https://hdl.handle.net/10419/59068 2026-10-30T20:47:45Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336777 Title: Poverty relief policies in pre- and post-transformation Poland: A Polanyian perspective Authors: Lüpnitz, Jonas Abstract: This working paper investigates the tension between market forces and welfare policies by applying Karl Polanyi's "double movement" study to pre- and posttransformation Poland. The analysis aims at providing a comprehensive perspective on how poverty relief policies impacted and have been impacted by social, economic and political changes. Under socialism, the centralised welfare system promoted egalitarianism but failed to efficiently alleviate poverty. Solidarno´s´c, acting as a Polanyian countermovement, turned against the lack of adequate welfare policies. After the transition to capitalism the neoliberal shock therapy with its subsequent retrenchment increased inequality and, hence, poverty remained a substantial issue. Strikes and the electoral success of right-wing populism are analysed as a Polanyian countermovement advocating stronger social protection. The findings highlight how Polish history has been affected by a close interaction between Polanyian counter movements and expanding market forces that were not adequately met by poverty relief policies. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336779 Title: EU integration after the Liberal International Order Authors: Hansen, Olle Abstract: The European Union (EU) emerged as a product and beneficiary of the Liberal International Order (LIO). Yet, as this order disintegrates, marked by multipolarity, thin multilateralism, and the return of power politics, the EU has taken unprecedented integrative steps, including joint debt issuance and development of industrial policy. Therefore, this paper asks how the shifting world order changes the logic of EU integration. Using a comparative discourse analysis of the EU's 2003 European Security Strategy, 2016 Global Strategy, and 2022 Strategic Compass, it traces how the logic of integration has shifted from being market-driven to being sovereignty-centred. The findings show that the order structure present during the EU's market-driven integration is no longer stable, prompting it to turn towards sovereignty-centred integration to respond to the disintegrating LIO. In doing so, this paper bridges mainstream integration theory with order theory, showing that not just internal dynamics but also order structure need to be accounted for to understand the logic of integration. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/340185 Title: The garment sector and the pandemic: Understanding the impact on workers in India Authors: Noronha, Ernesto; D'Cruz, Premilla; Shukla, Anurag Abstract: The global garment supply chain, which consists of a complex network of manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and workers located across nations was severely impacted by the pandemic. It encountered a demand shock, as cancellations of orders and decreased consumer spending resulted in substantial revenue losses. Given this, we were interested in understanding the effectiveness of the state mediated economy (SME) model where the state's capacity to intervene and support the economy is crucial. We found that the state in case of the garment sector did not infuse funds to support the suppliers in the garment GVC during the COVID-19 pandemic. This had far-reaching effects on employment, wage security, and workers' rights. In fact, the state reinforced the preservation of a low-wage regime through the non-enforcement of its own advisories. The sudden loss of jobs and income, along with severe restrictions on mobility due to the lockdown, plunged workers into an unprecedented crisis. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/341097 Title: Mitigating through the market: The EU's emissions trading system Authors: Aryee-Boi, Nii Lantey Malik; Hauck, Isabella; Noisten, Anna Lotta; Weinhold, Maurice Abstract: The European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) is an example of market-based environmental governance. While it has delivered measurable emission reductions in covered sectors, especially after major post-2013 reforms, its fairness, legitimacy, and transformative capacity remain contested. Therefore, this paper asks to what extent the EU ETS has contributed to emission reductions in the EU and what limitations emerge when it is assessed from a social-ecological economics (SEE) perspective. Using a qualitative, literature-based approach, it combines empirical studies on environmental and economic impacts of the ETS with a comparative theoretical framework that contrasts neoclassical environmental economics with SEE. The analysis shows that, on neoclassical terms, the ETS qualifies as a relatively efficient and adaptive carbon market, achieving targeted abatements at limited aggregate costs. However, when evaluated against broader criteria of ecological adequacy, distributional justice, governance and power, transformation potential and precaution, the system's marketcentred architecture commodifies atmospheric capacity, leaves the scale of socioeconomic metabolism and growth dependence largely untouched, and only partially addresses inequalities through ex post correction. In doing so, the paper bridges mainstream carbon pricing debates with SEE, arguing that emissions trading can support mitigation but must be subordinated to more far-reaching strategies of regulation, sufficiency, and socio-ecological provisioning if the EU is to align climate policy with planetary boundaries and social justice. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z