Austerity measures have formed the basis of the European policy response to the economic crisis. The very concept of “austerity” has at the same time also fundamentally transformed the way we think about law, rights, and politics in contemporary Europe. Yet how do austerity and the law interrelate within the EU--and elsewhere? Austerity and Law in Europe presents a collection of thought-provoking essays that set out to challenge traditional narratives and critiques of austerity by exposing its historical contingency and recasting austerity as a political rationality with simultaneous links to both liberalism and expert governance. Featuring interdisciplinary contributions from experts in European law, economic history, legal theory, and more, essays show how the path of austerity in Europe was not taken as an outcome of legal or economic necessity--it was in fact a political choice. The collection also makes clear that Europe is not left without alternatives. Essays serve as a clarion call to lawyers, political scientists, and economists to further explore alternatives to extreme budgetary austerity while appreciating the pluralist nature of EU treaties, the shielding role of social rights in the European legal orders, and political avenues for democratic contestation of both theory and practices of austerity. Austerity and Law in Europe offers illuminating insights into one of the most contentious and polarizing issues of contemporary Europe.
