This Master's thesis analyses the formation of political networks in the European Parliament (EP) during 8th legislative term (2014-2019). The research was motivated by the desire to understand formation patterns of the so-called »legislative coalitions«, which can also be identified through the successful coordination between MEPs in the form of jointly proposed amendments. The aim of this work was to identify cooperation patterns between MEPs belonging to a particular European political group and an EU Member State and to test six hypotheses.
The research methodology is based on policy network analysis using the open-source Gephi software and quantitative methods to analyse more than 150.000 legislative amendments.
The findings show, among others, that political groups play an important role in MEPs' behaviour, as MEPs are more inclined to cooperate within their political groups when drafting amendments to legislative acts. In addition, the findings reveal that geographical affiliation or national solidarity are not the main factors. The study highlights that, despite the »sanitary cordon« which has to some extent excluded some groups of MEPs from parliamentary work, this has not necessarily led to complete political isolation. Most Eurosceptic groups, with the exception of the ENF, have extensive links with MEPs from non-Eurosceptic groups, indicating their active involvement in parliamentary processes across ideological boundaries.
The results of the survey contribute to a better understanding of political processes in the EP and the extent of the influence of political groups and EU Member States on legislative decisions, while offering insights into the dynamics of political networks, which is also useful for deeper insights into the political forces that shape our daily lives and influence all levels of the society.
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