National interest versus the common good

The Presidency in E uropean C ouncil agenda setting

Datos Bibliográficos

ID7286124
AutoresPetya Alexandrova (Montesquieu Institute and Leiden University The Netherlands), Arco Timmermans (0000-0003-2451-6688, Montesquieu Institute and Leiden University The Netherlands)
Año2012
Volumen52
Número3
Páginas316-338
Fecha de publicación2012-10-11
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEuropean Journal of Political Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0304-4130 • E-ISSN: 1475-6765
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1475-6765.2012.02074.x
OpenAlexW1913213778
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas16
Referencias citadas35

The E uropean C ouncil is an institution which brings together the Heads of State, or Governments of the E uropean U nion ( EU ) Member States. For the Presidency, preparing the agenda of E uropean C ouncil meetings involves a tension between loyalties. Existing research is divided over the question whether the Presidency pushes its domestic policy agenda on the EU level. Using empirical data on the Conclusions of E uropean C ouncil meetings, and national executive speeches presented annually in five Member States, this article investigates the relationship between the policy agendas of the EU and its constituent countries. It tests whether national issue attention of the Presidency holder dominates the E uropean C ouncil agenda. The findings suggest that having the Presidency does not provide a de facto institutional advantage for agenda setting power for any of the countries in the sample. The analysis points out that normative and political constrains limit the leeway of presiding Member States to push for domestic agenda preferences in the E uropean C ouncil

De facto · Economics · European union · Institution · International trade · Member state · Member states · Normative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Presidency · State (computer science · European Union Policy and Governance · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Political Systems and Governance · Public Administration