Do EU policies constrain government autonomy? Insights from the implementation of EU migration policies

Bibliographic Data

ID6405897
AuthorsAsya Zhelyazkova (0000-0002-8504-949X, Erasmus University Rotterdam, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume47
Issue3
Pages595-618
Publication date2024-04-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWest European Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0140-2382 • E-ISSN: 1743-9655
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01402382.2022.2135247
OpenAlexW4307853171
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited47

Pressures to comply with EU rules have allegedly eroded opportunities for national governments to adopt policies that they support. Conversely, research into differentiated implementation underlines that governments use their discretion to tailor supranational policies to national contexts. This study addresses these competing arguments using unique data on the implementation of EU migration issues. On the one hand, compliance with EU rules is expected to compel governments to transpose liberal migration policies, even when they favour restrictive measures. However, increased politicisation and differentiated integration are likely to increase governments’ autonomy to pursue restrictive policy preferences during transposition. The findings suggest that the constraining effect of EU policies is conditional on the importance that governments place on immigration issues and differentiated participation in the EU. Thus, it is important to consider both domestic and supranational conditions to understand fully the impact of external constraints on government policy implementation

Autonomy · Business · Discretion · Economics · European union · Government (linguistics · Immigration · International economics · Political economy · Political science · Public economics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · European Union Policy and Governance · Law · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Public Administration