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On the Role of Europarties in the Formation of a Pan-European Political Space
 
PIIS013122270027339-3-1
DOI10.20542/0131-2227-2023-67-5-34-45
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Boris P. Guseletov 
Occupation: Senior Researcher, Center for Party and Political Studies
Affiliation: The Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences (IE RAS)
Address: 11-3, Mokhovaya Str., Moscow, 125009, Russian Federation
Journal nameMirovaia ekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnosheniia
EditionVolume 67 Issue 5
Pages34-45
Abstract

The article analyzes the increasing influence of pan-European political parties (Europarties) and their factions in the European Parliament, as well as that of representatives of European civil society, on the formation of the pan-European political space, which is becoming an essential element of the European Union’s future political system. The main approaches to the theoretical understanding of the phenomenon of strengthening the pan-European political space landscape are described. It is shown that recently, the Europarties became the key agents of the Europeanization process, which has a significant impact on the formation of this landscape. The attitude of the EU political elite and representatives of European civil society to this development is considered. It is indicated that a serious impetus to further strengthening of the political space was given by the results of the European Parliament elections in 2019, following which the influence of Eurosceptic parties markedly increased. It is noted that the recently concluded Conference on the Future of Europe has adopted a number of important recommendations in support of reinforcing the “Spitzenkandidaten”-principle and the introduction of transnational lists at the EU elections, which should also strengthen the influence impact of European parties on the pan-European political landscape formation. Positions of the leading Europarties and their parliamentary groups in the EP regarding these proposals and the process of Europeanization in general are presented. It is demonstrated that a number of the European Council members representing liberal parties have explicitly stated the need to reform the EU political system as soon as possible in order to make it more monolithic and aimed at forming Europe as a geopolitical power.

KeywordsThe European Union, the pan-European political space, the European Parliament, European parties, Europeanisation, the Conference on the Future of Europe
Received27.08.2023
Publication date31.05.2023
Number of characters31370
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1 ВВЕДЕНИЕ
2 Объектом данного исследования является общеевропейское политическое пространство (ОЕПП), которое включает ключевые политические институты Европейского союза, представителей гражданского общества, в том числе СМИ. Предмет исследования – процесс усиления влияния общеевропейских политических партий (европартий) и представителей гражданского общества на формирование ОЕПП и европеизацию общественно-политической сферы Евросоюза за последние 15 лет. Основные цели исследования – выявление позиций ведущих европартий и их фракций в Европейском парламенте относительно перспектив укрепления ОЕПП, включая усиление роли и полномочий Европарламента, его взаимоотношений с другими политическими институтами ЕС (Евросовет и Еврокомиссия). Для получения эмпирических материалов, касающихся изучения этих позиций, автор использовал контент-анализ сайтов этих партий и их фракций.
3 За минувшие 15 лет политическая система Евросоюза претерпела существенную трансформацию: Лиссабонский договор 2007 г. закрепил за Еврокомиссией (ЕК) исполнительные функции, в 2009 г. официально введен пост Председателя Европейского совета, а после принятия Маастрихского, Амстердамского и Ниццкого договоров Европарламент (ЕП), избираемый всеми гражданами стран – членов ЕС, приобрел заметную роль в союзной политической системе, в том числе в вопросе формирования ЕК и назначения ее руководителя [1, 2].
4 Все более заметную роль в политической системе Евросоюза стали играть Европарламент и общеевропейские политические партии (европартии), которые формируют парламентские группы ЕП по итогам регулярных общеевропейских выборов [3, 4].
5 Британско-бельгийский исследователь М. Уэстлейк утверждал, что «в Евросоюзе заметно усилилось парламентское измерение, не только как неотъемлемый элемент его общеполитического и законодательного механизма, но и как жизненно важный аспект его демократической идентичности. Это ясно указано в ст. 10 Договора о Евросоюзе, в которой говорится, что “Функционирование Союза должно основываться на представительной демократии” (10.1) и что “Граждане непосредственно представлены на уровне Союза в Европарламенте” (10.2). С 1952 г. Евросоюз неумолимо эволюционировал в сторону парламентского союза, и следует предположить, что эта тенденция необратима» [5, ист. 1].
6 Однако уже сегодня эти партии отличаются друг от друга не только в силу их принадлежности к традиционным идейно-политическим течениям (консерваторы, социал-демократы, коммунисты, либералы, экологисты, националисты), но и с точки зрения их отношения к перспективам евроинтеграции (еврооптимисты и евроскептики). При этом в последние 15 лет именно противостояние между еврооптимистами, к которым относятся Европейская народная партия (ЕНП)1, Партия европейских социалистов (ПЕС)2, Альянс либералов и демократов за Европу (АЛДЕ)3, Европейская партия зеленых (ЕПЗ)4, Европейский свободный альянс (ЕСА)5 и Европейская демократическая партия (ЕДП)6, и евроскептиками, которые в свою очередь делятся на умеренных – партия Альянс европейских консерваторов и реформистов (АЕКР)7, Партия европейских левых (ПЕЛ)8, Европейское христианско-демократическое движение (ЕХДП)9 и жестких – партия Идентичность и демократия (ИиД)10, стали важнейшим элементом повестки общеевропейских выборов [4]. 1. European People's Party, EPP (англ.)

2. Party of European Socialists, PES (англ.)

3. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, ALDE Party (англ.) 

4. European Green Party (англ.), Europäische Grüne Partei, EGP (нем.)

5. European Free Alliance, EFA (англ.)

6. Parti Démocrate Européen (фр.), European Democratic Party (англ.)

7. Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (англ.), Allianz der Europäischen Konservativen und Reformisten (нем.), Alliance des conservateurs et réformistes européens (фр.)

8. Party of the European Left (англ.)

9. The European Christian Political Movement, ECPM (англ.)

10. Identity and Democracy (англ.), Identité et démocratie (фр.)

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