Boeotians, Achaeans and Europeans. Can we learn from the ancient Greek federal experience?

Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros and Kyriazis, Nicholas (2019): Boeotians, Achaeans and Europeans. Can we learn from the ancient Greek federal experience?

Abstract

In this paper we analyze in brief how two ancient Greek federations, the Boeotoian and the Achaean ones took decisions on two crucial issues that relate the balance of power between city-states- members within the federation and defense policy. We analyze why the Boeotoian Federation followed a wrong grand strategy whereas the Achaean one implemented a prudent strategy regarding the issue of federal principles. Lastly, we compare our findings with a series of decisions that were taken in the last years by the today’s European Union (EU) policy-makers, and we relate them to the issues of “mismanagement” of “solidarity” of economic policies among member-states and democratic decision-making.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Ancient Greek federalism, European Union, solidarity, democratic deficit in decision making
• Subjects: H - Public Economics > H1 - Structure and Scope of Government > H12 - Crisis Management; H - Public Economics > H5 - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies > H56 - National Security and War; N - Economic History > N4 - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation > N43 - Europe: Pre-1913

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