Den sovande jättens uppvaknande? : En kvalitativ studie om politiseringsgraden i riksdagens EU-nämnd i frågan om EU:s återhämtningsfond

Sammanfattning: Some researchers argue that EU affairs are being depoliticized on a national level, while others claim the opposite. If EU affairs are characterized by depoliticization, it is a democratic problem, since voters do not have the possibility to choose between different political options. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the theory of depoliticization. The study was based on a least likely case where the degree of politicization was examined in the Swedish Committee on European Affairs on the issue of the EU Recovery Fund. A hypothesis that depoliticization would prevail was formulated, and if the hypothesis proved to be supported in this study, the results could be generalized to other EU affairs in the Swedish party system. To answer the question, The EU Recovery Fund was divided into seven different sub-questions, which in turn was divided into two dimensions, economic redistribution on EU level and rule of law. Statements from four different parties, the Left Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats, were analyzed using two analysis schemes. With the help of the analysis schemes, the disparity of the parties' positions were analyzed using standard deviations. A low standard deviation indicated that the issue was depoliticized, and a high standard deviation implied politicization. The depoliticization hypothesis was found to be supported in both of the dimensions. This study has therefore contributed with some evidence that EU affairs are depoliticized in the Swedish party system.