PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY CAPACITY IN THE EU MEMBER STATES

Based on  “Sustainable Governance Indicators” (SGI) project. Bertelsmanns Stiftung.

The SGI explores the extent to which citizens, NGOs and other organizations are endowed with the participatory competence to hold government accountable to its actions (“executive accountability”).

Austria : Austria has a fairly well-integrated civil society. The media market is highly concentrated, and only a minority of citizens is well informed on policy issues. Economic and religious civil-society groups are formally consulted during policymaking, with other interest groups also providing sophisticated input.

Belgium: Belgian citizens are deemed to have a moderate level of policy knowledge. Broadcast media produce largely superficial news, fragmented by linguistic region. Trade unions and employers organizations are sophisticated and work closely with the government. The largest noneconomic interest groups also influence policy, with some tied to individual political parties.

Bulgaria : Citizens’ policy knowledge is uneven, with much of the public distrustful of government. The media largely fails to provide reliable high-quality information. Economic interest associations have relatively strong capabilities, but do not work together well. Other interest organizations typically act as activists rather than analytically

Croatia: Citizens’ policy knowledge is fairly low. The media does not provide in-depth policy coverage. Economic interest organizations are influential, but have lacked the will or capacity to develop their own proposals. A number of other interest organizations have sophisticated policy-development capabilities.

Cyprus : High public interest in politics has declined. The broadcast media rarely produce in-depth policy analyses, and government information is often contradictory, contributing to public uncertainty. Economic-interest organizations offer sectoral proposals, but do not propose comprehensive policies. The broader civil society sector is underdeveloped.

Czech Republic : Citizens have limited overall policy knowledge, but are capable of evaluating controversial reforms. While much media commentary is superficial, new TV stations offer in-depth analysis. Economic interest groups have considerable resources and policy expertise. The broader civil-society sector is vibrant, with varying degrees of sophistication.

Denmark : Citizens have good knowledge of domestic and EU policies. The media covers domestic policy more thoroughly than it does international issues. Economic and noneconomic interest organizations are typically sophisticated, and often have a strong influence on policy. A decline in corporatist practices has led to increased confrontation with the government.

Estonia : Citizens are well informed on major policy topics. The media offers considerable in-depth information, and the government communicates effectively over the Internet. Interest associations, both economic and non-economic, have a comparatively low level of  independent policy-formulation capability, though are typically able to analyze and comment on pending proposals.

Finland : Citizens’ policy knowledge and trust in political institutions has risen in recent years. The media produces considerable high-quality information. The large economic interest associations have long been integrated into the policymaking process. Other interest groups often present influential, if narrow, proposals and analyses.

France: Citizens’ policy knowledge is deemed relatively poor, in part due to often-superficial television programming, as well as government officials’ reluctance to describe problems frankly. A few high-quality papers offer in-depth information. Business and agricultural associations are influential, but trade unions are fragmented and comparatively reactive. Only a few non-business organizations make relevant and credible proposals.

Germany : Citizens rate their own political knowledge as good, but declining confidence in politicians has decreased motivation to stay informed. Public broadcasters offer in-depth political reporting. Employers organizations and unions are powerful and sophisticated. Other interest groups are increasingly influential, particularly at the local level.

Greece : Despite wide media coverage of austerity measures, the breadth and complexity of reforms have limited public understanding. Though they make relevant proposals, economic associations rarely engage in constructive dialogue with the government. The noneconomic interest group sector is relatively underdeveloped, although the Greek Orthodox Church is powerful.

Hungary: Citizen’s policy knowledge is poor, driven by growing apathy and propagandistic government information policies. Much media reporting is polarized and superficial, though some opposition-allied print publications remain comparatively balanced. Business associations have been loyal to the government, limiting actions to criticism of policy details. The government has accumulated considerable influence over the NGO sector.

Ireland: Concern over the crisis has sharply increased public awareness of policy issues. The media produces substantial current-affairs programming, though newspaper circulation has fallen steeply. Trade unions, employers’ associations and other civil-society groups, while often sophisticated, have lost influence following the crisis.

Italy : Media coverage of politics is substantial but often superficial. A minority of citizens say they are interested in politics, but most watch TV news. Employers’ associations and trade unions draw on expert resources, but are conservative in outlook. Noneconomic interest groups mostly act reactively.

Latvia : Citizens are slow to engage with the political process, with few belonging to political parties. Few of the main media brands offer high-quality analysis, and some allow content to be influenced by political advertisers. Economic associations are sophisticated, influencing policy through the Tripartite Council. Environmental organizations also have considerable capacities and influence

Lithuania: Citizen policy knowledge is not highly developed, although efforts to improve information availability are underway. While the state-funded media produces some high-quality analysis, the media as a whole is distrusted. Interest groups, including employers’ associations and trade unions, generally have a limited ability to formulate well-crafted policies.

