WHEN DO MINISTERS TRAVEL TO BRUSSELS? A CASE OF HUNGARY
WHEN DO MINISTERS TRAVEL TO BRUSSELS? A CASE OF HUNGARY

Summary/Abstract: This paper investigates the determinants of Hungarian ministers’ participation at Council meetings over a decade long period. It aims to identify factors explaining why ministers decide to absent themselves from some Council meetings while participating in others. The analysis uses an original data set that includes information about individual meetings as well as national level characteristics such as size of government and party Euroscepticism. The results of our logistic regression indicate a pattern in which the given country holding the EU’s rotating presidency and the size of its government increase the likelihood of its ministerial participation in Council meetings. In contrast, popular support of Eurosceptic parties and the salience of a meeting decrease the odds of the ministers’ attendance. In conclusion, we discuss these results in the light of the accountability and legitimacy of the Council of the EU.

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