Democracy vs. Diplomacy? Subverting the Eurocratic Field: A Study of Protests during EU Trilogues on the "2019 Copyright in the Digital Single Market" Directive

This paper delves into the concept of subversion within the European Union's bureaucratic field, probing the question of what it entails in such a context. It does so by analysing a specific case: the 2019 protests against the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive. Despite its technical veneer, digital copyright became a highly politicized issue, culminating in a bomb alert within the European Parliament rapporteur's office. The directive ignited mobilization from internet users and digital companies, met with counter-mobilization from cultural sectors representatives. The pinnacle of protest occurred post-trilogues negotiations, where final votes in the Parliament and Council, conventionally mere formalities, assumed genuine political significance. This transformed both the space and the timeline of EU decision-making. Utilizing in-depth qualitative analysis, comprising interviews with stakeholders and EU officials, along with document archives, this paper contends that this politicization represents an endeavour to subvert Eurocratic field practices. It characterizes this shift as a "democratic" drive for transparency, reacting against the "diplomatic" practice of secrecy in trilogues, challenged by outsiders. Furthermore, it highlights a remarkable facet: while mobilization by those categorized as "civil society" annoyed established field agents, the engagement of major US "Big Techs" such as Google provoked genuine anger. In other words, the disjunction between the practices of North American companies and the expectations of the Eurocratic field engendered a hysteresis effect. In sum, this study offers an examination of subversion within the European bureaucratic arena, illustrating how seemingly technical matters can evolve into politically charged battlegrounds, ultimately challenging established Eurocratic norms.