Eine (un-)aufhaltsame Bedrohung? Rechtspopulistische Regierungen und intergouvernementale Entscheidungsprozesse in der Europäischen Union

Right-wing populist governments have become a common reality in the member states of the European Union (EU). This article aims to deepen our understanding on the systemic challenges they pose on intergovernmental decision-making and identify counterstrategies. Reflecting on anti-elitism and sovereignism, it points to the incentives that drive right-wing populist governments in undermining consensus-building practices in the European Council and the Council. Yet, conformist governments are not helpless. This article outlines deliberative and confrontational counterstrategies and studies two cases in which conformist governments employed them successfully to reach significant decisions despite populist veto threats: the rule of law conditionality mechanism and the Ukraine Facility.