Institutions running after economic growth : The challenge of a Common Industrial Policy at the dawn of a new Industrial Revolution

Abstract: The fact that the precursor of the European Union came into existence just after the Second World War, in a time of reconstruction and major structural change, hasn’t been a chance. The European integration developed in fact on an institutional agreements in order to fully implement the Second Industrial Revolution in the European system. An efficient and cohesive European market has been the pragmatic reason to implement European common rules in order to capture the possible profits form a latent economic growth. Consequentially part of the EU’s legitimacy relies on economic growth. In my thesis I will analyse the interrelation between economic growth and institution-building so as to explain the current unstable situation that the European Union is undergoing. Once clarified the basis of my thinking I will focus on the industrial policy outlined by the Commission to understand if the Union is able to make relevant steps towards economic growth in its actual institutional framework.