Rethinking EU Politicisation

Abstract

In this panel we plan to discuss “politicisation” as a newly emerging concept and research field in the comparative political sociology of European Integration. Recent studies on EU politicisation argue that the post-Maastricht era led to the politicisation of EU integration via an increasing citizens’ dissatisfaction. In current research several strands can be detected that all rely more or less on an ontological position that regards “politics” as a sphere or field that is separate from the rest of society. Politicisation is often regarded in a top-down logic or in dichotomies that ask for agents and their audience. Newer accounts argue that European integration has been from the beginning linked to politicisation and that understanding politicisation requires taking a closer look at its relationship to ‘politics’ or ‘political’, as the interpretation of what is considered as politicisation depends on the interpretation of what is politics/political. This approach results in an understanding of EU politicisation that is at once broader than what is currently discussed, more historically based, and related to an actor-oriented perspective on the political. The panel aims at discussing the ontological bases, the conceptualisation, and the analytical value of different approaches to politicisation.