Clientelism, Committees, Pluralism and Protests in the European Union: Matching Patterns?

Abstract: Many efforts have been made to identify general patterns of interest intermediation in the EU, ranging from early studies about clientela relations to recent depictions of protest politics. This review covers studies that aim at cross-sectoral generalisations as well as analyses that are confined to specific sectors, policy areas, and issues. While many analyses are rooted in the debate on corporatism and pluralism, since the 1990s the conceptual range has extended to the study of policy networks and communities. More recent studies identify a simultaneous trend towards greater politicisation and institutionalisation of EU interest intermediation. Altogether, this literature has yielded inconclusive results. It is unclear whether the EU is marked by cross-sectoral patterns or whether it is more meaningful to focus on policy areas or sectors as units of observation. The discussion suggests that part of the controversy surrounding these findings stems from problems inherent in the typological logic that frames these analyses. It is also argued that the explanatory aspects of this literature need to be strengthened and linked more explicitly to studies examining the democratic stability and economic performance of the EU.