Luxembourg : With 43% of residents being foreign nationals, there is strong unmet demand for political participation. The media offers high-quality policy reporting, and newspapers have become less partisan over time. The government is required to consult with economic associations, which have well-developed research units. Other interest groups are also influential, though have fewer resources

Malta: While political debate is often intense, citizen opinions are strongly influenced by the party-controlled media. Few media outlets examine government policy in depth. Economic-interest groups are capable of formulating relevant policies, though employers’ groups commission more independent research than unions. EU funds have helped other interest groups grow.

Netherlands : Citizens are often not well informed, despite above-average media consumption and a public-media sector that produces high-quality policy programming. The commercial media is more superficial. Labor unions and business associations are formally integrated into government policymaking, while other interest groups are also routinely consulted.

Poland : Citizens’ policy knowledge remains low on average, in part due to often-superficial media coverage. Print publications do provide in-depth information. Employers’ associations and only a few other groups formulate elaborate reform proposals. Most interest associations are comparatively small.

Portugal : Citizens’ policy knowledge remains uneven, hampered by insufficient government transparency, a weak civil society, and an often scandal-focused media. The crisis has improved the media’s policy reporting somewhat. Unions and employers’ associations can formulate relevant policies, but have acted reactively during the crisis. Other groups have also lost influence.

Romania : Few citizens are well informed about government policies. The mass media focuses on scandals and personalities, though some media brands provide in-depth information. Business associations are weak, and unions have focused on strikes rather than policy formulation. Some other NGOs have sophisticated capabilities, but are often ignored by the government.

Slovakia : Disenchantment with politics has contributed to declining policy awareness. The quality of media reporting is not high. Economic interest groups have sufficient resources to produce or analyze policy proposals. The broader civil-society sector is vibrant, with groups often producing sophisticated proposals.

Slovenia : Citizens’ level of knowledge about government policymaking is limited. The private media is largely superficial, but the public broadcast media offer high-quality policy information. Economic interest organizations cooperate with academics, and have good analytical capacities. Other interest organizations are also often sophisticated.

Spain: Traditionally showing little interest in politics, Spanish citizens have paid more attention since the onset of crisis. Most watch TV news, which despite some high-quality programming is often superficial.  Economic associations have become more sophisticated in recent years, though trade unions have fought austerity policies. Other civil-society organizations tend to be weak.

Sweden : The population has a strong interest in politics, with high election turnout rates. The average quality of the media is quite high. Economic-interest organizations are sophisticated, and have long been integrated into policymaking processes. The capacities of other interest organizations vary, but many are quite developed.

United Kingdom: Citizens have a moderate level of policy knowledge. Although the country’s main broadcast media produce high-quality news programming, newspaper quality is problematic. Economic and civil-society organizations are sophisticated and offer reasonable, if sometimes narrow, proposals.

Ranking of Citizens Participatory Competence (based on their policy knowledge)

1. Sweden
2. Denmark
3. Finland
4. Luxembourg
5. Germany
6. Austria
7. Belgioum
8. Czech Republic
9. Netherlands and UK
10. Ireland
11. Estonia
12. Spain
13. Poland and Slovenia
14. Italy
15. Malta
16. Greece and Lithunia
17. France and Slovakia
18. Bulgaria and Portugal
19. Croatia
20. Latvia
21. Hungary
22. Cyprus
23. Romania

Ranking of Business Interest Groups/Associations (based on their capacity to propose coherent and reasonable policies)

1. Denmark
2. Sweden
3. Austria
4. Belgium
5. Finland
6. Germany
7. Latvia
8. Luxembourg
9. Netherlands
10. Spain
11. Czech Republic
12. Irlande
13. Italy
14. Malta
15. Slovenia
16. United Kingdom
17. Bulgaria
18. Poland
19. Slovakia
20. Lithuania
21. Portugal
22. Cyprus
23. Estonia
24. France
25. Greece
26. Hungary
27. Croatia
28. Romania

Ranking of Non-Business Interest Groups/Associations (based on their capacity to propose coherent and reasonable policies) 

1. Sweden
2. Danemark
3. Finland
4. Germany
5. Luxembourg
6. Netherlands
7. Slovakia
8. Slovenia
9. Spain
10. United Kingdom
11. Austria
12. Belgium
13. Czech Republic
14. Croatia
15. Estonia
16. France
17. Ireland
18. Italy
19. Malta
20. Poland
21. Romania
22. Greece
23. Lithuania
24. Portugal
25. Bulgaria
26. Cyprus
27. Latvia
28. Hungary