In Conversation with Jonathan White

This episode delves into the dynamics of institutional power and explores the implications when power in transnational orders, such as the EU, undergoes de-institutionalisation. Professor Jonathan White ́s (LSE) article “The De-institutionalisation of Power beyond the State” which has been awarded the EISA`s Best Article in EJIR 2023, introduces a groundbreaking perspective on the normative consequences of informality in global politics. In conversation with Host Polly Pallister-Wilkins, Prof. Jonathan White explains how recent crisis politics has shifted the balance, with individuals and their networks reshaping institutions. He argues that informal diplomacy, such as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ́s “WhatsApp diplomacy” during the Covid-19 pandemic undermines accountability in power dynamics, shedding light on its broader implications for governance and, notably, sovereignty. Rather than acclaimed as flexible problem-solving, the step back from institutions should be viewed as a challenge to accountable rule. Tune in to this compelling first episode of the new year!

Professor Jonathan White

White, Jonathan (forthcoming), ‘WhatsApp Government: on technology, legitimacy and the performance of roles’, Journal of Politics.

White, Jonathan (2023), ‘Constitutionalizing the EU in an Age of Emergencies’, Journal of Common Market Studies 61 (3), pp.781-96.

White, Jonathan (2019), Politics of Last Resort: Governing by Emergency in the European Union (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

White, Jonathan (1st February 2024), In the Long Run: the Future as a Political Idea (London: Profile Books).