No Polity for Old Politics? A Framework for Analyzing the Politicization of European Integration

Abstract

In the literature on European integration, politicization as concept is often attributed major importance. This article shows how the literature variously discusses the politicization of European Union (EU) institutions, the politicization of EU decision‐making processes or the politicization of EU issues. Similarly, the literature attributes three different functions to politicization: it functions to crystallize opposing advocacy coalitions, to raise the question of legitimacy and to alter the course of European integration. Despite this diversity, this article argues we are in fact dealing with an encompassing process. To further our understanding of politicization of European integration, politicization as process is defined as an increase in polarization of opinions, interests or values and the extent to which they are publicly advanced towards policy formulation within the EU. Furthermore, attention is directed to practices of representative claims‐making in the public sphere through which relationships of delegation and accountability can be altered in discourse.

Key Words:

• European integration
• legitimacy
• politicization
• public sphere

Acknowledgements

A previous version was presented at ARENA, University of Oslo, in October 2007. The author would like to thank the participants at that seminar for constructive comments, and in particular: Hans‐Jörg Trenz, Christopher Lord, Jonathan Aus, Helene Sjursen and Ulf Sverdrup. Further thanks to the editor of JEI and two anonymous reviewers. The usual disclaimer applies.