Shaping Parliamentary Democracy - Collected Memories from the European Parliament

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.

• Introducing Our Project

  Pages 1-10

  De Feo, Alfredo (et al.)

• Choosing the Parliament

  Pages 11-22

  Jacobs, Francis

• Working Inside the Parliament Machine

  Pages 23-35

  Laprat, Gérard

• Living Inside the Political Groups

  Pages 37-48

  Laprat, Gérard

• Playing a Part at Major Moments

  Pages 49-61

  Nickel, Dietmar

• Influencing and Shaping Policy

  Pages 63-75

  De Feo, Alfredo

• Scrutinising and Holding to Account

  Pages 77-87

  Shackleton, Michael

• Making a Mark Beyond the EU

  Pages 89-100

  Nickel, Dietmar

• Communicating the Work of the Parliament

  Pages 101-110

  De Feo, Alfredo

• Keeping in Touch with National Societies

  Pages 111-123

  Jacobs, Francis

• Looking to the Future

  Pages 125-135