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All for One, and One for All? Analysing Party Positions on EU Solidarity in Germany in Challenging Times

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2023

Ann-Kathrin Reinl Open the ORCID record for Ann-Kathrin Reinl [Opens in a new window]  and
Stefan Wallaschek Open the ORCID record for Stefan Wallaschek [Opens in a new window]
Ann-Kathrin Reinl*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Governance and Management, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Stefan Wallaschek
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Centre for European Studies (ICES), Europa-Universität Flensburg, Flensburg, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. Email: Annkathrin.reinl@ugent.be
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Abstract

This article analyses party positions on European Union (EU) solidarity in Germany in the run-up to the 2021 German federal elections. While previous studies have investigated whether and under which conditions individuals support or reject different types of EU solidarity, little is known about how political parties position themselves on the issue. The study draws on an original expert survey on German party positions, including various items on EU solidarity. First, we demonstrate that the GAL–TAN dimension strongly shapes party positionings on EU solidarity. Second, the support by political parties varies along the long- or short-term institutionalization of types of EU solidarity. Third, the findings have political implications for the current German government coalition, revealing potential problems for a joint political agenda on EU affairs.

Keywords

GermanyEU solidarityGAL–TANEuropean Unionparty positioning
Type
Article
Information
Government and Opposition , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , January 2024 , pp. 73 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Government and Opposition Limited

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