European agenda and representative democracy: explanations for the presence of far-right populism in the European Parliament [Articol]

Abstract

The European Parliament is the institution of representative democracy for EU citizens with in the political system. Since the first elections in 1979, the European legislative branch has gradually increased its powers in the decision-making process. Alongside the evolution of the European Parliament, academic literature on European democracy has debated the balance between national and ideological democratic representation. This paper argues that the current electoral procedures for the European Parliament, combined with the capture of various EU policy issues by far-right populist parties, have favored their election. Currently, a subtle competition of national interests is ongoing over the EU agenda in the European Parliament, with far-right populist parties intensifying this dynamic. Methodologically, this paper proposes two instruments. First, a comparative analysis of how populist radical right parties (PRRPs) in two case studies – AUR in Romania and AfD in Germany – managed agenda issues and socio-cultural transformations at both the national and European levels to gain traction ahead of the 2024 elections. Secondly, I argue that the implications of the opportunity structures, specifically the European Parliament election system, are relevant to the PRRP’s accession into this institution.