This book investigates the mechanisms of political accountability within the European Union and the strategies actors employ to deflect responsibility for policy failures. The authors, a team of political scientists, utilize a comparative framework to analyze how national and supranational institutions navigate the complex, multi-level governance structure of the EU. By examining specific policy domains, they argue that the fragmented nature of European authority creates structural incentives for blame-shifting rather than transparent governance.

Experts in European integration studies recognize this work as a rigorous contribution to the literature on accountability gaps in supranational systems. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for scholars and advanced students of political science.