ABSTRACT This article analyses how the Netherlands was able to successfully influence the adoption of the Conditionality Regulation in the absence of leadership by a large EU Member State and without advancing only its own material interests. An empirical analysis based on careful process-tracing and interviews shows that the small-state strategy of coalition building with like-minded states and EU institutions was essential. This article extends beyond what is available in the literature through explaining the conditions for successful coalition-building strategies. Successful coalition building by small states is dependent on their argumentative power and their reputations as ‘norm advocates’ and requires high-quality and coherent arguments. This article sheds light on how coalition-building and argumentative strategies relate to each other.