Is it all about European Democracy? The Motives behind the
Institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten

J 2019

Is it all about European Democracy? The Motives behind the Institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten

HAMŘÍK, Lukáš and Petr KANIOK

Basic information

Original name

Is it all about European Democracy? The Motives behind the Institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten

Authors

HAMŘÍK, Lukáš (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution) and Petr KANIOK (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Journal of Contemporary European Research, London, UACES, 2019, 1815-347X

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

50601 Political science

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

článek - open access

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14230/19:00111691

Organization unit

Faculty of Social Studies

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.30950/jcer.v15i4.950

UT WoS

000502838300004

Keywords in English

Spitzenkandidaten; Lead candidates; EU democracy; European Commission; European Parliament; European political parties

Abstract

V originále

The European Parliament elections in 2014 and 2019 were different insofar as European citizens had the possibility to ‘directly’ influence who could become the next president of the European Commission. This innovation is based on the idea of ‘Spitzenkandidaten’, where a vote for a given political party also represents a vote for its lead candidate. This article examines the process behind the institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, with attention focused on the actors involved and their motivations for supporting this institutional innovation. Using a qualitative content analysis of EU institutional and party documentation, the article confirms that the Spitzenkandidaten procedure should be perceived as the culmination of a long-term process beginning in the pre-Amsterdam era. It also concludes that the procedure, as firstly applied in 2014, represents the common effort of two supranational institutions and four European political parties. It is also argued that while the emergence of the Spitzenkandidaten is primarily a result of perceived shortcomings of the EU’s democratic quality, actors’ self-interest was also driving force.

Links

MUNI/A/1067/2016, interní kód MU

Name: Evropa v měnícím se mezinárodním prostředí III

Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

Files attached

Is_it_all_about_European_democracy_Appendix.pdf

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Citovat

HAMŘÍK, Lukáš and Petr KANIOK. Is it all about European Democracy? The Motives behind the Institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten. Journal of Contemporary European Research. London: UACES, 2019, vol. 15, No 4, p. 354-377. ISSN 1815-347X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.30950/jcer.v15i4.950.

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   article_location = {London},
   article_number = {4},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.30950/jcer.v15i4.950},
   keywords = {Spitzenkandidaten; Lead candidates; EU democracy; European Commission; European Parliament; European political parties},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1815-347X},
   journal = {Journal of Contemporary European Research},
   title = {Is it all about European Democracy? The Motives behind the Institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten},
   url = {https://jcer.net/index.php/jcer/article/view/950},
   volume = {15},
   year = {2019}
}

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N2  - The European Parliament elections in 2014 and 2019 were different insofar as European citizens had the possibility to ‘directly’ influence who could become the next president of the European Commission. This innovation is based on the idea of ‘Spitzenkandidaten’, where a vote for a given political party also represents a vote for its lead candidate. This article examines the process behind the institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, with attention focused on the actors involved and their motivations for supporting this institutional innovation. Using a qualitative content analysis of EU institutional and party documentation, the article confirms that the Spitzenkandidaten procedure should be perceived as the culmination of a long-term process beginning in the pre-Amsterdam era. It also concludes that the procedure, as firstly applied in 2014, represents the common effort of two supranational institutions and four European political parties. It is also argued that while the emergence of the Spitzenkandidaten is primarily a result of perceived shortcomings of the EU’s democratic quality, actors’ self-interest was also driving force.
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HAMŘÍK, Lukáš and Petr KANIOK. Is it all about European Democracy? The Motives behind the Institutionalisation of the Spitzenkandidaten. \textit{Journal of Contemporary European Research}. London: UACES, 2019, vol.~15, No~4, p.~354-377. ISSN~1815-347X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.30950/jcer.v15i4.950.

Detailed Information on Publication Record