40 research outputs found
Ideology in the EUâs Second Chamber: A New Understanding of the Character and Impact of the Council on EU Policy Making
This
paper
examines
both
the
presence
and
the
impact
of
ideology
on
the
Council
of
the
European
Union.
It
argues
that
Member
States
within
the
Council
should
not
be
treated
as
unitary
actors
given
that
in
fact,
member
states
are
represented
by
delegations
of
national
ministers
who
often
have
very
diverse
ideological
beliefs
and
preferences
regarding
EU
integration.
Through
the
analysis
of
an
original
database
of
all
national
ministers
from
all
member
states
between
2000
and
2012
in
conjunction
with
existing
data
on
ideological
and
EU
positions
(Chapel
Hill
Expert
Surveys)
and
the
policy
positions
of
EU
actors,
member
states
on
a
set
of
policy
proposals
as
well
as
final
outcomes
(Decision
Making
in
the
European
Union
âDEU
II
data).
This
analysis
demonstrates
that
there
are
statistically
significant
differences
between
the
different
Council
formations
and
the
median
positions
of
the
prime
ministers
of
the
member
states
supporting
the
need
to
disaggregate
analyses
of
the
Council
and
rejecting
member
states
as
unitary
actors.
Moreover,
the
research
provides
insights
into
the
relative
impact
of
prime
ministers
versus
ministers
on
EU
policy
outcomes,
as
well
as
the
role
of
the
other
branch
of
the
EU
legislative
branch,
the
EP.
While
not
conclusive,
this
research
suggests
that
we
need
a
more
nuanced
understanding
of
the
Council
to
accurately
evaluate
the
role
of
ideology
in
EU
policy
making
and
the
impact
of
different
national
and
EU
level
actors
in
the
process
The institutional integration of an expanded EU: or: how 'new' European actors fit into 'old' European institutions
'Dieser Artikel untersucht den möglichen Einfluss der letzten EU-Erweiterungsrunde um die zentral- und osteuropĂ€ischen LĂ€nder auf die interne Organisationsstruktur und die Arbeitsweise des EuropĂ€ischen Parlaments. Die Analyse konzentriert sich auf die unterschiedlichen Politik- und Parteikulturen (sowie -aktivitĂ€ten) in den neuen MitgliedslĂ€ndern und vergleicht sie mit jenen in den westeuropĂ€ischen Mitgliedsstaaten sowie jenen des EuropĂ€ischen Parlaments. Obwohl die vorliegenden Forschungsergebnisse nur vorlĂ€ufig sind, können wir daraus schlieĂen, dass die Aufnahme von Parlamentariern aus den neuen Mitgliedstaaten in die existierenden supranationalen Parteistrukturen schwierig sein könnte, da zwischen Ost und West unterschiedliche Auffassungen in Bezug auf ideologische Perspektiven und hinsichtlich interner Parteiorganisationsnormen bestehen. Es gibt jedoch auch andere Aspekte innerhalb des EuropĂ€ischen Parlaments, welche die Integration der neuen Mitgliedstaaten in das EuropĂ€ische Parlament erleichtern. Die Forschungsergebnisse weisen im Besonderen auf die SchwĂ€che der nationalen Parteiensysteme in den ErweiterungslĂ€ndern und die darauf folgende Entwicklung von unabhĂ€ngigen Parlamenten mit starken und aktiven Komitees hin. Diese beiden Entwicklungen haben zu einem vergleichsweise hohen Grad von unabhĂ€ngigem legislativen Einfluss von Komitees und einfachen Parteimitgliedern gefĂŒhrt. In vielen FĂ€llen ist diese Entwicklung gleichzusetzen mit der Situation im EuropĂ€ischen Parlament (wenngleich auch aus unterschiedlichen BeweggrĂŒnden). Dies könnte den Zugang der neuen Mitglieder zum EuropĂ€ischen Parlament erleichtern, wĂ€hrend gleichzeitig die vollstĂ€ndige Integration in besser strukturierte supranationale Fraktionen (party groups) verhindert wird.' (Autorenreferat)'This paper investigates the potential impact of the recent enlargement of the European Union to Central and Eastern Europe on the internal organization structure and functioning of the European Parliament. The analysis focuses on the differing cultures of political and partisan activity in the new member states in comparison to both the member-states in Western Europe and the European Parliament itself. Although the research presented is preliminary in nature, it suggests that the absorption of members from new member states into the existing supranational party structures may be difficult due to the variations in ideological perspectives and norms of internal party organization between East and West. There are, however, other aspects of the EP that may facilitate the integration of new members from the East into the EP as a whole. In particular, this research highlights the weakness of the national party systems and subsequent development of independent parliaments with strong and active committees in the enlargement countries. Both of these developments have led to a comparatively high level of independent legislative influence for both committees and rank-and-file members. In many ways this is similar to the situation in the EP (albeit for different reasons). This may ease the entry of the new members into the EP, while at the same time hindering their full integration within the more structured supranational party groups.' (author's abstract)
Aggregation and Representation in the European Parliament Party Groups
While members of the European Parliament are elected in national constituencies, their votes are determined by the aggregation of MEPs in multinational party groups. The uncoordinated aggregation of national party programmes in multinational EP party groups challenges theories of representation based on national parties and parliaments. This article provides a theoretical means of understanding representation by linking the aggregation of dozens of national party programmes in different EP party groups to the aggregation of groups to produce the parliamentary majority needed to enact policies. Drawing on an original data source of national party programmes, the EU Profiler, the article shows that the EP majorities created by aggregating MEP votes in party groups are best explained by cartel theories. These give priority to strengthening the EPâs collective capacity to enact policies rather than voting in accord with the programmes they were nationally elected to represent
Beyond Committees: Parliamentary Oversight of Coalition Government in Britain
A legislature's ability to engage in oversight of the executive is believed to derive largely from its committee system. For example, powerful parliamentary committees are considered a necessary condition for the legislature to help police policy compromises between parties in multiparty government. But can other parliamentary instruments perform this role? This paper suggests parliamentary questions as an alternative parliamentary vehicle for coalition parties to monitor their partners. Questions force ministers to reveal information concerning their legislative and extra-legislative activities, providing coalition members unique insights into their partnersâ behaviour. To test our argument, we build and analyse a new dataset of parliamentary questions in the British House of Commons covering the 2010-15 coalition. As expected, government MPs ask more questions as the divisiveness of a policy area increases. Legislatures conventionally considered weak due to the lack of strong committees may nevertheless play an important oversight role through other parliamentary devices, including helping to police the implementation of coalition agreements
The Institutional Integration of an Expanded EU or How 'Newâ European Actors Fit into 'Oldâ European Institutions
This paper investigates the potential impact of the recent enlargement of the European Union to Central and Eastern Europe on the internal organization structure and functioning of the European Parliament. The analysis focuses on the differing cultures of political and partisan activity in the new member states in comparison to both the member-states in Western Europe and the European Parliament itself. Although the research presented is preliminary in nature, it suggests that the absorption of members from new member states into the existing supranational party structures may be difficult due to the variations in ideological perspectives and norms of internal party organization between East and West. There are, however, other aspects of the EP that may facilitate the integration of new members from the East into the EP as a whole. In particular, this research highlights the weakness of the national party systems and subsequent development of independent parliaments with strong and active committees in the enlargement countries. Both of these developments have led to a comparatively high level of independent legislative influence for both committees and rank-and-file members. In many ways this is similar to the situation in the EP (albeit for different reasons). This may ease the entry of the new members into the EP, while at the same time hindering their full integration within the more structured supranational party groups