MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE OR MANAGERIAL DOMINANCE? A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON EU GOVERNANCE IN THE POST-MAASTRICHT ERA

Authors : Ömer Didin

Pages : 303-316

Doi:10.30794/pausbed.1595391

View : 84 | Download : 66

Publication Date : 2025-09-05

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study analyses the post-Maastricht era multi-level EU governance through the lens of the Theory of Managerial Revolution, put forward by James Burnham in “The Managerial Revolution” and improved by Samuel T. Francis among others. The study contrasts managerialism with the multi-level governance (MLG) theory, which gained prominence following the Maastricht Treaty. Focusing mainly on the supranational level in European governance and its interactions with other levels, it is argued that the emerging managerial class/elite has been rising to a dominant position. The study employs a detailed literature review, presents a qualitative and theoretical discussion and links these to empirical facts such as the growing mass and scale of EU governance and the surging share of environmental policy in its external governance. The study first proposes a detailed theoretical framework on managerialism, presenting its differences from the proximate concept of technocracy. Then, the framework is applied to post-Maastricht EU governance in tandem with MLG. Although MLG envisions decentralization through dispersion of authority across multiple levels, it is argued that the real result has been quite the opposite, as the growth of mass and scale of EU governance and reliance on managerial expertise to guide the complex and strategic policymaking environment in the post-Maastricht era is argued to have led to centralization of power in the hands of a unified managerial elite. This phenomenon is better explained by the managerialism theory rather than the MLG theory. The study also employs securitization only as a secondary analytical lens contributing to understanding managerial practices. The unique theoretical discussion and findings of the study are expected to initiate a wider discussion in the scholarship on EU governance and European integration. Managerialism is offered as an alternative of complementary theoretical lens to MLG. The study focuses mainly on proposing a novel theoretical model. It is aimed to form as a basis for future research focusing on deeper empirical testing.
Keywords : Yönetselcilik, Teknokrasi, Yönetselci elitler, Çok düzeyli yönetişim, Maastricht antlaşması, Avrupa bütünleşmesi

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