Setting the European agenda in hard times: the commission, the European Council and the EU polycrisis Books reviewed Mérand, F.The political commissioner: A European ethnography. Oxford University Press, 2021.Werts, J.The European Council in the era of crises. John Harper Publishing, 2021.Wessels, W., Schramm, L. and Kunstein, T.The European Council as a Crisis Manager: The EU’s Fiscal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2022

The European Commission has traditionally held a key position in setting the legislative and political agenda of the EU. However, its role has become increasingly challenged in an era of polycrisis. This is notably due to the rise of the European Council as crisis manager, which possesses the political clout, resources, and legitimacy to deal with urgent challenges. While much of the literature has debated changes in the relative powers and influence of the EU's dual executive constituted by the European Council and Commission, a close look at their interactions in dealing with crises yields interesting insights and suggests a more complex interinstitutional choreography in agenda setting than first appears. Systematic comparative case study analysis promises to shed light on agenda setting strategies and practices across different areas and issues in the context of politicisation of EU affairs.