Newfound Dutch courage? Examining developments in the Netherlands’ use of coalitions in the European Council post-2016 : A case study on European economic and financial policy

Abstract

This thesis examines developments in the Netherlands’ use of coalitions within the European Council in the period 2010 to 2020, through a case study on European economic and financial policy. Drawing upon coalition theories which posit that bargaining power is enhanced by a higher degree of institutionalised cooperation, this thesis examines how the Netherlands uses institutional bargaining mechanisms within coalitions to serve its own interests in unanimity based Council voting. In the context of two significant developments in European power dynamics, namely the UK’s exit and the perceived renewal of close Franco-German collaboration, this thesis compares two time frames to identify developments in the Netherlands’ European coalitions amid continuity in Dutch national government and leadership. Each half of the period for analysis will address an economic crisis recovery negotiation (the Eurozone crisis and the coronavirus crisis, both of which saw calls for debt mutualisation) and negotiations for two consecutive long-term EU budgets (the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014 – 2020, and the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 – 2027). It is argued that Netherlands has actively pursued a new coalition strategy post-2016, targeting small northern states, and has employed a high degree of institutionalisation within these alliance to increase its bargaining power at the European level.