A health screening of European political party manifestos to inform priorities and strategies for influence

Abstract

Abstract Background The European Parliament (EP) elections gave way for a new political cycle for the European Union (EU), and thus for public health (PH); an area 70% of the European citizens want the EU to do more on. This research clarifies if and how EU political parties prioritise health and where the gaps are. Methods A literature search was undertaken to 1) gain insight in which sectors the EU can establish policy impacting PH, 2) map actors that play a role in PH policy, and 3) find building blocks for a receptive environment. Four interviews were held with NGOs. Eleven EU political parties’ manifestos were thoroughly screened and two interviews were held with MEPs of two different parties. Results Eight sectors were identified in which the EU has (shared) legislative power and can positively impact PH. How these policies are packaged depends on who places their beliefs on the EU agenda. Actors in the political arena such as, parties that will dominate the EP, the Member States, NGOs, and epistemic communities need to make use of building blocks such as trusting relationships, broad and long term coalitions between different actors, and effective translation of expert knowledge, in order to create a receptive environment. In the manifestos health is (in)directly touched upon, but not prioritised. They look beyond the medical sector, but whether plans are meant to be linked to PH improvements is not always clear. MEPs are keen to prioritise health more at EU level, but respect the EU’s health competences. Conclusions Health is recognized by parties as relevant in non-medical sectors, which offers positive perspectives for the future, as other EU sectors’ policy can impact public health. The agenda-setting of health can be boosted by organizing actors in such a way that they create receptive environments amongst each other.