Who Governs the Macro-Region? A Study of Power Relations within the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

Abstract: The first European macro-regional strategy, the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) was launched in 2009. The EUSBSR has been a role model for other macro-regions in the EU, which makes it relevant to study from a governance perspective. This thesis adopts a case study design with the aim of examining how the EUSBSR governance system can be characterised and in what ways the Strategy restructures the political relationships between its stakeholders. Theoretical conceptualisation is achieved by linking theories of governance with theories of power in a framework for identifying power in governance systems. The main findings include that the EUSBSR governance system is characterised by top-down social relations, despite its attempt at facilitating a bottom-up governance approach. Notably, the EUSBSR have granted the European Commission and the national levels of its Member State a strengthened role vis-à-vis sub-national actors. In addition, asymmetries in the involvement of the Member States of the region are visible where particularly Sweden has been a key actor. The thesis concludes that more research on macro-regional strategies in the EU is required and emphasises the benefits of linking power and governance concepts.