Recentralisation in the shadow of EU integration? The implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in decentralised member states

Abstract

Presenters: Marie Thérèse Wilhelm (UPF) and Joan Miró (UPF) Abstract: Research on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) has examined the changes in authority patterns that the new instrument implies for EU socioeconomic governance, particularly with regards to the balance between EU and national decision-making levels. This article instead investigates how the RRF implementation has altered relationships among institutional actors within the member states. Specifically, it examines whether the implementation of the RRF has contributed to the emigration of decision-making powers away from subnational authorities towards central governments. To do so, the article reconstructs the elaboration, implementation and evaluation of National Recovery and Resilience Plans in Italy, Germany, Belgium and Spain, four federal or quasi-federal member states. It examines the multi-level implementation of reforms in the area of Social Investment, a shared priority among the four recovery plans. Empirical evidence is drawn from official documents and interviews with policymakers. Although the findings show a heterogeneity of governance practices across the case studies, including both decentralised and centralised approaches, the later predominate. We therefore argue that, although the strengthening of EU governance does not necessarily weaken subnational powers, it does provide opportunities for central executives to recentralise competences. These opportunities are crucially mediated by different architectures of self-rule and shared rule.