Despite the generally accepted weakness of trade unions at the EU level, in particular in cases of liberalization, an analysis of two high profile cases, the Bolkestein Directive and the Port Directive, illustrate particular conditions where trade unions are able to overcome obstacles of exclusion and mobilize effectively, crucially impacting EU decision-making. In contrast to common claims that a lack of access to EU institutions makes such groups powerless, we argue that the exclusion of large opposed societal groups from consultations is no quick recipe for dismantling opposition. On the contrary, exclusion politicises the process and may even make opposing groups more successful by driving them to mobilize members in more traditional ways. The study finds that various techniques allowed trade unions to succeed at the European level, including Europrotests, coalition building with other opposing interest groups and the ability to frame their arguments in a visible way. The two-case comparison indicates that strategies from trade unions’ stock in trade such as the threat of marches are also useful at the European level, although other conditions also contribute.
