The selection committee considered eight excellent contestants. All eight theses were strong pieces of research, with a good fit with the EPS focus and objectives, sound methodology and original contribution to our understanding of European politics and society. The committee made sure its decision was not affected by the slightly different standards for theses at partner universities, particularly regarding word count.
The winner of the 2023 EPS Best Thesis Award is:
Carl Schüppel
with a thesis titled
Nationality Matters: How Members of the European Parliament Decide on Citizens’ Petitions
Carl Schüppel’s research focuses on a not-well-known European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions. It asks whether the nationality of petitioners influences the petition’s success in the committee, and if so, why. The thesis advances the relevant literature and places the question into the relevant societal context. It builds on an original dataset of petitions discussed in the committee and interviews with MEPs and Parliament officials. The committee commends the thesis for its excellent use of a mixed methods approach, extensive discussion of the research problem, transparent data presentation, and academic and policy relevance of the results.
