Europarties and public policies: the social democrats and the quest of fiscal policy

A common concern regarding the political life of the European Union (EU) is whether Europarties are relevant or not. One important aspect of this concern relates to the role of Europarties within the EU political process. Departing from the literature acquis, the present article offers a new analytical perspective which is illustrated by the case of the Party of European Socialists and fiscal competition. It is argued that the PES contributed to the success of the EU agenda against harmful tax competition although it failed to promote its fiscal program. In addition, this theoretical and empirical analysis weakens cognitive and institutional theories of European integration.