Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The development of European political foundations and their role in strengthening Europarties

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Acta Politica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In recent years, one of the most interesting and potentially promising developments in European Union (EU) party politics has been the establishment of European political foundations. At the time of writing, no less than 12 European political foundations are active in Brussels and beyond, and the total EU grant available to them for 2012 amounted to almost 12 million euro. However, very little is known as to how exactly these European political foundations perform their tasks. Taking stock of the first five years of their operation, this article analyses European political foundations empirically and comparatively, based on the study of primary resources and a number of semi-structured interviews, alongside existing research. The central questions concern the purposes European political foundations serve and the nature of their relationship with Europarties. From a theoretical perspective, this article addresses the issue of the development of European political foundations within the wider debate on EU party politics, and offers a number of insights regarding the actual and potential role of European political foundations in strengthening Europarties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bartolini, S. (2006) Should the union be ‘politicised’? Prospects and risks. Notre Europe Policy Paper 19: 29–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartsch, S. (2007) Politische stiftungen. In: S. Schmidt, G. Hellmann and R. Wolf (eds.) Handbuch Zur Deutschen Aussenpolitik. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 280–289.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • CES. (2011) By-laws of the non-profit association. Centre for European Studies, http://thinkingeurope.eu/sites/default/files/laws.pdf, accessed 10 June 2011.

  • Cordery, P. (2011) Interview with PES Secretary General. 21 May 2011, Brussels.

  • Cremers, J. (2013) Interview with EGP Secretary General. 1 February 2013, Brussels.

  • Dakowska, D. (2005) German political foundations: Transnational party go-betweens in the process of EU enlargement. In: W. Kaiser and P. Starie (eds.) Transnational European Union: Towards a Common Political Space. Abingdon, UK: Routledge Chapman & Hall, pp. 150–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dakowska, D. (2009) Networks of foundations as norm entrepreneurs: Between politics and policies in EU decision-making. Journal of Public Policy 29 (Special Issue 02): 201–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dakowska, D. (2011) Vers une politisation du débat public européen. L'institutionalisation des fondations politiques européennes. Politique Européenne 34 (2): 167–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Wilde, P. (2011) No polity for old politics? A framework for analyzing the politicization of European integration. Journal of European Integration 33 (5): 559–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eppink, D.J. (2013) Interview with MEP and Vice-Chairman ECR Group, NDF Vice-President. 20 February 2013, telephone interview.

  • European Commission. (2007) Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding. COM/2007/0364 final – COD 2007/0130, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2007&nu_doc=0364, accessed 10 June 2011.

  • European Parliament. (2007) Debate in the European Parliament, 13 November 2007, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=CRE&reference=20071113&secondRef=ITEM-017&language=EN, accessed 10 May 2011.

  • European Parliament. (2012) Grants from the European Parliament to political foundations at European level 2008–2012, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/grants/Grant_amounts_foundations_per_11-2012.pdf, accessed 14 February 2013.

  • European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. (2007) Regulation (EC) No 1524/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding. Official Journal L 343, 55.

  • FEPS. (2011a) FEPS: Bureau, http://www.feps-europe.eu/en/bureau, accessed 10 June 2011.

  • Freudenstein, R. (2011) Interview with CES Deputy Director. 6 June 2011, Brussels.

  • Frith, S. (2011) Interview with NDF Director. 14 June 2011, Brussels.

  • Gagatek, W. (2011) Political Financing Regulation at the EU Level: The Conflict of National Traditions and Interests. Leiden: University of Leiden. Working Paper Series on the Legal Regulation of Political Parties no. 14.

  • GEF. (2011) GEF: About. http://www.gef.eu/about/, accessed 10 June 2011.

  • Giannakou, M. (2012) Draft Report on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Statute and Funding of European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (COM(2012)0499 – C7-0288/2012–2012/0237(COD). (2012/0237(COD)).

  • Hanley, D.L. (2008) Beyond the Nation State: Parties in the Era of European Integration. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hartig, S. (2011) Interview with ELF Executive Director. 26 May 2011, telephone interview.

  • Hix, S. (2006) Why the EU needs (left-right) politics? Policy reform and accountability are impossible without it. Notre Europe Policy Paper 19: 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hix, S. and Bartolini, S. (2006) Politics: The right or the wrong sort of medicine for the EU? Europe 19: 1–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hix, S. and Lord, C. (1997) Political parties in the European Union. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hooghe, L. and Marks, G. (2009) A postfunctionalist theory of European integration: From permissive consensus to constraining dissensus. British Journal of Political Science 39 (01): 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huhtanen, T. (2011) Interview with CES Director. 6 June 2011, Brussels.

  • Johansson, K.M. and Raunio, T. (2005) Regulating Europarties. Cross-party coalitions capitalizing on incomplete contracts. Party Politics 11 (5): 515–534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KAS. (2011) The Annual Report of Konrad Adenauer Foundation, http://www.kas.de/wf/en/33.30530/, accessed 10 February 2013.

  • Kremer, C. (2013) Interview with EPP Deputy Secretary General. 14 February 2013, telephone interview.

  • Leinen, J. (2007) Report on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Amending Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 on the Regulations Governing Political Parties at European Level and the Rules Regarding Their Funding, COM(2007)0364 – C6-0202/2007–2007/0130(COD). A6-0412/2007.

  • Lightfoot, S. (2006) The consolidation of Europarties? The ‘party regulation’ and the development of political parties in the European Union. Representation 42 (4): 303–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neyts-Uyttebroeck, A. (2013) Interview with former ELDR President. 8 February 2013, telephone interview.

  • Schmidt, V.A. (2009) Re-envisioning the European Union: Identity, democracy, economy. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies 47 (Annual Review): 17–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitter, P.C. (2009) On the way to a post-functionalist theory of European integration. British Journal of Political Science 39 (1): 211–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skrzypek, A. (2011) Interview with FEPS Policy Advisor. 23 June 2011, Brussels.

  • Stetter, E. (2011) Interview with FEPS Secretary General. 17 May 2011, telephone interview.

  • Van Hecke, S. (2010) Do transnational party federations matter? (… and why should we care?). Journal of Contemporary European Research 6 (3): 395–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinber, C. (2011) Interview with GEF Secretary General. 8 June 2011, Brussels.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Europe, University of Warsaw, Warszawa, 02-653, Al. Niepodleglosci 22, Poland

    Wojciech Gagatek

  2. KU Leuven, Public Management Institute, Parkstraat 45 – box 3602, Leuven, 3000, Belgium

    Steven Van Hecke

Authors
  1. Wojciech Gagatek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven Van Hecke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gagatek, W., Van Hecke, S. The development of European political foundations and their role in strengthening Europarties. Acta Polit 49, 86–104 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2013.27

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2013.27

Keywords

Search

Navigation