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Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona Anti-Austerity Movements in the European Union. Analysis of the Influence of Anti-Austerity Movements on Political Discourse in the European Parliament Núria Suero Comellas ADVERTIMENT. Lʼaccés als continguts dʼaquesta tesi doctoral i la seva utilització ha de respectar els drets de la persona autora. Pot ser utilitzada per a consulta o estudi personal, així com en activitats o materials dʼinvestigació i docència en els termes establerts a lʼart. 32 del Text Refós de la Llei de Propietat Intel·lectual (RDL 1/1996). Per altres utilitzacions es requereix lʼautorització prèvia i expressa de la persona autora. En qualsevol cas, en la utilització dels seus continguts caldrà indicar de forma clara el nom i cognoms de la persona autora i el títol de la tesi doctoral. No sʼautoritza la seva reproducció o altres formes dʼexplotació efectuades amb finalitats de lucre ni la seva comunicació pública des dʼun lloc aliè al servei TDX. Tampoc sʼautoritza la presentació del seu contingut en una finestra o marc aliè a TDX (framing). Aquesta reserva de drets afecta tant als continguts de la tesi com als seus resums i índexs. ADVERTENCIA. El acceso a los contenidos de esta tesis doctoral y su utilización debe respetar los derechos de la persona autora. Puede ser utilizada para consulta o estudio personal, así como en actividades o materiales de investigación y docencia en los términos establecidos en el art. 32 del Texto Refundido de la Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (RDL 1/1996). Para otros usos se requiere la autorización previa y expresa de la persona autora. En cualquier caso, en la utilización de sus contenidos se deberá indicar de forma clara el nombre y apellidos de la persona autora y el título de la tesis doctoral. No se autoriza su reproducción u otras formas de explotación efectuadas con fines lucrativos ni su comunicación pública desde un sitio ajeno al servicio TDR. Tampoco se autoriza la presentación de su contenido en una ventana o marco ajeno a TDR (framing). Esta reserva de derechos afecta tanto al contenido de la tesis como a sus resúmenes e índices. WARNING. The access to the contents of this doctoral thesis and its use must respect the rights of the author. It can be used for reference or private study, as well as research and learning activities or materials in the terms established by the 32nd article of the Spanish Consolidated Copyright Act (RDL 1/1996). Express and previous authorization of the author is required for any other uses. In any case, when using its content, full name of the author and title of the thesis must be clearly indicated. Reproduction or other forms of for profit use or public communication from outside TDX service is not allowed. Presentation of its content in a window or frame external to TDX (framing) is not authorized either. These rights affect both the content of the thesis and its abstracts and indexes. Anti-Austerity Movements in the European Union Analysis of the Influence of Anti-Austerity Movements on Political Discourse in the European Parliament Núria Suero Comellas PhD Thesis Supervisor: Rafael Grasa Hernández Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona PhD in Politics, Policies and International Relations Department of Public Law and Legal History Studies Department of Political Science and Public Law Institute of Government and Public Policy September 2019 Agraïments El coneixement es construeix col·lectivament i és amb les contribucions dels altres que el podem fer avançar. Gràcies a totes les persones que m’han acompanyat i han contribuït de diferents formes en aquesta tesi doctoral. En primer lloc, un agraïment a Rafael Grasa, director d’aquesta tesi, pels comentaris, suggeriments, idees, i sobretot per la confiança en la meva feina. En segon lloc, gràcies als professors i professores de la UAB i d’altres universitats que han comentat i fet propostes molt valuoses en diversos moments del procés d’elaboració de la tesi, especialment Carolina Galais, Eva Anduiza, Oriol Costa, Mariona Ferrer i Raquel Gallego. Un agraïment també a Guiomar Rovira per l’acompanyament i per mil consells referents a la tesi i al doctorat. Gràcies també a Marc Balaguer per comentaris, recomanacions, pels ànims i per la generositat de compartir els seus contactes. Una menció també a les companyes del doctorat. Aquelles amb qui vaig compartir l’alegria de començar aquesta aventura i també els dubtes, les angoixes i les incerteses, Claudia, Lina, Alejandra i Bris, i també Carolina Muñoz, Virgínia Baumhardt, Sergio Mariscal, Matías Duran, i totes aquelles persones amb qui he compartit aules, dinars i vida. També voldria agrair les idees i entusiasme que em van donar i transmetre els companys i professors del curs d’estiu del CIS al Real Colegio Complutense – Harvard University, especialment Rubén Díez i Pablo Oñate pels suggeriments que després han enriquit aquesta tesi. D’altra banda, l’estada a Florència al Centre on Social Movement Studies (COSMOS) de la Scuola Normale Superiore em va permetre participar en cursos, seminaris, xerrades, debats, tallers, conferencies i fins i tot a l’escola d’estiu. L’intercanvi amb professors i doctorands va ser molt intens i la llista d’agraïments infinita; gràcies a tots i totes per les idees que vau compartir en les converses, la posada en comú de les vostres experiències, els consells, i l’esperit de cooperació i intercanvi que vaig tenir el privilegi de viure. Una menció especial a Alice Mattoni, Lorenzo Mosca, Lorenzo Bosi, Martín Portos, Javier Alcalde i Benedetta Carlotti. Gràcies també als professors visitants al COSMOS que van aportar comentaris i idees en aquesta tesi, Jennifer Earl, Markus Siewert, James Jasper, Klaus Eder, i Víctor Sampedro. De l’European University Institute un agraïment també als comentaris, consells i al temps que em van dedicar Hanspeter Kriesi, Philippe Schmitter i Pablo Gracia. Un agraïment molt especial a la directora del COSMOS i supervisora de la meva estada, Donatella 1 Della Porta. Gràcies pels comentaris, suggeriments, idees, consells, i també per incloure’m i convertir-me en una membre més del centre, per preocupar-se fins a l’últim detall de la meva estada, per la gran qualitat intel·lectual i humana, per l’entusiasme i curiositat contagiosa. Gràcies per tanta inspiració. No puc deixar de fer un esment especial a tots aquells companys i companyes activistes amb qui he compartit tantes hores, tants somnis i tantes esperances. Impossible anomenar-vos a totes, però heu estat font d’aprenentatge, de reflexió infinita, també amb els que he estat en profund desacord. Tantes preguntes compartides, sense respostes, són el que ens empeny pels tortuosos camins del pensament intentant comprendre. Sovint quedem decebuts del que trobem, però en el caliu de les lluites mantenim tossudament l’optimisme de la voluntat. Finalment, gràcies al suport incondicional de la meva família, la Mireia, l’Ana Maria i el Rafael. Difícilment un projecte tira endavant sense el recolzament dels altres i difícilment podem acabar-lo sense la seva confiança en que podem fer-ho, sobretot en els moments d’incertesa, confusió i dubtes, tan desagraïts per a la gent més propera, tan fonamentals per a la persona que els viu. 2 A les dones de la meva família, a les espatlles de les quals he pogut créixer. 3 Abstract This thesis explores the influence of anti-austerity movements in the European institutions, analysing the case of the European Parliament. It focuses on the ideas of democracy espoused by the movements, based on a deliberative conception of democracy. The research builds on a qualitative analysis approach and uses frame analysis in order to observe to what extent the movements’ ideas have had an impact on the European Parliament. Moreover, contextual elements are also taken into account, using a political and discursive opportunities approach. The thesis draws on the State of the Union debates from 2010 to 2017, seven debates on the Greek debt crisis from 2010 to 2015, and personal interviews with MEPs. Previous research on anti-austerity movements and documentary evidence from the movements have also been used. The debates in the European Parliament have been analysed using the austerity and democracy frames from the movements. In addition, interviews have been conducted to assess MEPs’ conception of democracy and opinions about anti-austerity movements and their influence. The findings show that even though the impacts in the EP have been limited, left-wing MEPs have replicated some ideas from the movements. Therefore, allies are found to be important in securing outcomes with the use of shared frames from the movements. Moreover, ideology has been detected as decisive in the movement’s outcomes in that institution. Hence, the findings confirm that as previous research has shown, the EU is also a suitable arena for protest actions. In turn, the thesis raises more questions about the outcomes of the conception of deliberative democracy practiced by anti-austerity movements and their pressure for widening and deepening democracy in the long term. Eventually, a comparison between EU countries on the impact of the anti-austerity movements would further contribute to better define the influence of the movements in the EU. Future research should also analyze the influence of anti-austerity movements in other European and international institutions. Lastly, other aspects related to the changing global technological context and their relation to transformations in politics should be examined. 4 Resum Aquesta tesi explora la influència dels moviments contra l’austeritat a les institucions europees, a través de l’anàlisi del cas del Parlament Europeu. Es focalitza en les idees de democràcia dels moviments que estaven basades en una concepció deliberativa de democràcia. La recerca es basa en una anàlisi qualitativa i utilitza l’anàlisi de marcs per tal d’observar fins a quin punt les idees dels moviments han tingut un impacte en el Parlament Europeu.
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