Contestation and responsiveness in EU Council deliberations. Issue 3 (3rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hobolt, Sara B.; Wratil, Christopher
• Is Part Of: Journal of European public policy. Volume 27:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 362
• Page End: 381
• Publication Date: 2020-03-03
• Subjects: Contestation -- Council -- public opinion -- deliberations -- responsiveness; European Union countries -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Political planning -- European Union countries -- Periodicals; Politique publique -- Pays de l'Union européenne -- Périodiques; Pays de l'Union européenne -- Politique et gouvernement -- Périodiques; 361.61094
• DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2020.1712454
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-1763

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Decision-making in the Council of the European Union appears highly consensual at the voting stage. However, we focus on Council deliberations, where we find higher levels of contestation. What drives government opposition in the Council? Using a novel approach of studying the Council through video footage of its public deliberations (DICEU – Debates in the Council of the European Union ), we demonstrate that contestation between governments is, at least in part, driven by their responsiveness to domestic public opinion. Analysing deliberations on legislative packages in the Economic and Financial Affairs Council between 2010 and 2015, we show that governments are responsive to public opinion when setting out their policy positions, but primarily when the policy issues are salient domestically. Our study thus contributes to our understanding of government responsiveness in the EU.