Constitutional Change and the Rise of Fiscal Discipline in Europe

Full presentation Title: Constitutional Change and the Rise of Fiscal Discipline in Europe: Ripple Effects on Fundamental Social Rights In March 2025, the ReArm Europe plan brought EU fiscal discipline and rules back into the spotlight of EU policymaking. In her address to the IIEA, Dr Kotsoni explores how, following the eurozone crisis, several EU Member States adopted constitutional fiscal rules – both formally and, as she will argue, informally. In her presentation, Dr Kotsoni examines how the constitutionalisation of fiscal rules has had lasting effects beyond the eurozone crisis and reflects upon its ongoing limiting impact on fundamental social rights in Europe. About the Speaker: Dr Maria Kotsoni is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Princeton University. Her research focuses on the protection of social rights at constitutional, European, and international levels. Maria obtained her PhD from the European University Institute and is a consultant to the Council of Europe’s Department of Social Rights.