The Role of the European Parliament in the Establishment of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF): A Rebound Opportunity?

The year 2020 has been a turbulent one: what initiated as a health crisis soon transformed into a deep economic crisis, probably deeper than that of 2008. This challenge forced the European Union (EU) to find new solutions to appease the economic and social impact of the Covid-19 crisis. The decision to establish a Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF), which will be responsible for the recovery after the pandemic, is the centrepiece of this common European effort and a key instrument to show unity and responsiveness towards European citizens. Therefore, this paper analyses the role that the European Parliament (EP) has played in providing responses to the crisis. The paper compares the role that the EP has played in the RRF with past efforts in crisis decision-making during the Eurozone crisis (2010-2012), where, despite its eagerness, the EP played a very limited role. The paper builds on existing theoretical accounts of EP empowerment and influence in crisis decision-making and uses process tracing based on document analysis and interviews of key decision-maker to determine to what extent the EP has influenced the negotiations according to its preferences, and whether it has thereby managed to increase its powers.