The 2014 Spitzenkandidaten procedure for nominating a candidate for the European Commission Presidency sought to render the (s)election process more democratically legitimate. However, despite its...Show moreThe 2014 Spitzenkandidaten procedure for nominating a candidate for the European Commission Presidency sought to render the (s)election process more democratically legitimate. However, despite its successful emergence, 2019 saw the repudiation of the Spitzenkandidaten. Adopting a multi-method approach that speaks to current literature on the EU’s perceived democratic deficit, this thesis highlights that from pluralist, libertarian, social democratic, and deliberative democracy perspectives the 2014 Spitzenkandidaten improved the democratic legitimacy of the Commission Presidency, reducing the EU’s democratic deficit. This thesis further finds that the repudiation of the Spitzenkandidaten in 2019 constituted a retraction of this democratic legitimacy from three of the four philosophical perspectives, expanding the democratic deficit accordingly. Utilising the insights of MEPs further enhances these findings, grounding them in theoretical and practical terms. As one of the initial studies that have analysed the impact of the Spitzenkandidaten following its repudiation in 2019, this research holds significant potential to inform our understanding of the current shape of contemporary European democracy and the EU’s democratic deficit.Show less
This thesis will analyze the appointment of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR) after the Lisbon Treaties of 2009. While this position was established...Show moreThis thesis will analyze the appointment of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR) after the Lisbon Treaties of 2009. While this position was established in the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty, the Lisbon Treaties (2009) were highly influential in shaping the HR by providing increased competences and powers to the office. Where it had previously, from 1999 to 2009, only been a vague position to navigate with few official competences, the HR gained increased importance and status in the post-Lisbon European Union (EU). Accordingly, it would make sense to appoint an individual with ample experience in the field of foreign affairs to the office in the first post-Lisbon term. However, the desired HR position fell into the lap of a previous Trade Commissioner from the United Kingdom (UK), Catherine Ashton. In the following tenures, similar procedures occurred with the HR appointment over seemingly arcane criteria. This thesis provides evidence for the argument that the HR can be interpreted as a balancing factor at the EU’s highest table. Of the factors that contribute to the appointment of an individual to a leading position at the EU level, this thesis will argue that the balancing grid at the helm of the EU is the most influential factor in the appointment of the HR.Show less
The thesis focuses on the operationalisation of salience in EU interest group studies. The research question posed was what effects does the method of measurement have on the concept of salience in...Show moreThe thesis focuses on the operationalisation of salience in EU interest group studies. The research question posed was what effects does the method of measurement have on the concept of salience in EU lobby research? A case-study approach was chosen to answer the study. The study used various methods to identify the level of three types of salience (public, interest group and political salience). The thesis used the Factiva newspaper database, Twitter, official documents of the legislative process, consultations, and a Eurobarometer to measure the level of salience. It found differences on the level of salience based on the choice of language used for queries, the type of salience measured, and the type of actors measured. Moreover, it found that using a different baseline to measure salience has an impact on the outcome of the measurement. Finally, it found that saliency chances over time.Show less
