|
|
Politicising EU Leadership Selection: Explaining the Success and Failure of the Spitzenkandidaten Procedure from the perspective of Postfunctionalism
Graf, Nikolaus Amadeus Ferdinand Maria ; Weiss, Tomáš (vedoucí práce) ; Shaev, Brian (oponent)
EN With the changes in the Lisbon treaty, the party groups of the European Parliament unilaterally introduced the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, nominating lead candidates for the office of the President of the European Commission for the European elections of 2014. After its arguable success in 2014, when Jean-Claude Juncker became President of the Commission, the procedure then failed in 2019, when the national leaders in the European Council selected Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President. She had not stood as a lead candidate of her party family during the election. Considering the circumstances, the following question presents itself: Why did the Spitzenkandidaten procedure seemingly fail in 2019, when it was already successful in 2014? This thesis attempts to answer this question by formulating an argument on the basis of Postfunctionalism that domestic politicisation of the topic lead to constraining dissensus at the EU level, which resulted in the rejection of the Spitzenkandidaten procedure. The thesis tests the existence of domestic politicisation on the basis of discourse analysis of the election campaigns of significant political actors in France during the European elections of 2014 and 2019. The analysis results in the conclusion that there was no significant politicisation of...
|
|
|
Representation in Dutch Identity Politics: Exploring the Strategical Role of Political Parties
Van den Berg, Daan ; Astudillo, Javier (vedoucí práce) ; Shaev, Brian (oponent)
In recent years, Dutch identity politics has become a topic of increasing interest and scrutiny, as various political parties seek to represent and promote the interests of different identity groups. In this context, understanding the strategical role of political parties in shaping representation is crucial. This thesis explores how the strategy of Dutch political parties influence their ability to shape representation in identity politics. Using qualitative methods, including process-tracing and the analyses of relevant documents and media, this thesis examines the strategies employed by political parties in order to achieve political representation. Specifically, this thesis analyses the ways in which political parties impact the effectiveness of representation efforts, and identify key factors that contribute to successful political representation. The findings suggest that the approach of the political party is a critical factor in shaping representation in Dutch identity politics, and that an identity-based approach is necessary in order to effectively advocate for marginalised identity groups. This thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of Dutch identity politics and provides insights for policymakers, activists and scholars seeking to engage with the issue.
|
|
|
The rise of populism in post-democratic times: evidence from Democracy Indices
Fernandez Jaraiz, Gonzalo ; Styczyńska, Natasza (vedoucí práce) ; Shaev, Brian (oponent)
This thesis aims at the expansion of empirical knowledge related to the understanding of crises of political representation and post-democracy as the main factors behind the current rise of populism in Europe. In the literature, scholars have mainly focused their attention on theoretical developments and country case studies. On the other hand, this research, by benefiting from the recent production of large datasets that measure populism at the party-level, implements a series of correlation and linear regression analyses using this data and information from two Democracy Indices: Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-Dem) and Democracy Perception Index. All in all, although important regional differences were found, the results show evidence related to the understanding of populism as a consequence of crises of political representation linked to democratic deficit. In relation to post-democracy, less relevant results could be produced due to the unavailability of data in V-Dem. In this regard, this research also examines its dataset and effectuates a critical assessment of its conceptualization of democracy. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the causes behind the rise of populism and the measurement of democracy. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
|
|
|
Contextual Determinants of the Age Gap in Voter Turnout across Europe
Kamatayeva, Ayauzhan ; Lago, Ignacio (vedoucí práce) ; Shaev, Brian (oponent)
A common interpretation of the age gap in electoral turnout is that younger cohorts are apathetic and part of a generation that is absent from political life. Still, youth political participation differs across European countries, and cross- national variation in the age gap has been rarely examined in the literature. This paper, therefore, argues that unequal voting in Europe is due not to a lack of interest in the public good but rather to a combination of contextual and individual factors. This study examines young and older individuals' engagement with electoral politics in 26 European countries using the European Social Survey data between 2008 and 2018. Specifically, this study addresses the questions of (1) what context-related factors determine the age gap in voting between old and young citizens and (2) why the age gap in voting is smaller in some countries than in others. The results show that the age gap varies considerably across countries. The OLS and FE regressions results suggest that government expenditure, the share of migrants, and the age of democracy influence the level of age gap in voting. The findings on macroeconomic and immigration factors raise methodological concerns.
|
|
|
Neo-feudalism and Neo-traditionalism: the Intersection of Cultural Discourse and Economic Policies in Fidesz's Hungary
Baldinger, Mackenzie Christine ; Mejstřík, Martin (vedoucí práce) ; Shaev, Brian (oponent)
This thesis examines the intersection of cultural discourse and economic policies of the Hungarian populist radical right party, Fidesz. It classifies the cultural discourse of the governing party as neo-traditionalist by examining how the party's leader, Viktor Orbán, rhetorically shapes his vision of the nation, espouses traditional values, and uses missionary politics to create a personalized moral code under the guise of cultural Christianity. It examines the government's economic policies of nationalization and re-privatization, crony capitalism, and national work program within a neo-feudalist classification. This research finds that the neo-feudalist economic policies of Fidesz serve as a reinforcement mechanism that legitimizes the cultural discourse espoused by Orbán. Furthermore, the neo-feudal economy is reshaping the social system into a highly centralized and hierarchical structure and having lasting macroeconomic effects, including demographic issues and increasing levels of wealth inequality. This emerging illiberal model of governance is not only reshaping Hungary's political, economic, and social systems, but also contributing to a larger movement away from the tenets of liberal democracy within CEE. Keywords Neo-traditionalism, Neo-feudalism, Delayed transformational fatigue,...
|
|
|
Political Parties as Institutions of a Civil Sphere of Solidarity: The Shifting German Perception of Eastern Europe
Pawelzik, Niklas ; Astudillo, Javier (vedoucí práce) ; Shaev, Brian (oponent)
Given political parties ́ crucial importance for modern democracy, for a long time there has been a striking lack of normative political theory on these institutions. Recent works have pointed out that the lack of a systematic understanding of the link between parties and the civil society constitutes thereby a particular pressing issue. This paper aims to contribute to narrowing this gap by incorporating an innovative conception of the civil sphere into a party theory frame that provides both: tools for empirical analysis and a benchmark for normative evaluation. Applying the developed approach within a case study of the shifting German perception of Eastern Europe during Neue Ostpolitik in the early 1970s, the paper examines the role of interparty conflict during the restructuration of the country ́s civil society. Conducting a critical discourse analysis, the paper shows that parties indeed contributed to a certain extent to a more inclusive civil sphere. How- ever, it also suggests that the party ́s abilities to do so were limited in a number of ways, for instance when it comes to expanding civil relations beyond national borders. These insights might constitute a promising alternative starting point for further research, for example on parties ́ potential contribution to a shared European civil sphere....
|
host ::
RSS.