Cooperation between member states crucial for reforming the EU – but no sufficient condition
The expert conference provided an opportunity for a confidential exchange of opinions and ideas between researchers of European think tanks and political advisors from EU-member states about the future of building coalitions within the EU. In three thematic sessions the participants discussed the topics Eurozone Governance, the institutional set-up of the EU as well as European Foreign-, Security and Defense Policy.
The participants agreed, that cooperation between member states continues to be crucial for EU governance. They identified several motives and drivers relevant for building coalitions. These range from the member state’s own ambition to take over leadership through common interests and preferences in certain policies to geographic proximity or respective responsive political and bureaucratic cultures.
The participants emphasized that the environment for building coalitions has become more complex. Less than expected it is the EU-enlargement to now 28 member states that has contributed to this fact. Rather, the role of the European Parliament and the European Commission has become more influential and thus has increased the range of actors involved. In general, the EU has become more influential, as party families are increasingly included in order to organize majorities within the EU. Moreover, the dynamics of differentiated integration triggered by the deepening of the Eurozone due to the economic and debt crisis in the EU have made the EU-member states reformulate their preferences and reshaping existing coalitions.
The participants followed an invitation of the Alfred von Oppenheim Centre for European Policy Studies of the DGAP as well as the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). The event was generously supported by Stiftung Mercator.
