Beyond Legal-Rational Authority

Abstract Legitimacy is essential to the effectiveness of international organisations ( IO s). As IO s become more politicised, they increasingly elicit emotional responses from citizens ranging from hope to resentment. This article explores how such emotions affect the legitimacy of IO s and how IO s themselves mobilise emotions to reinforce it. Negative public emotions can weaken legitimacy, as seen in events such as Brexit or the failed ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe ( TCE ), where discontent towards the European Union shaped political outcomes and cast doubt on the future of European co-operation. Yet positive emotions can bolster legitimacy, rendering alternatives unthinkable and increasing support for IO s’ aims. IO s are not merely reactive; they actively shape emotional narratives by appealing to shared values, moral commitments or historical memory. Rather than viewing legitimacy as a purely rational or legal status, this article argues that emotional dynamics are central to how IO s gain, maintain or lose legitimacy in the eyes of the public.