Party politics, institutions, and identity: the dynamics of regional venue shopping in the EU

Abstract

With deepening European integration, domestic interest groups have increasingly engaged in multi-level venue shopping. Regional authorities are no different and have represented their interests through both intra- and extra-state channels. There is some disagreement, however, over which of these channels are most frequently used. Similarly, there is little consensus on the ways in which partisan, institutional, and identity logics can affect the dynamics of venue shopping. To gain some insights into these questions, the article surveys 122 regional administrations in their home country. It finds that, when trying to influence the EU policy-shaping process from home, European regions use extra-state channels more frequently than intra-state ones. Party politics, institutions, and identity logics all affect venue selection, though differently. The general trend towards extra-state channels is indicative of the nature of the EU political system. The findings also have implications for questions of representation and democracy within such a system.