Global Elite and its Clubs: The Case of Bilderberg Group

The dissertation offers the first multifaceted appraisal of post-Cold War power of Bilderberg Group. It came to balanced conclusions, namely that Bilderberg Group was and continues to be influential, but its power decreases. This trend is documented on two areas of which Bilderberg Group cares most - European integration and transatlantic ties. The argument is that both Brexit and TTIP's failure imply that Bilderberg Group no longer fulfils its role of uniting the Western countries.

The dissertation introduces a new research agenda, as it conducts the first robust test of the hypothesis that Bilderberg Group can serve as career elevator. It shows that there are dozens of politicians who first attended Bilderberg conference(s) and later became key ministers, prime ministers, presidents and heads of international organizations like EU, NATO, IMF or UN. These findings add new provocative dimension to understanding of the processes of political elite recruitment and networking.