Non‐Members in a Tight Spot
How Norway Navigated Autonomy in EU Pandemic Management
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12782817 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sjoerd Alexander de Winter (0009-0002-7384-336X, University of Bergen, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Review of Policy Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1541-132X • E-ISSN: 1541-1338 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ropr.70071 |
| OpenAlex | W4416299108 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
This study offers new insights into how closely integrated non‐member states navigate tensions between autonomy and dependence when urgent policy responses are required within complex supranational frameworks. It does so by exploring how these non‐members exercise their “wriggle room”—a tailored sub‐category of the broader concept of autonomy—during crises, focusing on Norway's unexpected involvement in EU vaccine procurement as the largest European Economic Area state. Employing an actor‐centered institutionalist framework and building on semi‐structured qualitative interviews and document analysis, the paper examines how Norwegian institutions, constrained by and depending on EU structures, leveraged strategic diplomatic efforts to navigate policy‐shaping challenges and maximize autonomy in crisis‐struck times. Findings highlight perceived challenges caused by non‐membership, and actor‐level strategic responses to mitigate these, with the case study underscoring how Norway exploited bilateral relations to enhance influence despite institutional limitations. By emphasizing the balance between asserting national autonomy and fostering supranational cooperation during crises, revealing nuances in non‐member engagement strategies, the study contributes to the literature on autonomy, EU crisis management, European integration, and European public policy‐making
Autonomy · Balance (ability · Negotiation · Norwegian · Pandemic · Procurement · Qualitative research · European Union Policy and Governance · Global Security and Public Health · Policy Transfer and Learning
Ever Looser Union?
The Principal Agent Model and the European Union
European integration (theory) in times of crisis. A comparison of the euro and Schengen crises
Diplomacy through the back door
Autonomy or integration? Small-state responses to a changing European security landscape
Back to the Future? Lessons of Differentiated Integration from the Efta Countries for the UK’s Future Relations with the EU
Spin-off av EØS? Norge og europeisk utenriks-, sikkerhets- og forsvarssamarbeid
Access, capacity and influence
The Covid-19 crisis
Differentiated disintegration in the Economic Community of West African States, the Eurasian Economic Community and the European Union
Switzerland’s intricate differentiated integration with the European Union
The Covid-19 crisis and the rise of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
Introduction
Failing forward? Crises and patterns of European integration
The European Economic Area
EU external differentiated integration as a crisis response tool? Evidence from Ukraine
Withering the exogenous shock
Crisis exploitation
International Institutions
Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |