Books by Nathalie Brack
Sovereignty in Conflict. Political, Constitutional and Economic Dilemmas in the EU
Palgrave, 2023
This edited volume brings together leading international researchers in an attempt to disentangle... more This edited volume brings together leading international researchers in an attempt to disentangle and understand the multiple conflicts of sovereignty within the European polity in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis. While most research on sovereignty focuses on its international dimensions, what makes this volume distinctive is the focus on the mobilization of sovereignty discourses in national politics. Contrary to tired paradigms studying clashes between national and supranational sovereignty, the various chapters of the volume offer a provocation for the readers – what if these old vertical conflicts of sovereignty are increasingly complemented by horizontal conflicts between executives and parliaments at both the national and international level?
Study for the AFCO Committee of the European Parliament, 2021
Since the Lisbon Treaty, EU national Parliaments have been
recognized as relevant and legitimate ... more Since the Lisbon Treaty, EU national Parliaments have been
recognized as relevant and legitimate players at the supranational
level and given tools to be involved beyond the scrutiny of their
national government. However, the last decade brought new
challenges to the Europeanisation of national Parliaments, with
several crises boosting intergovernmentalism. This study,
commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for
Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the
AFCO Committee, examines how EU national Parliaments have
adapted to all these challenges and assesses their involvement in
EU affairs over the past decade.
Theorizing the Crises of the EU, 2021
This book examines the relevance of integration theories for studying and analsing the crisis sit... more This book examines the relevance of integration theories for studying and analsing the crisis situations faced by the EU since 2009. Ten years on from the start of the ‘age of crisis’, it critically analyses the impact of the multiple crises’ context on the EU polity and questions the utility of integration theories for grasping the peculiarities of the particular crisis under study. Bringing together prominent scholars in EU studies, the volume constitutes an essential reference book on integration theories. Its contribution is twofold. First, it provides a comparative overview of classical integration theories for studying and analysing current crisis situations the EU faces. Second, the book connects theories to current debates through an in-depth discussion of recent crises that hit European integration since 2009, with a particular focus on the financial crisis, Brexit, refugee crisis, illiberal tendencies in some member states, and the Coronavirus pandemic. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European integration, European Union politics, political theory, and, more broadly, to European studies.
This edited volume (Palgrave, 2019) analyses how the UK parliament, but also the EU27 parliaments... more This edited volume (Palgrave, 2019) analyses how the UK parliament, but also the EU27 parliaments and the European Parliament have scrutinised the Brexit process. Citizens' participation is also considered.
过去的年间，欧盟经历了一系列的动荡，它的领土构成、运作模式、权能以及宪政框架都受到了影响。与此同时，一个在一体化过程中从未被顾及的问题——欧盟与公民的关系——突然冒了出来，欧盟条约的改革及其日常... more 过去的年间，欧盟经历了一系列的动荡，它的领土构成、运作模式、权能以及宪政框架都受到了影响。与此同时，一个在一体化过程中从未被顾及的问题——欧盟与公民的关系——突然冒了出来，欧盟条约的改革及其日常运行都因此变得纷繁复杂。两位作者用一种简单，且带有启发意义的方式来解读欧盟的运作：既承认其中的复杂性，又未将其过分夸大。随着本书的展开，欧洲一体化的一些关键问题将被一一剖析：民主赤字、政治化、成员国的作用、欧洲化、体制危机以及利益方代表等。
L’Europe traverse actuellement une crise profonde et complexe, qui affecte tant l’Union européenn... more L’Europe traverse actuellement une crise profonde et complexe, qui affecte tant l’Union européenne que les États qui la composent. Dans ce contexte, il est crucial de comprendre les systèmes politiques différents qui structurent, directement et indirectement, la vie de plus de 500 millions de citoyens.
Cet ouvrage propose une analyse des régimes politiques des 28 États membres de l’Union européenne avec, en trame de fond, un questionnement relatif à l’émergence d’un modèle européen de démocratie. Cette nouvelle édition, mise à jour pour tenir compte des derniers développements politiques et institutionnels, montre que les démocraties européennes, bien que partageant certaines similitudes, portent aussi la trace de leur trajectoire nationale propre.
A lors que l'Europe traverse une nouvelle période de crise et que la légitimité des institutions ... more A lors que l'Europe traverse une nouvelle période de crise et que la légitimité des institutions européennes demeure vacillante, il s'agit de comprendre comment les acteurs eurosceptiques agissent une fois élus au Parlement européen. À travers une étude approfondie des stratégies et pratiques des députés eurosceptiques, l'ouvrage participe à une meilleure compréhension de ce que s'opposer à l'Europe au coeur de l'UE veut dire.
"The European Union is facing a profound crisis and is confronted with multiple challenges. Over ... more "The European Union is facing a profound crisis and is confronted with multiple challenges. Over the last two decades, it has experienced a series of dramatic changes to its powers, its institutional design, its constitutional framework and its borders. At the same time, the uneasy relationship between European citizens and elites has complicated both the reform and the function of the Union. While the Lisbon treaty provided some answers to crucial questions, it did not clarify the nature of the EU, which remains at the crossroads of federal and intergovernmental logic. The current economic and financial crisis puts the EU’s legitimacy further under pressure and creates the impression of a turning point.
This book provides a concise analysis of the EU and its dynamics by paying particular attention to its day to day operation. It aims to help students and scholars understand its evolution, its institutions, its decision-making and the interactions between the EU and various actors. Avoiding abstract theorizing, the authors propose an easy to read analysis of how the Union works while recognizing the complexity of the situation. Throughout the book, the key issues of European integration are addressed: democratic deficit, politicization, the role of member states, institutional crisis and citizen involvement.
Le fonctionnement de l'Union européenne, 2ème édition revue et augmentée
Au cours de ces deux dernières décennies, l’Union européenne a connu une série de bouleversements... more Au cours de ces deux dernières décennies, l’Union européenne a connu une série de bouleversements qui ont affecté tout à la fois sa composition territoriale, son mode de fonctionnement, ses compétences et son cadre constitutionnel. Dans le même temps, la question de ses rapports avec les citoyens, qui était jusqu’alors un impensé de la construction européenne, a été posée avec force et est venue compliquer aussi bien la réforme des traités que le fonctionnement courant de l’Union. Le traité de Lisbonne, malgré ses faiblesses, a apporté des réponses à des questions restées en suspens depuis le traité de Maastricht. Il n’a en revanche pas clarifié la nature de l’Union : à l’inverse, il en confirme le caractère hybride, à la croisée des logiques intergouvernementale et fédérale. La crise économique et financière qui sévit depuis 2009 suscite de nouvelles interrogations sur la légitimité de l’UE et la souveraineté dans l’UE, et vient bousculer des arrangements institutionnels que l’on pensait désormais bien établis.
Cet ouvrage a pour ambition de fournir une analyse concise de l’Union et de ses dynamiques, en accordant une attention particulière à son fonctionnement concret. L’étude du processus décisionnel, des interactions entre les institutions européennes et de leurs rapports avec différents types d’acteurs apparaît en effet comme l’approche la plus propice au contournement des deux écueils que sont, d’une part, le constat désenchanté des indéterminations de l’Union et, d’autre part, sa théorisation abstraite.
Les auteurs proposent une lecture simple et pédagogique du fonctionnement de l’Union qui, tout en faisant droit à la complexité des choses, évite de la dramatiser. Au fil de l’ouvrage, les questions-clé de la construction européenne sont abordées : déficit démocratique, politisation, rôle des Etats membres, européanisation, crise institutionnelle, représentation d’intérêts.
"Since its origins, there have been competing views concerning the nature, scope and objectives o... more "Since its origins, there have been competing views concerning the nature, scope and objectives of the process of integration and of the European Union. Attitudes towards Europe and European integration, both among political elites and citizens, have been much studied over the last 15 years. But there is no comprehensive analysis of these competing views of Europe at the supranational level.
The existence of radically diverging views on the European political system within the EU’s own institutions is problematic at both theoretical and practical levels. Little is known, however, about this phenomenon, its impact on the EU’s agenda and policy-making as well as on constitutional reform. This book aims therefore at investigating the divergence in views about the European Union in order to lend insight into its consequences for the functioning of the EU and its institutions. It focuses on the main EU institutions, i.e. the Council, Commission, Parliament and Court but also deals with the visions of various European elites on the EU.
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Le fonctionnement de l'Union européenne
Despre Parlamentul European, democratizare si democratie.
Sistema decisório da União Europeia
crise econômica mundial que se estende desde 2008 tem colocado desafios importantes à integração ... more crise econômica mundial que se estende desde 2008 tem colocado desafios importantes à integração europeia. Depois de mais de uma década de governos liberais, a Europa se vê confrontada com a necessidade de uma regulação reforçada dos sistemas fiscal e financeiro. A questão é como fazê-lo: cada governo trabalhando separadamente pelo seu país e privilegiando o contexto interno ou os Estados decidindo cooperar e adotar medidas comuns. O que está em questão, portanto, é a própria ideia de regionalismo: é simples manter a união quando a situação econômica é fávorável, mas o que se deve fazer quando ela não é? Se os anos 90 foram a década da integração regional, os anos 2000 põem em evidência a crise do regionalismo. Esta obra contribui para a compreensão desse movimento e dos instrumentos disponíveis à Europa para lidar com a crise, seguindo a já tradicional combinação dos métodos comunitário e intergovernamental. O futuro da Europa e da zona do euro é um forte determinante da política internacional da próxima década, na qual a América Latina, unida, pode ter um lugar de destaque.
Articles by Nathalie Brack
ZParl Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen, 2021
As soon as March 2020, the President of the European Parliament (EP) has decided to shutdown the... more As soon as March 2020, the President of the European Parliament (EP) has decided to shutdown the assembly's facilities in Brussels and to cancel the plenary sessions in Strasbourg. Important decisions were made to abandon in-person meetings, introduce teleworking for all staff, and implement remote deliberation and voting in both committees and the plenary. The Rules of Procedure were adapted to formalize these organisational changes in the eventuality of a new crisis. The EP proved to be resilient: it continued to discuss and adopt many legislative, budgetary, and non-legislative texts in plenary. However, the sequence of remote-work had an impact on the political dynamics within the EP. It was characterised by a very high level of consensus, as the result of a higher level of agreement between the two main groups, the EPP and S&D. Also, the main groups became much more cohesive.
Comparative European Politics, 2022
Deep constitutional, political and social conflicts have marked the aftermath of the UK’s vote to... more Deep constitutional, political and social conflicts have marked the aftermath of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. Sovereignty has been one of the sites of these conflicts. British Euroscepticism has traditionally mobilized national sovereignty against the EU’s supranational institutions. Since the referendum, the focus has shifted to the meanings and practices of sovereignty within the UK. In this paper, we find that the conflicts of sovereignty provoked by Brexit have primarily been at the institutional level, in the relations between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Surprisingly, there has been little conflict around the abstract normative ideal of sovereignty as government by consent of the governed (“popular sovereignty”). Brexit was a source of conflict as much because of the content of the decision to leave the EU as it was due to disagreement about who rules. This discussion of the British case is a useful starting point for the comparative study of sovereignty conflicts in Europe, where institutional conflicts may be accompanied by substantive disagreements about “who rules?” This paper recommends that we carefully delineate conflicts of sovereignty from other sorts of conflicts connected to specific policy choices or outcomes.
Comparative European Politics, 2022
Contemporary conflicts of sovereignty in Europe have gone beyond the clash between national and s... more Contemporary conflicts of sovereignty in Europe have gone beyond the clash between national and supranational sovereignty. Sovereignty conflicts are increasingly occurring within member states. This paper develops a conceptual framework that distinguishes between foundational, institutional and territorial conflicts of sovereignty, elaborating on this taxonomy with reference to the historical evolution of the concept of sovereignty in Europe. It provides an account of why we have seen a proliferation in conflicts of sovereignty within European states. This is due in part to the notion of "shared" sovereignty. Central to European integration, this notion has introduced considerable institutional indeterminacy into the political systems of member states, leading to many of the institutional conflicts of sovereignty we see in Europe today. The struggle of national party systems to institutionalize societal conflict via partisan competition is another contributory factor. This has displaced conflict onto the terrain of how popular rule is institutionalized within the national state. In developing this framework, the paper provides a method for distinguishing between political conflicts tout court and those touching specifically upon sovereignty. Moreover, the framework helps us distinguish between those conflicts of sovereignty most destabilizing for a polity and those which are less so.
Journal of European integration, 2019
Often presented as a threat, Eurosceptic MEPs and their strategies have been comparatively unders... more Often presented as a threat, Eurosceptic MEPs and their strategies have been comparatively understudied so far. At a time when the EU is facing a deep crisis and citizens' discontent has led to a significant increase in the Eurosceptics' share of EP seats, it is crucial to analyse empirically whether Eurosceptic MEPs behave in a manner that endangers the legitimacy or the work of the EP of the institution. This article is a first attempt to answer this question. The ambition here is to examine to what extent the behaviour of Eurosceptics differs from the behaviour of non-Eurosceptic MEPs and whether this has evolved over time. Based on an analysis of MEPs' activities during the 6 th , 7 th and 8 th legislature, this article shows that there is a shift in Eurosceptic behaviour, in the sense of a normalisation of their parliamentary activities.
Journal of European Integration, 2019
In the post-Maastricht era, member states of the European Union (EU) have proved increasingly rel... more In the post-Maastricht era, member states of the European Union (EU) have proved increasingly reluctant to transfer further competences to the supranational level and are willing to safeguard their sovereignty. Though the responses to the contemporary multiple crises – related to economic and monetary policy, borders and migrations, or democracy and the rule of law – have brought about conflicts over values and sovereignty losses surrounding the legal, economic and political legitimacy of the EU. Against this backdrop, we argue that beyond the traditional contentious (re)distribution of competences between nation-states (national sovereignty) and the EU (and its embryonic forms of supranational sovereignty), new conflicts of sovereignty involve two other key types of sovereignty belonging to the democratic tradition, namely parliamentary sovereignty and popular sovereignty. This introductory article proposes a common analytical framework in order to investigate conflicts in their multi-dimensionality.
Journal of European Integration, 2019
The multiple crises that the EU has faced over the last decade have provided fertile ground for t... more The multiple crises that the EU has faced over the last decade have provided fertile ground for the emergence of new political movements, often labelled as ‘anti-system’, ‘populist’ and ‘Eurosceptics’. One defining characteristic of these parties is their claim to represent ‘the people’ and their reliance on the idea of sovereignty. This article aims at examining how these populist parties have framed sovereignty in relation to the economic and migration crises. It argues that the binary opposition between EU integration and national sovereignty does not tell the whole story, and that the populist upsurge reflects instead competing versions of sovereignty at the national level. To test this hypothesis, we conduct a corpus-based analysis of the discourse of four leading populist parties between 2012 and 2017: the Front National, the UK Independence Party, the Movimento cinque Stelle and Podemos.
Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 2020
The Brexit referendum in June 2016 marked a critical point for European integration and has quick... more The Brexit referendum in June 2016 marked a critical point for European integration and has quickly attracted attention from scholars. However, the literature so far has focused on the UK and the EU level, neglecting the symmetric risk exposures and the diverging views around Brexit within the Member states. This article aims at contributing to filling this gap by analyzing to what extent the attention paid to Brexit differs across parliaments in a multilevel setting and whether parties emphasize the same issue across different levels? It relies on a unique database of parliamentary questions in the Belgian (regional and federal) parliaments between 2013 and 2017 and combines social network analysis and a loglinear modeling to analyze how Brexit has been framed and discussed in Belgium.
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Books by Nathalie Brack
recognized as relevant and legitimate players at the supranational
level and given tools to be involved beyond the scrutiny of their
national government. However, the last decade brought new
challenges to the Europeanisation of national Parliaments, with
several crises boosting intergovernmentalism. This study,
commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for
Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the
AFCO Committee, examines how EU national Parliaments have
adapted to all these challenges and assesses their involvement in
EU affairs over the past decade.
Cet ouvrage propose une analyse des régimes politiques des 28 États membres de l’Union européenne avec, en trame de fond, un questionnement relatif à l’émergence d’un modèle européen de démocratie. Cette nouvelle édition, mise à jour pour tenir compte des derniers développements politiques et institutionnels, montre que les démocraties européennes, bien que partageant certaines similitudes, portent aussi la trace de leur trajectoire nationale propre.
This book provides a concise analysis of the EU and its dynamics by paying particular attention to its day to day operation. It aims to help students and scholars understand its evolution, its institutions, its decision-making and the interactions between the EU and various actors. Avoiding abstract theorizing, the authors propose an easy to read analysis of how the Union works while recognizing the complexity of the situation. Throughout the book, the key issues of European integration are addressed: democratic deficit, politicization, the role of member states, institutional crisis and citizen involvement.
Cet ouvrage a pour ambition de fournir une analyse concise de l’Union et de ses dynamiques, en accordant une attention particulière à son fonctionnement concret. L’étude du processus décisionnel, des interactions entre les institutions européennes et de leurs rapports avec différents types d’acteurs apparaît en effet comme l’approche la plus propice au contournement des deux écueils que sont, d’une part, le constat désenchanté des indéterminations de l’Union et, d’autre part, sa théorisation abstraite.
Les auteurs proposent une lecture simple et pédagogique du fonctionnement de l’Union qui, tout en faisant droit à la complexité des choses, évite de la dramatiser. Au fil de l’ouvrage, les questions-clé de la construction européenne sont abordées : déficit démocratique, politisation, rôle des Etats membres, européanisation, crise institutionnelle, représentation d’intérêts.
The existence of radically diverging views on the European political system within the EU’s own institutions is problematic at both theoretical and practical levels. Little is known, however, about this phenomenon, its impact on the EU’s agenda and policy-making as well as on constitutional reform. This book aims therefore at investigating the divergence in views about the European Union in order to lend insight into its consequences for the functioning of the EU and its institutions. It focuses on the main EU institutions, i.e. the Council, Commission, Parliament and Court but also deals with the visions of various European elites on the EU.
"
Articles by Nathalie Brack