Does European integration increase sub-national power? Evidence from a time-series cross-sectional analysis

Gómez Díaz, Jana; Gómez Díaz, Abelardo

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41304-020-00269-8

Does European integration increase sub-national power? Evidence from a time-series cross-sectional analysis

Citation

Gómez J, Gómez A. Does European integration increase sub-national power? Evidence from a time-series cross-sectional analysis. European Political Science. 2020 Dec;19(4):622-40. DOI: 10.1057/s41304-020-00269-8

Abstract

The literature on the relationship between European Union (EU) integration and regional power has produced two opposing theoretical models. Depending on the model, EU integration leads to either an increase or decrease in regional power. Evidence for both, however, has been largely inconclusive and mostly derived from qualitative case studies. This paper, on the other hand, offers a quantitative, large-N analysis, using data from fifty-six countries between 1960 and 2010. Its random effects model shows that EU membership considerably increases regional authority within member states over time, and its comparison with another international organization suggests that the effect is not idiosyncratic. Additionally, this paper finds support for two possible mechanisms: the establishment of the subsidiarity principle and the Commission’s requirement to create regional government structures.