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Professor Robert Ladrech gives Inaugural Lecture
Professor Robert Ladrech, Professor of European Politics gave the latest lecture in the University's series of professorial Inaugural Lectures for 2011 – 2012.
In his lecture, "Political Parties and the European Project", he said mainstream political parties in Western Europe have supported membership in the European Union, as well as initiatives in further European integration, over the past several decades. However, these actions had not been complemented by a political discourse that justified this continuing support - including their party politicians' participation in EU decision-making - to their respective electorates. In other words, national party politicians participate in EU governance and implement the resulting legislation but do not articulate a reason for doing so to their national publics. When some EU proposed legislation proves unpopular, some national party politicians blame the EU by saying 'Brussels made me do it'. This silence or absence of a legitimising discourse has persisted despite a decline in public support for the EU in many member states, leading some commentators to suggest a growing legitimacy problem for the EU and even national government.
This lecture addressed the question of 'what prevents mainstream national political parties from developing a legitimising discourse for their support for the EU and integration initiatives'. It situated the answer within the dynamics of national competitive party systems, especially in light of the current financial crisis in the eurozone.
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