EU economic governance in member states: Policies and practices from the perspective of gender and democracy

The Academy of Finland Research Fellow project EU economic governance in member states: Policies and practices from the perspective of gender and democracy (GENEG) provides a critical analysis of the impacts of European Union economic governance on gender equality and democracy in member states. Focusing on the most important tool of EU economic governance, the European Semester, the five-year project aims at shedding new light on its policies and practices in member states. GENEG is based on the premise that democracy and gender are important yet under-researched perspectives in scrutinizing the national implementation of the new governance arrangements.

GENEG compares three country cases (Finland, Austria, and Ireland), and provides a longitudinal analysis that extends from the inception of the European Semester to the COVID-19 crisis. The research data consists of policy documents, interviews, and ethnographic data.

GENEG advances research on EU integration and EU economic governance through three objectives. Firstly, it develops an overarching theoretical and methodological framework for studying economic governance from the perspective of gender and democracy. Secondly, it reveals differences and similarities between member states and interlinkages between the policies and practices of EU economic governance. Thirdly, it maps the possibilities and challenges for progressive transformation and increases the understanding of EU economic governance among national gender equality actors.

GENEG’s results help to integrate gender perspective in the European Semester and make it more democratic. It facilitates public debate about the European Semester and EU economic governance and enhance policy-makers’ and stakeholders’ ability to integrate a gender perspective in the Semester.