The bureaucratic revolving door, i.e. the movement of civil servants between the private and public sector seen as a threat to democratic decision-making because of the potential conflicts of interest that it represents. The starting point of this socio-legally oriented research project is to approach the revolving door from the perspective of the accumulation and circulation of expertise. Through a qualitative content analysis of documentation and interviews, the project produces information on the bureaucratic revolving door in the sectoral fields of health and defence policy in France, Slovenia and Finland, and on the regulation of the conflicts of interest that may potentially arise. The results will inform popular debates as well as the development of policy responses at multiple levels of governance. The project also lays down the groundwork for a new European discipline, i.e. political law, that is specifically suited for the study of the legal aspects of political systems.

2021

2025