Crossing Crises: Assessing the Mutual Impact of the Euro and the Schengen Crises

The author argues that the Euro and Schengen crises create opposing dependencies between the EU's centre and periphery. While the Euro crisis increased the centre's dominance by making the periphery dependent on financial support and austerity, the Schengen crisis makes the centre dependent on the periphery to manage external borders and migration. Rather than destroying the EU, these overlapping crises are likely to result in a more integrated core and an expanded, graduated periphery.

• The management of the Euro crisis shifted the balance of power toward the EU centre, as the centre reduced its dependency on the periphery while the periphery became more indebted and dependent on support. This created a one-sided relationship where the affluent centre dominates monetary affairs.
• In contrast to the Euro crisis, the Schengen crisis reveals a strong dependency of the EU centre on the periphery, as the centre relies on peripheral states to control the outer borders and manage the influx of refugees.
• The Schengen crisis is driven by national interests and zero-sum conflicts, making a solidary Pan-European solution difficult. This has allowed right-wing populist forces to advocate for the return of national borders.
• The author concludes that the mutual impact of these crises will not demolish the EU but will instead lead to a geopolitical structure of 'concentric circles,' characterized by closer integration at the centre and a broader, multi-graduated periphery.

APA

Vobruba, G. (2016). Crossing Crises: Assessing the Mutual Impact of the Euro and the Schengen Crises. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/crossing-crises-assessing-the-mutual-impact-of-the-euro-and-the-schengen-crises/

Chicago

Vobruba, Georg. Crossing Crises: Assessing the Mutual Impact of the Euro and the Schengen Crises. Green European Journal, 2016. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/crossing-crises-assessing-the-mutual-impact-of-the-euro-and-the-schengen-crises/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vobruba |first1=Georg |title=Crossing Crises: Assessing the Mutual Impact of the Euro and the Schengen Crises |publisher=Green European Journal |date=3 August 2016 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/crossing-crises-assessing-the-mutual-impact-of-the-euro-and-the-schengen-crises/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vobruba2016crossing, author = {Vobruba, Georg}, title = {{Crossing Crises: Assessing the Mutual Impact of the Euro and the Schengen Crises}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/crossing-crises-assessing-the-mutual-impact-of-the-euro-and-the-schengen-crises/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }