Blog

December 12, 2019

An Analysis of the Spitzenkandidaten Process – Part 2

Classic political theories suggest that a democratic government should have both “input” and “output” legitimacy. A political institution relies public opinion and policy preference, the “input”, or democratic process, from the people, and the good legislation outcomes, or the “output” to be the source of its legitimacy.
December 9, 2019

An Analysis of the Spitzenkandidaten Process – Part 1

The European Commission is meant to be the non-partisan, executive branch of the EU that consists of experts rather than politicians. However, the appointment of Commissioners is certainly a politicised process, so many argue for the democratisation of this procedure.
November 14, 2019

How Current Funding Mechanisms Allow for the Misuse of EU Cohesion Funds

The EU’s Cohesion Policy comprises almost a third of the current seven-year budget. However, there is controversy as to whether cohesion projects have been effective in promoting convergence and development, considering the distribution of funds is mainly based on intergovernmental earmarking.
November 12, 2019

Competing Interests: Lessons From the International Tax Competitiveness Index

According to the 2019 International Tax Competitiveness Index (ITCI) rankings, Estonia holds the most-competitive position for the sixth year in a row, while France ranks at the bottom of the index. What are the implications of the rankings for EU countries and their citizens?