Voting on Russia in the European Parliament: The Role of National and Party Group Affiliations

Abstract

Although both the European Union (EU) and Russia seem to be increasingly aware of the necessity to cooperate, their relationship is still marked by diplomatic ambivalence and lack of trust. In spite of the growing institutional role and greater activism of the European Parliament (EP) in the field of external relations, EU–Russia relationships have rarely been explored from the EP's perspective. This article argues that the EP's neglect is no longer justified. Bearing in mind the key domestic significance of the EU–Russia relationships for many member states, this article assesses the relative importance of legislators' nationality and party group affiliation in determining their voting stance towards Russia and their propensity to vote along national or party group lines when Russia-related issues are at stake. The article uses empirical data about 27 Russia-related votes held in the EP between 2004 and 2012. The analysis reveals that the voting stance of the Members of the EP (MEPs) on Russia varies greatly across national delegations and European level party groups, according to geo-territorial or partisan/ideological factors. The analysis also suggests that MEPs' voting stances towards Russia are, to a large extent, determined by their partisan affiliations, while the effect of nationality remains marginal.