A coercive policy-making state? How the EU is alienating its citizens

The remit of EU institutions has expanded inexorably, writes Jeremy Richardson (Oxford/University of Canterbury), all while their policy-making style has shifted from a consensus-based process towards a more coercive, top-down one. At the same time, the EU's focus on interest groups might have also exacerbated the problem of the democratic deficit by distancing the EU from broader public opinion. These realities have contributed to both Brexit and the broader ‘populist revolt’ across Member States.