Gabriele Abels - Böcker

The volume provides the first comprehensive account of the European Commission under its first female president, Ursula von der Leyen (2019-2024). Amid unprecedented crises, von der Leyen pressed forward with an exceptionally ambitious political agenda, simultaneously pushing European integration into new territory and demanding a new European vision for "A Union of Equality." Applying a gender approach, this book systematically examines von der Leyen's ascendance to and exercise of political leadership in the European Union, the Commission's substantive agenda-setting and policy-making, its responses to the various European crises, and its impact on European governance. The volume provides a new conceptual framework, "critical actorness", capturing both continuities and changes in individual agency and structural processes at the European level from a gender perspective. It encompasses detailed single and comparative analyses, providing an in-depth examination of both von der Leyen and the Commission's multifaceted policy-making, intra- and inter-institutional relations, and crisis management. The volume demonstrates that while von der Leyen and her Commission provided proactive leadership in face of imminent crises, their performance was less effective in addressing long-term issues, particularly gender equality, and LGBTIQ and minority rights. Integrating gender, leadership, structures, policies, and crises, the volume facilitates a deep understanding of the role and significance of the von der Leyen Commission in the evolution of European integration and the process of European governance.

In an attempt to strengthen the legitimacy of European Union (EU) policy-making, the 2009 Lisbon Treaty strengthened the principle of parliamentary control in EU affairs. This pertains to parliaments at all levels ranging from the regional to the supranational level. This book analyses the potential of regional parliaments – the parliaments closest to the citizens – to engage in EU affairs and to fill the perceived legitimacy gap. Eight member states have a total of 73 regional parliaments with legislative powers, and there are further trends towards decentralization in Europe. On its quest to understand the role that regional parliaments can plan in the EU multi-level parliamentary system, the book addresses key questions: What are the formal powers and functions of regional parliaments in EU policy-making? How do they use their powers in practice? How active are they in EU politics, and what do they try to achieve? What factors can explain their degree of (in-)activity? The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of The Journal of Legislative Studies.

This Handbook maps the expanding field of gender and EU politics, giving an overview of the fundamentals and new directions of the sub- discipline, and serving as a reference book for (gender) scholars and students at different levels interested in the EU.In investigating the gendered nature of European integration and gender relations in the EU as a political system, it summarizes and assesses the research on gender and the EU to this point in time, identifies existing research gaps in gender and EU studies and addresses directions for future research. Distinguished contributors from the US, the UK and continental Europe, and from across disciplines from political science, sociology, economics and law, expertly inform about gender approaches and summarize the state of the art in gender and EU studies.The Routledge Handbook of Gender and EU Politics provides an essential and authoritative source of information for students, scholars and researchers in EU studies/ politics, gender studies/ politics, political theory, comparative politics, international relations, political and gender sociology, political economy, European and legal studies/ law.

This Handbook maps the expanding field of gender and EU politics, giving an overview of the fundamentals and new directions of the sub- discipline, and serving as a reference book for (gender) scholars and students at different levels interested in the EU.In investigating the gendered nature of European integration and gender relations in the EU as a political system, it summarizes and assesses the research on gender and the EU to this point in time, identifies existing research gaps in gender and EU studies and addresses directions for future research. Distinguished contributors from the US, the UK and continental Europe, and from across disciplines from political science, sociology, economics and law, expertly inform about gender approaches and summarize the state of the art in gender and EU studies.The Routledge Handbook of Gender and EU Politics provides an essential and authoritative source of information for students, scholars and researchers in EU studies/ politics, gender studies/ politics, political theory, comparative politics, international relations, political and gender sociology, political economy, European and legal studies/ law.

In an attempt to strengthen the legitimacy of European Union (EU) policy-making, the 2009 Lisbon Treaty strengthened the principle of parliamentary control in EU affairs. This pertains to parliaments at all levels ranging from the regional to the supranational level. This book analyses the potential of regional parliaments – the parliaments closest to the citizens – to engage in EU affairs and to fill the perceived legitimacy gap. Eight member states have a total of 73 regional parliaments with legislative powers, and there are further trends towards decentralization in Europe. On its quest to understand the role that regional parliaments can plan in the EU multi-level parliamentary system, the book addresses key questions: What are the formal powers and functions of regional parliaments in EU policy-making? How do they use their powers in practice? How active are they in EU politics, and what do they try to achieve? What factors can explain their degree of (in-)activity?The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of The Journal of Legislative Studies.

The role of regions in the European Union has been frequently debated since the 1980s. This comprehensive book provides a thorough overview of the issue from a variety of perspectives, analysing regional governance and territorial dynamics in the EU and its member states. Focusing on the implications of the democratisation-regionalisation nexus, it argues that a 'Europe with the regions' may promote good governance and ameliorate the democratic deficits of the EU.The book's contributions offer a multidisciplinary approach to the study of governance in the EU and highlight the significance of regions and regionalisation for the EU's future. Through a combination of empirical, conceptual, theoretical and normative approaches, chapters address both intra-state and transnational developments to provide a fresh and exciting addition to the literature on new regionalism and democratic theory. Favouring a modest notion of a 'Europe with the regions' rather than the dominant maximalist vision, it embeds these developments in the ongoing debate about the future of the EU.Students and academics exploring regional governance and the EU will find this book's unique conclusions and crucial insights of great value. The book's distinct perspective on European governance will also be of benefit to policy-makers and EU think-tanks.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the EU is facing deep political, social, and economic changes. The benefit of supranational organization is no longer obvious to European citizens and questions of legitimacy have accompanied the EU's development over the last decades. Regions – albeit often deemed »obsolete« – present themselves as stable and reliable partners in this turbulent environment: in being important objects of identification to their citizens, but also relevant political and legal entities in the EU's multilevel governance system. This edited volume asks about the role of regions and regional identity in a European Union that is perhaps struggling more than ever about its future.