Intra-executive competition as a way to build political trust: Evidence from European semi-presidential countries

Abstract

This study examines trust in the domestic government and the European Union (EU) across semi-presidential EU member states. The identity-based perspective suggests that European integration engenders apprehension regarding the transfer of national power and the erosion of national identity, resulting in a lack of trust in politics at the national and European levels. We argue that public trust will be rebuilt when the relationship between the president and the cabinet is characterised by intense political contestation. Intra-executive conflict signals to the public that a popularly elected president may influence the implementation of EU policies at the domestic level and apply checks and balances within the executive branch, thus protecting national identity and restoring domestic decision-making capacity. We examine arguments using data from 32 Eurobarometer survey waves.