Bruised but not beaten: the persistence of austerity in Europe

Abstract

State responses to the global financial and European sovereign debt crisis have been dominated by a paradigm of austerity. This paradigm has called for the reduction of public expenditure on the basis that recent economic crises were caused by excessive public spending and debt. In contrast to explanations of austerity’s persistence that focus on the role of powerful actors or institutions, this article will highlight the role of discourse and argumentation. To do so, the article presents a political claims analysis of public debates on austerity in the mass media in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland between 2010 and 2013. In doing so, the article contributes to broader discussions on the resilience of neoliberalism since the global financial and European sovereign debt crises by calling for a greater appreciation of the variegated nature of austerity’s application in different national contexts.