"Problems and Prospects for Party Politics at the European Level: The Case of Socialist Transnational Party Development"

This paper posits the emergence of supranational partisan dynamics within the European Union (EU). The paper begins by suggesting the relationship between EU institutions and member states be considered an emerging multidimensional polity. Its structural characteristics may be discerned within the networks of communication and bargaining among its actors, European and national. A post-Maastricht "legitimacy crisis" is then asserted. This presents an opportunity for the latent European-level party organizations, in particular the Socialists and Christian Democrats, to become independent variables in European integration by way of introducing competitive socio-economic programs via the EU's unique structures. Growing partisan behavior among actors in the European Parliament and Commission, linked to recently enhanced transnational party federations, is documented in regards to the Party of European Socialists. This suggests that a left-right spectrum in EU policymaking is emerging, though manifested within the EU network structure

"Political parties and the problem of legitimacy in the European Union"

The European Union’s ‘legitimacy crisis’ and the possible undermining of the classic functions of political parties are bound up in a symbiotic manner. More precisely, the fortunes of political parties, that is, their continuing relevance as organisations promising purposive action in national government, and the legitimacy of the EU as the provider of certain collective goods, have become intertwined. The paper begins with a presentation of the EU’s legitimacy problem in terms of the attitudes of European citizens toward European integration and the expectation of material gain. This section will further develop the point noted above about public expectations unjustifiably attributed to the EU, thus adding to legitimacy problems. The second section will introduce the theme of national party difficulties, especially the potential for growing irrelevance as a consequence of increasing EU policy competence. The third section will then document activities to date concerning attempts by national party elites to influence the policy agenda of the EU. Here special focus is given to the manner in which transnational and supranational partisan organisations have been mobilised to achieve national goals in the context of the 1996/97 Intergovernmental Conference. Finally, the conclusion will address the implications of a more partisan EU, that is, the consequences that could result from the introduction of a Left-Right axis into EU politics

"The European left and political integration: a new stage in social democracy?"

[From the Introduction]. Since 1987, when the European Community's Single European Act (SEA) went into effect mandating the creation of a single market by the end of 1992, the quantity of studies on this topic has been prolific. Exploring such issues as the motivations for the launching of 'Europe 1992,' forecasts of economic growth, inter-governmental and business elite relations, etc., these analyses have drawn attention to the simple fact that national policymaking, especially economic, is increasingly influenced by supranational inputs. At the same time, or rather for a somewhat longer period, political, scientists have investigated the problematic condition of political parties in advanced industrial democracies. Under several headings - bureaucratic over parliamentary power, neo-corporatist bargaining, party programmes vs. national and international constraints, challenges from new parties and social movements, etc. - the classic linkage role of parties in contemporary representative systems has been called into question

Europeanisation and Political parties: towards a Framework for Analysis

Europeanization; legitimacy; organization theory; political parties

Europeanization and political parties

This Living Review makes the case for the study of Europeanization and political parties as related but distinct from the study of political parties and European integration. It then presents the Europeanization approach to parties, noting that some of the components in this approach developed to study policy and institutional change may not lend themselves so well to the study of national parties. This argument distinguishes between direct and indirect effects of European Union influence on parties. Next, it briefly discusses the application of party Europeanization research to post-communist parties. This is followed by a discussion of proposed normative consequences of party Europeanization. Finally, suggestions for further research focuses on the need for refining the analytic framework in order to better identify the causal mechanisms specific to party Europeanization. Full online version available at�http://www.livingreviews.org/lreg-2009-1Europeanization; political parties; political representation; political science

Europeanization and national politics /

Includes bibliographical references (p. 216-232) and index.Danckaert, Maarte

The Europeanization of National Political Parties (Ed. by E. Carter, R. Ladrech)

This is a detailed exploration of how national political parties have responded to the increasing relevance of European governance.The Europeanization of National Political Parties is the first empirical study to examine the effects of the European Union on the internal organizational dynamics of national political parties. It draws on the results of a major, cross-national project and is based on documentary analysis and some 150 interviews with senior party actors in six EU member states: Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden.Situated in the context of the debate on Europeanization, the contributors illustrate that national political parties have been surprisingly well equipped to handle the challenges of the increasing importance of multi-level governance in Europe. Following a rigorous analytical framework, the country studies examine thirty relevant political parties and systematically address a clearly defined set of empirical questions. The volume ends with two comparative chapters that analyze the findings from a cross-national perspective and that offer theoretical insights into the problems of party government amid increasing European integration.This text will appeal to all those researching in the fields of European studies, political science and comparative politics