Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-b95js Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-22T09:58:37.093Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Why does the European Right accommodate backsliding states? An analysis of 24 European People’s Party votes (2011–2019)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2021

Lise Esther Herman Open the ORCID record for Lise Esther Herman [Opens in a new window] ,
Julian Hoerner  and
Joseph Lacey
Lise Esther Herman*
Affiliation:
Lecturer in Politics at the University of Exeter, Department of Politics, Amory Building, Rennes Dr, Exeter, UK
Julian Hoerner
Affiliation:
Fellow in European Politics and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, European Institute, Houghton Street, London, UK
Joseph Lacey
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor of Political Theory at University College Dublin, School of Politics and International Relations, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
*
*E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Over the last decade, the EU’s fundamental values have been under threat at the national level, in particular among several Central and Eastern European states that joined the EU since 2004. During this time, the European People’s Party (EPP) has been criticized for its unwillingness to vote for measures that would sanction the Hungarian Fidesz government, one of its members, in breach of key democratic principles since 2010. In this paper, we seek to understand how cohesive the EPP group has been on fundamental values-related votes, how the position of EPP MEPs on these issues has evolved over time, and what explains intra-EPP disagreement on whether to accommodate fundamental values violators within the EU. To address these questions, we analyse the votes of EPP MEPs across 24 resolutions on the protection of EU fundamental values between 2011 and 2019. Our findings reveal below-average EPP cohesion on these votes, and a sharp increase in the tendency of EPP MEPs to support these resolutions over time. A number of factors explain the disagreements we find. While the EPP’s desire to maintain Fidesz within its ranks is central, this explanation does not offer a comprehensive account of the group’s accommodative behaviour. In particular, we find that ideological factors as well as the strategic interests of national governments at the EU level are central to understanding the positions of EPP MEPs, as well as the evolution of these positions over time. These results further our understanding of the nature of the obstacles to EU sanctions in fundamental values abuse cases, and the role of partisanship in fuelling EU inaction especially.

Keywords

democratic backslidingcentre-right partiesEuropean Parliamentfundamental valueselite voting behaviour
Type
Research Article
Information
European Political Science Review , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , May 2021 , pp. 169 - 187
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Consortium for Political Research

