European Parliament: A loaded Chamber

Building Parliament

Lisbonisation Looking Ahead

Building Parliament:50 years of European Parliament History

Building Parliament….

Lisbonization of the European ParliamentLegislative Process:

ConsultationCooperation

Co-decisionOrdinary

legislative procedure

• Consent: Agreements with non-EU countries.

• Right of initiative?

• Consultation: Tax,Foreign Policy

• Professional qualifications recognition

• Stricter Product safety and labelling standards.

• Transparency and supervision of the European financial system.

• Rejection of liberalizing port services

and software patents.

Organization of the European Parliament

• Informal ExchangesIntergroup

• Caucus according to Transnational groups based on IdeologyPolitical Groups

• Conference of Presidents, Conference of Committee Chairs.Political Bodies

• Role in International Presence Delegates

• 20 Standing committees, with size of 20-80 MEP’s

Committees

MEP President

European Law Making-Another day in the office

Calendar divided into

Focus on debates and votes: Legislative,

Budgetary, Non-Legislative

Culmination of the work done in the

committee.

Speaking time

The Voting Marathon

Question time for the

Commission/Council

Budgetary Process:• Amount is fixed periodically by an agreement as a % of the GNI.

• Pre Lisbon:‘Non compulsory’ and ‘compulsory’ expenditures.

• ‘Budget Discharge’ procedure to close the budget books.

A €1tn scandal or money well spent

Common Agriculture Policy (CAP):France protects

Subsidies

Britain preserves it’s subsidies

Germany holds down on total spending.

2/5 th of the cohesion funds go to countries with

GDP per head >90% of GNI.

400 mil Euro investment in Poland’s Airports.

Supervision Oversight Responsibilities

Growing Influence and Challenges• Establishment of European External Action

Service

• Inter-institutional Rivalry

• Lack of transparency on MEP spending

• Consolidation of operations in one city ?

• 45% citizens have a neutral view while 26%

have a negative view.

• More Powerful, less legitimate?

PARTY GROUPS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

• Organizations following a political programme.

• National parties and individuals as members.

• 7 major groups in EP 7.

GROUP OF THE EUROPEAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS)

• Centre-right, Pro European group.

• Majority in European Council – 14 out of 28 members

• Majority in EU Parliament - 275 MEPs(36% of the seats in EP7.)

• European Commission – 13 out of 28 members.

PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE OF SOCIALISTS AND DEMOCRATS

• Political Group of Party of European Socialists (PES)

• Centre Left – Social Democratic Party

• Second largest group in EU Parliament – 195 MEPs

ALLIANCE OF LIBERALS AND DEMOCRATS FOR EUROPE(ALDE)

• Transnational alliance – the ALDE party and European Democratic Party.

• Espouses neo-liberal economies,

• Supports European Integration and a single market for Europe.

• Third Largest Party in EU Parliament – 85 MEPs.

GREENS – EUROPEAN FREE ALLIANCE GROUP

• Political group containing green and rationalist parties.

• The group espouses centre-left views.

• The fourth biggest group in the parliament with 58 MEPs.

• The group consists of two distinct European political parties – the European Green Party (EGP) and the European Free Alliance (EFA)

• Apart from this, the group is joined by a few national parties

EUROPEAN CONSERVATIVES AND REFORMISTS

• Conservative, anti-federalist and Eurosceptic political group.

• 5th largest group in Parliament – 57 MEPs.

• Founded after June 2009 elections.

• Based on Movement for European Reform.

• Espouses Central Right to Right Wing policies.

EUROPEAN UNITED LEFT – NORDIC GREEN LEFT GROUP

• Formed in 1995

• Left wing political party.

• Opposed to the present European political structure

• Committed to European integration

• EP 7 – 35 MEPs

EUROPE FOR FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY GROUP

• Formed after European Parliament Election in 2009.

• Espouses Right-Wing policies

• The group most hostile to EU integration.

• EP 7 – 35 MEPs

EU ELECTIONS – THIS TIME IT’S DIFFERENTEU ELECTIONS 2014

EU PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS 2014

• First elections after Lisbonization of EU Parliament.

• First elections after the Eurozone Crisis – Anti EU Wave on the rise?

Feb – Mar May 22-25 June July

Aug-SepOct - Nov

EP ELECTIONS -VOTING SYSTEM

Each member state free to choose its own system, subject to –

• System of Proportional Representation – Party List or Single Transferrable Vote System.

• The electoral area may be subdivided if this will not generally affect the proportional nature of the voting system

• Any election threshold at the national level must not exceed five percent.

EP ELECTIONS 2014

LEGACY OF LETHARGY

• Low voter turnout a cause for worry.

• Elections 2014 - Test of faith in the European Project.

BELGIUM 90.39

DENMARK 59.54

GERMANY 43.3

IRELAND 58.64

FRANCE 40.63

ITALY 65.05

LUXEMBOURG 90.75

NETHERLANDS 36.75

UK 34.7

GREECE 52.61

SPAIN 44.9

PORTUGAL 36.78

SWEDEN 45.53

AUSTRIA 45.97

FINLAND 40.3

CZECH REUBLIC

28.2

ESTONIA 43.9

CYPRUS 59.4

LITHUANIA 20.98

LATVIA 53.7

HUNGARY 36.31

MALTA 78.79

POLAND 24.53

SLOVENIA 28.33

SLOVAKIA 19.64

BULGARIA 38.99

ROMANIA 27.67

Total EU 43

TURNOUT BY COUNTRY

EP ELECTIONS 2014 – WHAT’S WITH ALL THE FUSS ABOUT TURNOUT?

• Food for thought - What does a turnout lower than 2009 mean? Why would it be a cause for worry?

• Lisbon Treaty – Higher powers for European Parliament – “More at stake”

• Eurozone Crisis – Should drive an increase in turnout!

• A further decrease would reflect a dwindling faith in the EU!!

• Weakens the democratic legitimacy of the EU.

EXPLAINING THE LOW VOTER TURNOUT

• Alienation – “Less at stake” argument.

• Indifference.

Figure: Predicted probabilities of voting at EP Elections(Source : http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/08/09/turnout-european-parliament/)

EP ELECTIONS – SECOND ORDER NATIONAL ELECTIONS?

• So far, most of the elections have been decided on national issues.

• Used by citizens to punish their governments mid-term.

DEBATE: POLITICISING THE COMMISSION

POLITICISING THE COMMISSION : ARGUMENTS

FOR

• Citizens of Europe have a direct say in selection of the commission.

• Enhance the democratic credentials of the Commission.

• Might act as an incentive to vote.

AGAINST

• Clash between European Council and EP – Majority needed in both places!

• Overly politicised –independence and neutrality could be compromised.

EP ELECTIONS 2014 – RISE OF THE POPULIST RIGHT?

THE GREAT VODKA DEBATE

• Vodka must be clearly defined in

the same way as it has been done

for other hard liquors.

• Protection of the quality and the

originality of the product.

• Hamper innovation.

• An attempt to monopolize

the vodka market by the

Vodka Belt

• Threat of trade wars.

• Traditionalists maintain that

each good vodka has its own

distinct flavour.The Schnellhardt compromise