Abstract
Over the years of repeated crises, a system of re-insurance for EU member states has evolved, providing a secondary safety net when disaster strikes. This is an alternative to fiscal centralisation. Re-insurance of member states qualifies the asymmetry hypothesis: positive and negative integration is not a complete distinction. The blockage that according to the asymmetry theorem favours negative integration here becomes a driver of positive integration when facing the threat of financial panic. Market pre-empting integration means that policy-makers, aware of their differences, agree on mutual protection that preserves their differences.
To cite this article:
Schelkle, W. (2025). The emerging system of re-insurance in the EU: beyond negative and positive integration. Journal of European Public Policy, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2025.2508778