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexandre-Collier, A. s (2018), ‘From soft to hard Brexit: UKIP’s not so invisible influence on the Eurosceptic radicalisation of the Conservative Party since 2015’, in Herman, L.E. and Muldoon, J. (eds.), Trumping the mainstream: The conquest of democratic politics by the populist radical right, Oxon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bakker, R., de Vries, C., Edwards, E., Hooghe, L., Jolly, S., Marks, G. and Vachudova, M.A. (2015), ‘Measuring party positions in Europe: The Chapel Hill expert survey trend file, 1999–2010’, Party Politics 21(1): 143–152, doi: 10.1177/1354068812462931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bale, T. (2003), ‘Cinderella and her ugly sisters: the mainstream and extreme right in Europe’s bipolarizing party systems’, West European Politics 26(3).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Batory, A. (2016), ‘Populists in government? Hungary’s “system of national cooperation”’, Democratization 23(2): 283–303, doi: 10.1080/13510347.2015.1076214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blauberger, M. and Kelemen, R.D. (2017), ‘Can courts rescue national democracy? Judicial safeguards against democratic backsliding in the EU’, Journal of European Public Policy 24(3): 321–336, doi: 10.1080/13501763.2016.1229357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bogaards, M. (2018), ‘De-democratization in Hungary: diffusely defective democracy’, Democratization 1–19, doi: 10.1080/13510347.2018.1485015.Google Scholar
Bowler, S. and McElroy, G. (2015), ‘Political Group Cohesion and ‘Hurrah’ Voting in the European Parliament’, Journal of European Public Policy 22(9): 1355–1365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Box-Steffensmeier, J.M. and Zorn, C. (2002), ‘Duration Models for Repeated Events’, The Journal of Politics 64(4): 1069–1094.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brouillette, A., van Beek, J. and Dencik, L. (2011), Hungarian media laws in Europe: An assessment of the consistency of Hungary’s media laws with European practices and norms, Budapest: Central European University.Google Scholar
Carvalho, J. (2014), The impact of extreme right parties on immigration policy: Comparing Britain, France and Italy, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Coppedge, M., Gerring, J., Knutsen, C.H., Lindberg, S.I., Teorell, J., Altman, D. , , … Ziblatt, D. (2019). V-Dem Dataset v9. Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project. doi:https://doi.org/10.23696/vdemcy19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbett, R., Jacobs, F. and Shackleton, M. (2011), The European Parliament, London: John Harper.Google Scholar
Csehi, R. and Zgut, E. (2020), ‘‘We won’t let Brussels dictate us’: Eurosceptic populism in Hungary and Poland’, European Politics and Society 1–16, doi: 10.1080/23745118.2020.1717064.Google Scholar
Dawson, J. and Hanley, S. (2016), ‘What’s Wrong with East-Central Europe? The Fading Mirage of the “Liberal Consensus”’, Journal of Democracy 27(1): 20–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Lange, S.L. (2012), ‘New alliances: why mainstream parties govern with radical right-wing populist parties’, Political Studies 60: 899–918.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Vries, C.E. (2018), Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration, Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Döring, H. and Manow, P. (2019). Parliaments and governments database (ParlGov). Information on parties, elections and cabinets in modern democracies.Google Scholar
European Parliament. (2020). Rule of law: MEPs demand protection of EU budget and values. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201001STO88311/rule-of-law-meps-demand-protection-of-eu-budget-and-values Google Scholar
Freedom House. (2019). Country report for Hungary. Retrieved from https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/hungary Google Scholar
Herman, L.E. and Muldoon, J. (2018), ‘Populism in the 21st century: From the Fringe to the Mainstream’, in Herman, L.E. and Muldoon, J. (eds.), Trumping the mainstream: The conquest of democratic politics by the populist radical right, Oxon: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hix, S. (2002), ‘Parliamentary Behavior with two principals: preferences, Parties and Voting in the European Parliament’, American Journal of Political Science 46(3): 688–698.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hix, S., Noury, A. and Roland, G. (2006), ‘Dimensions of politics in the European Parliament’, American Journal of Political Science 50(2): 494–520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hix, S., Noury, A. and Roland, G. (2007), Democratic Politics in the European Parliament, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kelemen, D. (2016), Poland’s Constitutional Crisis How the Law and Justice Party is Threatening Democracy. Foreign Affairs, August 25.Google Scholar
Kelemen, D. (2017), ‘Europe’s Other Democratic Deficit. National Authoritarianism in Europe’s Democratic Union’, Government and Opposition 52(2): 211–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirchick, J. (2013), EU Conservatives Have a Hungary Problem. Retrieved from 29 May, www.spiegel.de/international/europe/hungarian-government-puts-european-conservatives-in-tough-spot-a-902620.html Google Scholar
Kochenov, D., Magen, A. and Pech, L. (2016), ‘Introduction: the Great Rule of Law Debate in the EU’, Journal of Common Market Studies 54(5): 1045–1049.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lacey, J. (2017), ‘National autonomy and democratic standardization: should popular votes on European integration be regulated by the European Union?’, European Law Journal 23(6): 523–535, doi: 10.1111/eulj.12272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonnell, D. and Werner, A. (2019), International Populism. The Radical Right in the European Parliament, London: Hurst & Co.Google Scholar
