SPP Associate Professor Martin Kahanec and co-editor Klaus F. Zimmermann address some of the most controversial topics related to EU migration today in their latest volume Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession. "In this book, we look at how the eastern enlargements of the EU in 2004, 2007, and 2013 have affected the EU's ability to weather economic shocks and their impact on national labor markets and welfare systems. We look also at whether these enlargements have contributed to the stability of the EU, but also the monetary union," explained Kahanec.
Kahanec and Zimmermann investigate the economic impacts of post-enlargement migration in the EU through the lens of the current economic crisis. Some lines of research in the book include the political implications of migration within the EU, redistributive impacts, and the nationalization of the enlargement agenda. The co-editors also include policy recommendations for mobility in an enlarged EU. "Labor mobility within the EU positively affects its ability to cope with economic challenges in a globalized world, and as such is a key economic and political pillar as well as a precondition for its long-run viability," said Kahanec. "It is of great importance to better understand the role of labor mobility in the EU, based on salient evidence, and communicate key messages to stakeholders and the general public."