Varieties of Capitalism and the Political Economy of Differentiated Integration in Europe

In this forward-thinking book, Rafał Riedel and Jakub Anusik explore the dynamics and determinants of one of the most salient issues facing contemporary Europe: differentiated integration. Going beyond static models of differentiated integration in Europe built on legal-institutional criteria, Riedel and Anusik capture the dynamism of the system by employing both a political economy perspective and the varieties of capitalism framework.

Comparative in approach, the book brings together a wide range of scholarship on differentiated integration and varieties of capitalism to explore the diversities across Germany, Poland, Switzerland and the UK. Riedel and Anusik explain the correlations and causality between the level, scope, and depth of differentiation in the European integration process, as well as the socio-economic parameters that define the varieties of capitalism in specific EU Member States. Ultimately, they find that these inter-dependencies are dynamic and reveal a wealth of interesting features, especially in the post-Brexit era.

Interdisciplinary in scope, this book is an essential read for students and scholars of political economy, European politics and policy, international relations, and evolutionary economics. A deep dive into the variety and complexity of differentiation in European integration, it is also of value to policymakers across Europe working in integration.