Coalitions in EU Environmental Policymaking: A Typology

ABSTRACT

EU environmental policy processes are structured and influenced by coalitions of different shapes and sizes. Despite the structural variation, no systematic mapping or characterization of coalitions has been conducted. Consequently, this paper asks: what are the different types of coalitions present in EU environmental policy processes within the European Green Deal? Focusing on five policy processes related to the European Green Deal, coalitions are mapped and characterized across five structural dimensions, forming a coalition typology. Among the five policy processes 59 coalitions are identified and characterized into six types: the peripheral, the moderate authoritative, the fragmented, the colossal, the policy generalist, and the commanding. The typology proposes a way forward to explore coalition building and change, and the relationship between the structural configurations of coalitions, their strategies, and success.