From Mediator to Crisis Manager: The Evolving Relationship Between Council Presidencies and the European Parliament in Times of Crisis

How has the relationship between the rotating Council presidencies and the European Parliament evolved during an era of polycrises? Over the past decade, the European Union has been confronted with a series of crises, encompassing economic, monetary, migratory, health, and defence sectors. These crises have unfolded in an unparalleled institutional context marked by the strengthening of the European Parliament in the post-Lisbon Treaty era. Although a significant amount of academic literature has centred on the overall impact of institutional changes on the legislative process or the importance of crises for the EU, there have been limited systematic studies investigating their combined effect. This study's primary hypothesis suggests that the efficiency of the Council presidency's negotiations with the European Parliament stems from the interplay of internal institutional variables and external factors within a competitive interinstitutional environment. The relationship's evolution between the Council presidencies and the European Parliament hinges on the interaction of these factors. Utilizing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and conducting an array of in-depth interviews with civil servants from Council presidencies and the European Parliament, this chapter identifies several causal pathways. These pathways elucidate a Presidency's capacity to broker agreements with the European Parliament, emphasizing the evolving role of Council presidencies during crises, oscillating from mediator to crisis manager.