IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jcmkts/v63y2025i1p108-126.html

Making Markets Through Coalitions: The European Union and the Debate Over Ukraine's National Resources

Author

Listed:
  • Aron Buzogány
  • Mihai Varga

Abstract

This article studies how the European Union (EU) influences the dynamics between supporters and opponents of market liberalization in partner countries. We focus on Ukraine's attempts to safeguard timber trade and agricultural land sales from international markets through moratoria before 2022. We find that the EU intervenes in domestic debates both directly and through domestic pro‐market coalitions to frame these moratoria as expressions of ‘vested interests’ and instances of state weakness. The EU effectively linked the free trade argument with protecting the environment (as the moratorium tolerated illegal logging) and human rights (as the land moratorium denied landowners their property rights). The EU thus fostered discourses and coalitions prioritizing liberalization over protectionist interests and environmental concerns. This article implies that the EU should encourage debates around market liberalization rather than de‐legitimize opponents, as reconstruction in Ukraine following Russian aggression will require both EU assistance and broader internal coalitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Aron Buzogány & Mihai Varga, 2025. "Making Markets Through Coalitions: The European Union and the Debate Over Ukraine's National Resources," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 108-126, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:63:y:2025:i:1:p:108-126
    DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13587
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13587
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jcms.13587?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sikina Jinnah & Abby Lindsay, 2016. "Diffusion Through Issue Linkage: Environmental Norms in US Trade Agreements," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 16(3), pages 41-61, August.
    2. Natalia Chaban & Ole Elgström, 2021. "Politicization of EU Development Policy: The Role of EU External Perceptions (Case of Ukraine)," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(1), pages 143-160, January.
    3. Andriy Tyushka, 2022. "The Power and Performance of ‘Association Bodies’ under the EU's Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 1165-1189, July.
    4. John L. Campbell & Ove K. Pedersen, 2014. "Knowledge Regimes and the National Origins of Policy Ideas [The National Origins of Policy Ideas: Knowledge Regimes in the United States, France, Germany, and Denmark]," Introductory Chapters,, Princeton University Press.
    5. Parasecoli, Fabio & Varga, Mihai, 2023. "War in the Ukrainian fields: The weaponization of international wheat trade," economic sociology. perspectives and conversations, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, vol. 24(2), pages 4-12.
    6. Dirk De Bièvre & Arlo Poletti, 2020. "Towards Explaining Varying Degrees of Politicization of EU Trade Agreement Negotiations," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 243-253.
    7. Aron Buzogány & Mihai Varga, 2018. "The ideational foundations of the illiberal backlash in Central and Eastern Europe: the case of Hungary," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(6), pages 811-828, November.
    8. Jennifer G. Mathers, 2020. "Women, war and austerity: IFIs and the construction of gendered economic insecurities in Ukraine," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(6), pages 1235-1256, November.
    9. Natalie Welfens & Saskia Bonjour, 2023. "Seeking Legitimacy Through Knowledge Production: The Politics of Monitoring and Evaluation of the EU Trust Fund for Africa," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 951-969, July.
    10. John L. Campbell & Ove K. Pedersen, 2014. "The National Origins of Policy Ideas: Knowledge Regimes in the United States, France, Germany, and Denmark," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 10265, December.
    11. Roberto Roccu, 2018. "Ordoliberalizing the Neighbourhood? The EU's Promotion of Regulatory Reforms in Egypt," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(5), pages 1070-1086, July.
    12. Gabriele Spilker & Thomas Bernauer & Víctor Umaña, 2018. "What Kinds of Trade Liberalization Agreements Do People in Developing Countries Want?," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(3), pages 510-536, May.
    13. Jean‐Frédéric Morin & Dominique Blümer & Clara Brandi & Axel Berger, 2019. "Kick‐starting diffusion: Explaining the varying frequency of preferential trade agreements’ environmental provisions by their initial conditions," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(9), pages 2602-2628, September.
