The Politicisation of the European Union and the Role of the European Parliament: Opportunities, Risks and Limitations

Abstract

Politicisation of the EU has become an important subject in debates about the future of the European governance. This paper addresses the distinguished and unprecedented politicisation-push that the EU has been experiencing through the emergence of sovereignty, identity and solidarity conflicts in the context of the poly-crises - from negative referenda outcomes to the global financial and economic crisis as well as against the backdrop of the migration crisis. Politicisation is heavily influencing and substantially re-shaping the EU institutions and the EU-level Civil Society.

After theoretically outlining the concepts of constructive vs. destructive politicisation, the paper focusses on the political dynamics in the women’s rights committee of the European Parliament as a highly politicised arena. The chapter addresses in particular the gender specific cooperation and alliances between and within political groups and party federations by analysing the key factors which influence decision-making in the context of the EP, both at plenary and committee level: distribution of seats among political groups, intra-group cohesion and inter-group coalitions.