Who talks to whom? Using social network models to understand debate networks in the European Parliament

Stefanie Walter, Lucy Kinski and Zsófia Boda
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Stefanie Walter: Department of Governance, TUM School of Social Science and Technology, 9184Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Lucy Kinski: Salzburg Centre of European Union Studies, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Zsófia Boda: Department of Sociology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK

European Union Politics, 2023, vol. 24, issue 2, 410-423

Abstract: Research into parliamentary speech making–behaviour of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) usually takes a static perspective. We offer an interactive and dynamic approach that understands parliamentary debates as a relational network phenomenon and investigates MEPs’ debate interactions. This allows us to uncover dynamics of inclusiveness and pluralism, self-reinforcing power relationships and transnational policy alliances. Analyzing 11,408 debate interactions between MEPs using a combination of text and dynamic network analysis, we find that male, senior and influential parliamentarians from powerful member states receive more attention with evidence for a self-reinforcing effect over time. Interestingly, seniority matters more for debate attention than leadership positions. Sharing the same nationality and a similar political leaning also shape debate coalitions with the former being more important than the latter.

Keywords: European Parliament; network analysis; parliamentary debate; text analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:24:y:2023:i:2:p:410-423

DOI: 10.1177/14651165221137994

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