Migration, incorporation and health policies in Europe
Refugees’ and asylum seekers’ access to health care is an important aspect of their mid- to long-term integration into host countries’ societies – or of political endeavours to keep them at the margins of society, based on different conceptions of these persons either as temporary residents, or as future citizens of the host country. This research project studies the political regulation of refugees’ and asylum seekers’ access to health care in different EU member states, with a focus on Germany and Sweden and their embeddedness in the EU multi-level governance system.
The institutional evolution of the European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) – today one of the most powerful actors at EU level – was intended to be a mere consultative assembly at the founding of the European Communities. However, its members sought to extend their institution’s role from the very beginning. This research project sheds light on the process of the EP’s parliamentarisation, from its establishment in 1952 to its first direct elections in 1979 and beyond.
Welfare states and social policies at national and EU levels – between change and persistence
Social policy holds much potential for politicisation in its function as determinant of insiders and outsiders, inclusion and exclusion. In this area of research, I examine dynamics of change and persistence in different welfare states (predominantly the German and Swedish ones) within the broader EU multi-level governance system, particularly during times of crisis and crisis governance. I also study the gradual emergence of and fragmented competence distribution in EU social policy.
The informal construction of Europe
Informal dimensions of European integration have received limited academic attention to date, despite their historical and contemporary importance. This research project demonstrates how informality has impacted the functioning and development of the European Communities, and later the European Union, as well as other European and transatlantic organisations, such as the Western European Union, the G7 and NATO.
The supranational-level activism of EU institutions
This research project sheds light on the supranational-level activism of a wide range of EU institutions in the past and present. Based on a concise definition and conceptualisation of ‘supranational institutional activism’, this project contributes to a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the contribution of different actors involved in EU policy making and European integration.