EU-level crisis governance: hybrid patterns in times of crisis

Purpose Amidst the backdrop of a poly-crisis and increasing turbulence, this research addresses the pressing need to understand the dynamics of crisis decision making within the European Union. The COVID-19 pandemic's transboundary nature revealed unprecedented adaptability within EU member states and institutions. Design/methodology/approach Using the lens of hybrid governance, the study examines decision-making in three key policy areas affected by the pandemic: restrictions on travel, vaccine procurement and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. By adopting a process tracing approach based on desk research and semi-structured interviews with senior EU officials, the article investigates the patterns and dynamics of hybrid governance observed during the crisis. Findings The findings reveal how mixes of governance ideal-types evolved to address varying levels of crisis complexity and urgency, leading to a common pattern of hybrid compositions across cases. Originality/value The research provides new insights into how the hybrid governance occurs in EU crisis decision-making, shedding light on the dynamic tensions and synergies between different governance mechanisms in times of unprecedented uncertainty.