The Rotating European Union Council Presidency and Small Member States

The Rotating European Union Council Presidency and Small Member States explores the opportunities and burdens for small states of holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Autorentext

Ieva Grumbinait is a researcher at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University and a research manager at PPMI (Public Policy and Management Institute) in Vilnius, Lithuania. Her research interests include European integration, European Union institutions, specifically the Council of the EU, and higher education policy. She holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute.

Klappentext

The Rotating European Union Council Presidency and Small Member States explores the opportunities and burdens for small states of holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. While the functions and the achievements of the Council presidencies have been widely studied on the EU level, this book adopts the inverse and underresearched perspective of looking at the "domestic" impact of the Council presidency on the Member State, specifically small Member States. Combining new institutionalist theoretical approaches under the concept of Europeanisation, and employing both qualitative and quantitative methods, this book explores whether the Council presidency leads to the Europeanisation of national polities and politics. More specifically, the book looks at the impact of the Council presidency on national administrations, ministers and public opinion. It suggests that the Council presidency presents a unique opportunity to (re) engage with EU affairs and institutions for small Member States, especially those holding the position for the first time. This book will be of interest to postgraduate students, researchers and academics of International Relations and European Integration, specifically those interested in small states in the European Union or the rotating European Union Council presidency.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction
2. Key Concepts and Theoretical Framework
3. EU Council Presidency and National Administrations: The Preparation and the Presidency Period
4. Long- Term Impact of the EU Council Presidency on National Administrations
5. The Impact of the EU Council Presidency on National Ministers: A Quantitative Analysis of Attendance at Council Meetings
6. The Impact of the EU Council Presidency on Public Opinion in the Member States: Improving Knowledge of the EU?
7. Conclusion References

Appendix: List of Interviews

Index