Enduring consensus: why the EU legislative process stays the same

The multiple crises that the EU has faced over the last decade could lead observers to expect an increase in conflicts within its legislative process and, eventually, a shift from a consensual mode to a majoritarian and politicized mode. The dataset The EU Legislative Output 1996–2019 indicates that this has occurred only to a moderate extent. To explore this enduring consensus, we analyse quantitative and qualitative data on law making within the Council of the EU and the European Parliament and proceed to a systematic diachronic comparison. We argue that, as before the crisis, consensus remains a norm and results from cooperation based strategies. Furthermore, new factors, such as the extension of the ordinary legislative procedure, a pro-EU alliance within the European Parliament and the smaller number of legislative proposals, foster consensus.