The idea that the European Union must win the global economic 'race' has become a growing obsession among politicians and policymakers. The financial and Eurozone crises have only served to reinforce the message that the EU's 'generous' welfare states must either 'sink or swim' on their ability to compete in the global economy. This logic has culminated in recent talks with the US aimed at establishing a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).



But are such methods really a viable strategy for the EU? In Taking Control?, Ferdi De Ville and Gabriel Siles-Brugge argue that the EU's fixation with 'trading itself to the top' through external trade liberalisation is both deeply misguided and potentially self-destructive. Breaking the stranglehold of technocrats on discussions of trade policy, this accessible and incisive account offers an alternative vision of Europe's place in the world economy, arguing that we need more rather than less state intervention if we are to develop stable, sustainable and prosperous economies.