New publication by the SYNCPOL project

The open-access paper “Synchronizing out of gridlock: how the Council of the EU reached agreement on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum” by Dr. Radu-Mihai Triculescu, Prof. Dr. Klaus H. Goetz and Dr. Leonce Röth was published in the Journal of European Integration and can be accessed using the following link: https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2025.2540352

Abstract:

This article explains how synchronization – the deliberate temporal ordering of inputs into policy processes through purposeful institutional and organizational devices — is essential to overcome gridlock in fields marked by substantial disagreements and high levels political contestation. Based on the analysis of pathway cases during the negotiation about the reform of the Common European Asylum System (2015–2023) and using official documents and expert interviews, we trace how successive Council presidencies
acted as synchronizers of the process that reached agreement after nine years of deadlock. The analysis shows that synchronizing decisions, from agenda structuring to deadline enforcement, were critical in translating emerging political will into a concrete agreement. While traditional explanations point to changing preferences and crisis-driven pressures, our findings show that a synchronized negotiation strategy helped to exploit these opportunities. The study thus sheds light on the underappreciated role of temporal
coordination in overcoming political gridlock in the EU.