The politicization of EU affairs in the Finnish Eduskunta: Conflicting logics of appropriateness, party strategy or sheer frustration?

Abstract:

Parliamentary processing of European Union (EU) matters in Finland has been characterized as consensual and pragmatic, with little if any public conflict between the political parties. The main goal is understood to be to achieve parliamentary unity – or at least broad consensus, which can arguably be translated into additional influence in EU-level bargaining. But the outbreak of the euro crisis and the 2011 Eduskunta elections triggered a major domestic politicization of Europe, which also affected parliamentary behaviour. EU issues are now debated more often in the full chamber, while voting has become more common in the EAC, with the losing opposition minority adding its dissenting opinions to the EU reports of the committees. Drawing on Eduskunta records and interviews with members of parliament (MPs) and civil servants, three hypotheses about the driving force behind this politicization are formulated: conflicting logics of appropriateness among MPs, the strategic incentives of the Finns Party, and frustration about euro crisis decision making.