Catalyst offers valuable analyses and insightful lessons for both the EU's current and prospective members as well as for the progressive improvement of the EU's institutional design and policies to overcome the current Eurocrisis. -- Dimitris Xenakis, Department of Political Science, University of Crete