    14. Davis, Christina L., 2004. "International Institutions and Issue Linkage: Building Support for Agricultural Trade Liberalization," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 98(1), pages 153-169, February.
    15. Dirk De Bièvre & Arlo Poletti, 2020. "Towards Explaining Varying Degrees of Politicization of EU Trade Agreement Negotiations," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 243-253.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simon Otjes & Harmen van der Veer & Wolfgang Wagner, 2026. "Party‐Political Contestation of European Trade Policy. An Analysis of Roll Call Votes in the European Parliament," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(2), pages 559-581, March.
    2. Aukje van Loon, 2020. "The Selective Politicization of Transatlantic Trade Negotiations," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 325-335.
    3. Stephan Puehringer, 2021. "Zur Pluralitaet der oekonomischen Politikberatung in Deutschland," ICAE Working Papers 132, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    4. Hoff, Jens V. & Rasmussen, Martin M.B. & Sørensen, Peter Birch, 2021. "Barriers and opportunities in developing and implementing a Green GDP," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    5. Anke Moerland & Clara Weinhardt, 2020. "Politicisation ‘Reversed’: EU Free Trade Negotiations with West Africa and the Caribbean," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 266-276.
    6. Ow Yong, Lai Meng & Cameron, Ailsa, 2019. "Learning from elsewhere: Integrated care development in Singapore," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(4), pages 393-402.
    7. Martin B. Carstensen & Christian Lyhne Ibsen & Vivien A. Schmidt, 2022. "Ideas and power in employment relations studies," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 3-21, January.
    8. Purdon, Mark, 2015. "Opening the Black Box of Carbon Finance “Additionality”: The Political Economy of Carbon Finance Effectiveness across Tanzania, Uganda, and Moldova," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 462-478.
    9. Andrea C. Bianculli, 2020. "Politicization and Regional Integration in Latin America: Implications for EU–MERCOSUR Negotiations?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 254-265.
    10. Facchini François, 2024. "Technocracy, Knowledge Regime and the Anti-free Market Attitude of French Economists," Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines, De Gruyter, vol. 30(1), pages 23-46.
    11. Armin Mertens & Christine Trampusch & Florian Fastenrath & Rebecca Wangemann, 2021. "The political economy of local government financialization and the role of policy diffusion," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(2), pages 370-387, April.
    12. Nicolás Pose‐Ferraro, 2026. "Between Geopolitics and Political Economy: The European Union–Mercosur Negotiation to Form a Trade Agreement," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(1), pages 248-267, January.
    13. Martin B. Carstensen & Patrick Emmenegger & Cecilia Ivardi, 2026. "Problems and Solutions in the Knowledge Economy: Ideational Power in Slow‐Burning Crises," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(2), pages 575-588, April.
    14. François Facchini, 2025. "Technocracy, Knowledge Regime and the Anti-free Market Attitude of French Economists [Technocratie, régime de connaissance et attitude anti-libre marché des économistes français]," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-05037009, HAL.
    15. Bart-Jaap Verbeek, 2022. "Embedded Neoliberalism and the Legitimacy of the Post-Lisbon European Union Investment Policy," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 10(3), pages 110-120.
    16. Rouven Reinke & Laura Porak, 2023. "The charm of emission trading: Ideas of German public economists on economic policy in times of crises," ICAE Working Papers 145, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    17. Dirk De Bièvre & Patricia Garcia-Duran & Leif Johan Eliasson & Oriol Costa, 2020. "Editorial: Politicization of EU Trade Policy Across Time and Space," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 239-242.
    18. John L. Campbell & Charles Quincy & Jordan Osserman & Ove K. Pedersen, 2013. "Coding In-depth Semistructured Interviews," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 42(3), pages 294-320, August.
    19. Camille Nessel & Elke Verhaeghe, 2021. "‘A Force for Good’: The Narrative Construction of Ethical EU–Vietnam Trade Relations," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/336753, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    20. Vanessa Roger‐Monzó & Fernando Castelló‐Sirvent, 2023. "Soft power in global governance: fsQCA of thematic specialization strategies of European think tanks," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(2), pages 288-304, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:63:y:2025:i:1:p:108-126. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0021-9886 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.