Resumen de Game of deals: bargaining behaviour of the European parliament in the Brexit process

Monika Brusenbauch Meislova

• The article provides an in-depth analysis of the various bargaining strategies thatthe European Parliament (EP) used to leverage its influence over thenegotiations of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and CooperationAgreement. More specifically, it focuses on five bargaining self-empowermentstrategies (obstructing, moving first, issue-linking, allying with other actors, andmobilising public opinion), elucidating if, how and to what extent the EP wasusing these strategies vis-à-vis the Brexit process. Conceptually, the article restson the theory of bargaining-based rational institutionalism. The analysis coversalmost a five year period, from the announcement of the in/out referendumresults on 24 June 2016 until 27 April 2021 when the EP consented to theconclusion of the TCA. The data used for the analysis come from a number ofsources, including 17 original interviews and email communications with MEPs.