When, How and Why Are Junior Coalition Parties Able to Affect a Government's Foreign Policy? A Study of Swedish Coalition Governments 2006–2014

Abstract

Junior partners in a coalition government are torn between an eagerness to profile themselves, and to show loyalty to the coalition. We investigate when, how and why junior coalition parties affect foreign policy and profile themselves despite demands for national unity. We study two Swedish centre-right governments in 2006-2010 and 2010-2014. The parties' foreign policy positions in election manifestos are compared to the foreign policy positions presented in the joint Alliance manifesto and yearly government declarations. An explorative analysis of possible explanations for junior parties' influence is based on elite interviews. The results indicate that junior coalition parties might influence the foreign policy in symbolic value related issues, but less so in issues with real policy implications. Our analysis reveals the importance of the leading member of the coalition and how junior parties converge over time towards the position of the senior coalition member.

The barking dogs: junior coalition partners and military operations abroad in Italy

“…Oppermann and Brummer (2014) highlight that control of key ministries and departmental autonomy within the cabinet decisively shape the way in which junior partners are able to influence foreign policymaking. Brommesson and Ekengren (2019) point out how the margin of manoeuvre conceded by the senior partner has a decisive explanatory power in increasing or decreasing junior partner's influence.…”

Sveriges politiska partieroch Israel-Palestinafrågan: En analys av svenska partiers agerande 2006–2021

“…Det externa uttalandet kan uppfattas som mer polerat och genomarbetat, medan den interna debatten kan uppfattas som ärligare och mindre inriktad på att påverka den stora massan. Detta blir extra tydligt inom utrikespolitiken, då varje ord vägs på våg vid offentliga uttalanden (se även Bjereld & Demker, 1995;Brommesson & Ekengren, 2019;Hadenius, 1984, s. 164). Denna jämförelse är aktuell både i tal (partikongresser och parlamentariska debatter) och i text (partiprogram och valmanifest).…”