Meguid, B.M. (2005), ‘Competition Between Unequals: The Role of Mainstream Party Strategy in Niche Party Success’, American Political Science Review 99(3): 347–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meijers, M.J. and van der Veer, H. (2019a), ‘Issue Competition without Electoral Incentives? A Study of Issue Emphasis in the European Parliament’, The Journal of Politics 81(4): 1240–1253, doi: 10.1086/704224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meijers, M.J. and Van der Veer, H. (2019b), ‘MEP Responses to Democratic Backsliding in Hungary and Poland. An Analysis of Agenda-Setting and Voting Behaviour’, Journal of Common Market Studies 57(4): 838–854.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meinke, S.R. (2005), ‘Long-Term Change and Stability in House Voting Decisions: The Case of the Minimum Wage’, Legislative Studies Quarterly 30(1): 103–126, doi: 10.3162/036298005x201473.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mudde, C. (2007), Populist radical right parties in Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Müller, J.-W. (2015), ‘Should the EU Protect Democracy and the Rule of Law inside Member States?’, European Law Journal 21(2): 141–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norwegian Helsinki Committee. (2013), Democracy and Human Rights at stake in Hungary, The Viktor Orbán government’s drive for centralisation of power. Retrieved from http://nhc.no/filestore/Publikasjoner/Rapporter/2013/Rapport_1_13_web.pdf Google Scholar
Pech, L. and Scheppele, K.L. (2017), ‘Illiberalism Within: Rule of Law Backsliding in the EU’, Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies 19: 3–47, doi: 10.1017/cel.2017.9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Przybylski, W. (2018), ‘Explaining Eastern Europe: Can Poland’s Backsliding Be Stopped?’, Journal of Democracy 29(3).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puetter, U. (2012), ‘Europe’s deliberative intergovernmentalism: the role of the Council and European Council in EU economic governance’, Journal of European Public Policy 19(2): 161–178, doi: 10.1080/13501763.2011.609743.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pytlas, B. (2018), ‘Populist radical right mainstreaming and challenges to democracy in an enlarged Europe’, in Herman, L.E. and Muldoon, J. (eds.), Trumping the mainstream: The conquest of democratic politics by the populist radical right, Oxon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Rooduijn, M., Van Kessel, S., Froio, C., Pirro, A.L.P., de Lange, S.L., Halikiopoulou, D., … Taggart, P. (2019), The PopuList: An Overview of Populist, Far Right, Far Left and Eurosceptic Parties in Europe. Retrieved from https://popu-list.org/ Google Scholar
Scheppele, K.L. (2013), ‘The Rule of Law and the Frankenstate: Why Governance Checklists Do Not Work’, Governance 26(4): 559–562, doi: 10.1111/gove.12049.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scully, R., Hix, S. and Farrell, D.M. (2012), ‘National or European Parliamentarians? Evidence from a New Study of the Members of the European Parliament’, Journal of Common Market Studies 50(4): 670–683.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sedelmeier, U. (2014), ‘Anchoring Democracy from Above? The European Union and Democratic Backsliding in Hungary and Romania after Accession’, JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies 52(1): 105–121, doi: 10.1111/jcms.12082.Google Scholar
Sedelmeier, U. (2017), ‘Political safeguards against democratic backsliding in the EU: the limits of material sanctions and the scope of social pressure’, Journal of European Public Policy 24(3): 337–351, doi: 10.1080/13501763.2016.1229358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sitter, N. and Bakke, E. (2019), Democratic Backsliding in the European Union. In: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strom, K. (1990), ‘A Behavioral Theory of Competitive Political Parties’, American Journal of Political Science 34(2): 565–598, doi: 10.2307/2111461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vachudova, M.A. (2020), ‘Ethnopopulism and democratic backsliding in Central Europe’, East European Politics 36(3): 318–340, doi: 10.1080/21599165.2020.1787163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Spanje, J. (2010), ‘Contagious Parties: Anti-Immigration Parties and Their Impact on Other Parties’ Immigration Stances in Contemporary Western Europe’, Party Politics 16(5): 563–586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
VoteWatch. (2016), Comparing the Positions of the Hungarian Government and Hungarian Parties in the EP on Symbolic European issues. Retrieved from. https://www.votewatch.eu/blog/report-comparing-positions-of-the-hungarian-government-and-the-hungarian-parties-in-the-ep-on-symbolic-european-issues/ Google Scholar
Wagner, M. and Meyer, T.M. (2016), ‘The Radical Right as Niche Parties? The Ideological Landscape of Party Systems in Western Europe, 1980–2014’, Political Studies 65(1_suppl): 84–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warntjen, A. (2010), ‘Between bargaining and deliberation: decision-making in the Council of the European Union’, Journal of European Public Policy 17(5): 665–679, doi: 10.1080/13501761003748641.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willumsen, D.M. (2018), ‘The Council’s REACH? National Government’s Influence in the European Parliament’, European Union Politics 19(4): 663–683.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Herman et al. supplementary material

Herman et al. supplementary material

Download Herman et al. supplementary material(File)
File 378.5 KB