Europe’s elected parliament

Book abstract:

This book is part of a new series on modern Europe, Contemporary European Studies. The series aims to bring together established views and new ideas in contemporary European Studies and is aimed at both the student and the professional wishing to keep up with European developments. This book, the fifth in the series, assesses the present European Parliament against the expectations and fears surrounding the introduction of direct elections twenty years ago. Fundamental questions are raised such as: Why is there a directly-elected European Parliament? Should we expect European elections to resemble national elections? What lessons do European elections offer for an understanding of transnational democracy? The author examines the record of the new elections since they began, looking at the European-level political parties, the campaigns and the election turnout and results. She provides an informed and balanced view of the contribution that the new Members of the European Parliament may make to democracy within the EU. The book is split into seven chapters: Introduction; The Origins of the European Parliament: 1948-58; From Appointed Assembly to Direct Elections and Beyond; The European Parliament: A Subordinate Institution?; Political Parties at the European Level; The Electoral Dimension; Conclusions.
The author, Julie Smith, is a Teaching Fellow in European Studies at the Centre of International Studies, Cambridge and a Fellow of Robinson College, Cambridge.