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Government‐opposition dynamics in the European Union: The Santer Commission resignation crisis
Author(s) -
RINGE NILS
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6765.2005.00243.x
Subject(s) - opposition (politics) , sovereignty , european union , political economy , politics , political science , commission , public administration , economic system , sociology , economics , law , economic policy
. This article seeks to shed light on the sources of government‐opposition dynamics in the European Union (EU). It considers the ideological left‐right divide and the sovereignty‐integration dimension as potential sources of a government‐opposition cleavage in the EU, as well as a ‘representation dimension’. The empirical evaluation of these propositions is based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the political crisis leading to the collective resignation of the Santer Commission. The article finds that government‐opposition dynamics in the EU are related to the sovereignty‐integration dimension of EU politics and to representation in EU executive institutions, rather than a left‐right divide. Both political beliefs and opportunistic motivations determine government‐support and opposition in the EU.