Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Transnational Party Alliances : Analysing the Hard-Won Alliance Between Conservatives and Christian Democrats in the European Parliament

Johansson, Karl Magnus LU (1997) In Lund Political Studies
Abstract
This study examines processes of transnational alliance-building among political parties in the European Union (EU). It is associated with theories of transnational relations, neofunctionalist integration theory and domestic politics approaches to international co-operation and integration. The overall aim of the study is to contribute to the understanding and growth of knowledge of transnational party alliances, thereby expanding the field of party research. The author attempts to fulfil this aim through an in-depth analysis of the hard-won alliance between Conservatives and Christian Democrats in the European Parliament (EP), entered into by the British and Danish Conservatives in May 1992 and renewed after the 1994 European elections.... (More)
This study examines processes of transnational alliance-building among political parties in the European Union (EU). It is associated with theories of transnational relations, neofunctionalist integration theory and domestic politics approaches to international co-operation and integration. The overall aim of the study is to contribute to the understanding and growth of knowledge of transnational party alliances, thereby expanding the field of party research. The author attempts to fulfil this aim through an in-depth analysis of the hard-won alliance between Conservatives and Christian Democrats in the European Parliament (EP), entered into by the British and Danish Conservatives in May 1992 and renewed after the 1994 European elections. What factors promote, respectively impede, the formation and evolution of a transnational party alliance such as this? A differentiation is made between three categories of process mechanisms by the causal roles they play, namely opportunities, motives and constraints. Factors are addressed under each category. A number of constraining factors on transnational alliance-building among political parties are traced and analysed. The domestic arenas of party politics are brought into the analysis to help us understand alliances in the European arenas. National parties appear to be anxious about their ideological identities and their autonomy, in the sense of freedom of action. Despite the constraints, political parties prove to be keen on entering into transnational alliances for different motives. They strengthen their capacity for action by building transnational channels for access and influence. By striking alliances in the light of threats posed by countervailing forces, they maximise their parliamentary influence. Tracing and analysing opportunities for such alliances, attention is paid to catalysts related to leadership changes, institutional changes and changes in the international environment. The analysis shows that the enhanced powers of the EP have had a major catalytic effect on transnational alliance-building among political parties in the EU. Patterns of informal integration are thereby established in response to changes in formal institutions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Karvonen, Lauri, University of Bergen, Norway
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Political and administrative sciences, transnational., arena, Alliance, autonomy, Christian Democrat, Conservative, constraint, identity, integration, motive, opportunity, process, political party, förvaltningskunskap, Statsvetenskap, förvaltningskunskap
in
Lund Political Studies
issue
101
pages
272 pages
publisher
Lund University Press
defense location
Lund University, Eden, E 116
defense date
1997-05-16 10:15:00
ISSN
0460-0037
ISBN
0-86238-479-9
91-7966-417-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
36a91c19-def5-4ebd-9b00-984582cf7bee (old id 18209)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:51:29
date last changed
2019-07-02 09:10:49
@phdthesis{36a91c19-def5-4ebd-9b00-984582cf7bee,
  abstract     = {{This study examines processes of transnational alliance-building among political parties in the European Union (EU). It is associated with theories of transnational relations, neofunctionalist integration theory and domestic politics approaches to international co-operation and integration. The overall aim of the study is to contribute to the understanding and growth of knowledge of transnational party alliances, thereby expanding the field of party research. The author attempts to fulfil this aim through an in-depth analysis of the hard-won alliance between Conservatives and Christian Democrats in the European Parliament (EP), entered into by the British and Danish Conservatives in May 1992 and renewed after the 1994 European elections. What factors promote, respectively impede, the formation and evolution of a transnational party alliance such as this? A differentiation is made between three categories of process mechanisms by the causal roles they play, namely opportunities, motives and constraints. Factors are addressed under each category. A number of constraining factors on transnational alliance-building among political parties are traced and analysed. The domestic arenas of party politics are brought into the analysis to help us understand alliances in the European arenas. National parties appear to be anxious about their ideological identities and their autonomy, in the sense of freedom of action. Despite the constraints, political parties prove to be keen on entering into transnational alliances for different motives. They strengthen their capacity for action by building transnational channels for access and influence. By striking alliances in the light of threats posed by countervailing forces, they maximise their parliamentary influence. Tracing and analysing opportunities for such alliances, attention is paid to catalysts related to leadership changes, institutional changes and changes in the international environment. The analysis shows that the enhanced powers of the EP have had a major catalytic effect on transnational alliance-building among political parties in the EU. Patterns of informal integration are thereby established in response to changes in formal institutions.}},
  author       = {{Johansson, Karl Magnus}},
  isbn         = {{0-86238-479-9}},
  issn         = {{0460-0037}},
  keywords     = {{Political and administrative sciences; transnational.; arena; Alliance; autonomy; Christian Democrat; Conservative; constraint; identity; integration; motive; opportunity; process; political party; förvaltningskunskap; Statsvetenskap; förvaltningskunskap}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{101}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University Press}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Political Studies}},
  title        = {{Transnational Party Alliances : Analysing the Hard-Won Alliance Between Conservatives and Christian Democrats in the European Parliament}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4493920/4770162.pdf}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}