Shaping Parliamentary Democracy: Collected Memories from the European Parliament

by Alfredo De Feo (Editor), Michael Shackleton (Editor)

Overview

This book analyses nearly 100 original interviews with Members of the European Parliament from across the European Union who were active between 1979 and 2019. These interviews, preserved in the Historical Archives of the European Union at the European University Institute, capture the memories of the MEPs about their own roles and their assessment of what the parliament achieved in developing a European parliamentary democracy in the forty years following the first direct elections. The book offers a taste of the interviews in ten chapters, each of which corresponds to a specific theme presented in the archive: choosing the parliament, working inside the parliament machine, living inside the political groups, playing a part in major moments, influencing and shaping policy, scrutinizing and holding to account, making a mark beyond the EU, communicating the work of the parliament, keeping in touch with national societies, and looking to the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030272135
Publisher:	Palgrave Pivot
Publication date:	09/16/2019
Series:	Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	349 KB

About the Author

Alfredo De Feo is a professor at the European College of Parma and Fellow at the European University Institute, Firenze, Italy. He is former Director of the European Parliament and has published widely on EU affairs, including The New Politics of the European Union Budget (with S. Becker and M. Bauer, 2017).

Michael Shackleton is Special Professor in European Institutions at the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, and former Head of the EP Information Office in London, UK. He has published widely on EU affairs, including co-authoring eight editions of The European Parliament.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introducing our Project (Alfredo De Feo and Michael Shackleton).- Chapter 2. Choosing the Parliament (Francis Jacobs).- Chapter 3. Working Inside the Parliament Machine (Gérard Laprat).- Chapter 4. Living Inside the Political Groups (Gérard Laprat).- Chapter 5. Playing a Part at Major Moments (Dietmar Nickel).- Chapter 6. Influencing and Shaping Policy (Alfredo De Feo).- Chapter 7. Scrutinising and Holding to Account (Michael Shackleton).- Chapter 8. Making a Mark Beyond the EU (Dietmar Nickel).- Chapter 9. Communicating the Work of the Parliament (Alfredo De Feo).- Chapter 10. Keeping in Touch with national Societies (Francis Jacobs).- Chapter 11. Looking to the Future (Michael Shackleton).- Chronological Glossary.- List of the Members of the European Parliament who have Contributed to the Project.- Questionnaire to Members of the European Parliament.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Oral history brings the European Parliament to life. Readers of Collecting Memories will enjoy insiders’ accounts of some of the most important developments in the life of the EP in recent years. The book provides a set of thematic chapters that drawn on the EP oral history depository’s most cogent anecdotes and insights, and a primer on the methodology of collecting and using an oral history archive.” (Desmond Dinan, Professor at George Mason School of Public Policy, Arlington, Virginia, USA)

“I strongly commend this volume, which commemorates 40 years of direct elections to the European Parliament. The authors adopt a fresh approach that differs from the many books that trace the evolution of the parliament and its powers. The book is based on the memories of former MEP’s who transformed the promise of direct elections into the EP of today. The EP as a living democratic and transnational space emerges on the pages.” (Brigid Laffan, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Italy)

“In 2019 the directly elected Parliament will be celebrating its 40th birthday. It has changed out of all recognition from being essentially a consultative body to playing a central role in legislation and the development of the EU. The interviews and questionnaires collected for this project provide a unique opportunity to discover how these changes came about and what kind of MEPs worked in the institution over the years.” (Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the Former Members of the European Parliament Association and former President of Parliament)

“The amazing development of the European Parliament over the past 4 decades exemplifies the constitutional revolution the European Union has gone through so successfully. These personal testimonies will bring that history to life again.” (Klaus Welle, Secretary General of the European Parliament)