Everything Everywhere All at Once? Introducing a Field‐Theoretic Model for Party Politics in the European Union

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is facing a democratic deficit, which scholars have argued political parties could help resolve. However, few have asked what model of party (system) is suitable for achieving this. To assume that the models of party politics used in the nation‐state context can simply be transposed to the European level would be mistaken. A new model is needed that theorises parties as genuine multilevel actors whose behaviour at the European level can only be understood by also appreciating national‐level dynamics, and vice versa. I argue that organisational field theory can help innovate the way we think about party democracy in the EU, introducing the European Multilevel Party Field. It is based on the understanding that European politics is ‘everything everywhere all at once’, with actors operating in permanent interdependence with others across levels and borders. This model helps capture more accurately the complex reality of European politics.