Coalitions in European Union negotiations

Coalitions will probably become an increasingly important theme in European Union (EU) politics. The spread of decision making by majority voting prom otes coalition-building behaviour. The impending enlargement is predicted t o differentiate and polarize policy standpoints within the EU. Increasing l evels of policy conflict imply increased propensities for coalition buildin g. Still, the role and nature of coalitions in EU negotiations are obscure. This article raises important research questions: What characterizes coali tion building in the EU? How important are coalitions? What coalition patte rns are discernible? Using data from a questionnaire to Swedish participants on EU committees, i t is shown that coalitions are more frequent when majority voting occurs th an when unanimity rules. Coalition behaviour is, however, important also un der unanimity. The existence of consensus norms diminishes the propensity t o form coalitions. As regards coalition patterns, there is a prevalence of coalitions based on policy interests and/or on cultural affinity. Contrary to conventional wisdom, consistent and durable coalition patterns seem to e xist. The north-south divide is one such persistent pattern. The Swedish re spondents thus reveal a close cooperation between the Nordic member states and Great Britain, whereas France and Spain are seldom approached for coali tion-building purposes. As to future research, evidence from other member s tates and from case studies is needed in order to learn more about the base s for coalition building in EU negotiations.