Overview

Insiders and outsiders agree; there is something particular about negotiating in Brussels. This book analyses ten years of continuous negotiations about EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, answering questions such as When and how are decisions typically reached in the European Union? What is this 'culture of consensus' that pervades negotiations in the Council of Ministers? And why are some member states more successful than others in making their voices heard? Using the metaphor of the Caucus race from Alice in Wonderland, Smeets' book provides a fresh perspective on the decision-making realities in Brussels' European Quarter. By providing unique empirical insight into behind-closed-doors debates, it explains the faltering accession process of the countries of former Yugoslavia. But most of all, it reveals the mechanism by which national interests are accommodated, so that deals can be reached between the member states.

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9781785521379

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Reviews

'Based on participant observation and first-hand accounts, Sandrino Smeets provides an original, in-depth analysis of Council negotiations on the Balkans enlargement of the European Union. By moving beyond explaining negotiations by the constellation of state preferences and power, his innovative Caucus race model accounts for the process features that in turn account for the development and outcomes of negotiations. Smeets' book is not only essential reading for students of EU enlargement and the EU Council; it offers relevant insights for the study of international negotiations in general.' - Frank Schimmelfennig, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Author Information

Sandrino Smeets is a historian, journalist and political scientist. He specializes in EU decision making and international negotiations in the fields of foreign policy, enlargement and economic and monetary union. As part of his PhD project, he worked for the Dutch Permanent Representation in the Council Working Party on the Western Balkans (Coweb) and the Council Working Party on Enlargement (Coela). He has published in a number of academic journals, including Journal of European Public Policy, European Journal of Political Research and Journal of European Integration. Previously an Assistant Professor in the departments of Methodology and Political Science of Radboud University Nijmegen, he currently works at Aarhus University on a project about the EMU reform negotiations.

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