The Legitimacy Debate in EU Member States: A Case Study of The Netherlands

The economic and financial crisis, Brexit, mass migration, the claim to more sovereignty and the undermining of the fundamental values and the rule of law by some Member States (MS) has led to political unrest within the European Union (EU) in recent years. This has become reason for some political movements (the so-called Eurosceptics) in European countries to question the legitimacy of the EU and to push for more sovereignty for MS and even striving for an EU departure. The question arises whether MS in the EU are substantively questioning the legitimacy of the EU and whether this legitimacy issue is a well-founded topic of discussion in the political debate. This study examines that question by focussing on the case study of the Netherlands and highlights the political developments in the Netherlands regarding the legitimacy of the EU. Regarding the legitimacy of the EU, research was conducted over the period 2009 – 2022 also referred to as the post-Lisbon era. The party programs...Show moreThe economic and financial crisis, Brexit, mass migration, the claim to more sovereignty and the undermining of the fundamental values and the rule of law by some Member States (MS) has led to political unrest within the European Union (EU) in recent years. This has become reason for some political movements (the so-called Eurosceptics) in European countries to question the legitimacy of the EU and to push for more sovereignty for MS and even striving for an EU departure. The question arises whether MS in the EU are substantively questioning the legitimacy of the EU and whether this legitimacy issue is a well-founded topic of discussion in the political debate. This study examines that question by focussing on the case study of the Netherlands and highlights the political developments in the Netherlands regarding the legitimacy of the EU. Regarding the legitimacy of the EU, research was conducted over the period 2009 – 2022 also referred to as the post-Lisbon era. The party programs (2012, 2017 and 2021) of 6 political parties, the debates in the Dutch parliament and the coalition agreements (2012, 2017 and 2022) were studied on topics related to legitimacy of the EU. These categories include, compliance (transparency, compliance with agreements and financial controls), problem-solving capacity (the extent to which and which problems must be solved at European level) and justification (sovereignty and the subsidiarity principle). It is registered which subjects are mentioned and what the position is. The results have been analysed according to the mixed content method. It was concluded that that over time, the debate of legitimacy evolved, and political parties became more critical of the EU’s transparency and democratic legitimacy. At the same time, most parties remained pro-EU and realised that in the problem-solving category, this is with most larger problems only solvable at EU level. In conclusion, from an EU perspective, the developments in the Netherlands are surprisingly positive. Although Dutch politicians remain critical of the decision-making process and the lack of transparency, the believe that staying in the EU is the most positive for the Netherlands is still viable with the majority of the Dutch parliament. This is ultimately positive for the future of the EU.Show less

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The Legitimacy Debate in EU Member States: A Case Study of The Netherlands