The Role of Political Parties in EU Decision-Making

Abstract

Political parties play a crucial role in structuring political contestation in modern mass democracies. According to the model of party government, they reduce complexity by offering voters clear political alternatives. In parliamentary systems of government, (coalitions of) political parties receiving a majority of seats in the legislature also control the executive. As a consequence, they are usually able to turn their electoral promises into political reforms. After the end of the legislative term, voters can assess the extent to which these reforms met their expectations and, depending on whether other parties offer political programmes that better match their preferences, may adjust their electoral decisions accordingly. The key role of political parties at the domestic level is widely accepted among scholars studying electoral politics, government formation, parliamentary decision-making and domestic policy-making. But what role do political parties play in the context of the European Union? Does domestic party government reach out to the European level? For instance, do domestic political parties control their representatives at the European level in order to influence EU policy-making? Do we even witness the emergence of an EU-wide system of party government, with ideological contestation transcending national borders? Or does EU politics still conform to the model of traditional international organisations, dominated by governments that seek to pursue stable national interests? It is the aim of this panel to take stock of the role of party politics in EU decision-making. It particularly invites papers that trace party influence in several EU institutions in a comparative perspective, papers that focus on less-researched institutions such as the Commission, and papers that challenge the prevailing consensus about the dominance of party politics in the European Parliament and the key role of national interests in the Council and the European Council.

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