The First European Elections


Book Description

"The voice of the spirit of Europe" is the European Commission's description of the Community's 434 member Parliament. Four years after the European Parliament's historic first direct election by the citizens of nine countries, that voice is barely audible and one must pause to wonder whether the spirit is equally weak. The European Parliament is potentially one of the most interesting legislative bodies in the world because of the circumstances which created it, its unique transnational composition, and the power it may some day wield. However, the gap between the real and the possible is very large indeed.




Elections & Parties


Book Description




Building Parliament


Book Description




International Institutional Law


Book Description

This book offers a comparative analysis of the institutional law of public international organizations, covering issues such as membership, institutional structure, decisions and decision-making, legal status, privileges and immunities. It has been designed to appeal to both academics and practitioners.




Political Parties and the European Union


Book Description

Political Parties and the European Union offers a panoramic survey of the political parties of contemporary Europe. It covers party politics from Scandinavia to Greece, focusing on how parties in the individual member states have responded to the processes of European integration. Despite a trend towards political convergence, national traditions continue to shape politics across Europe. In order to reflect, and do justice to, the diversity of political cultures, the book combines case studies, comparative approaches and supranational perspectives. It examines the history of the main national parties, offers new comparative perspectives on communist, green and extreme right parties, and analyses party politics at the European level.




European Communities


Book Description

The establishment of the European Economic Community in 1958 was one of the most remarkable developments in the history of the post-World War II era. It aimed for nothing less than a complete economic union so that goods, people, and capital would be able to pass over national boundaries of member countries as freely as they move within any one country. As the Community's target date of 1992 for economic integration draws closer, the need for information, both current and historical, becomes more urgent. The aim of this annotated bibliography is to create a critical and descriptive list of books published mainly in English for businessmen and analysts, combining older publications with new. The literature on the EC is vast and issues The Community itself nearly 3000 publications a year. The range of material covered in this volume is distinguished by its great scope. Historical sections provide listings on the postwar years of economic recovery, the development of the EC, and biographies of the leading personalities involved. Policy-oriented sections encompass such subjects as labor, transportation, environment, energy, and education. The political ramifications of economic union, financial and fiscal affairs, relations between the EC and the Third World, and foreign relations in general are dealt with in separate sections. The volume concludes with a listing of major European Community publications. The sheer bulk of published material on the EC, much of it duplication, has made keeping up with its developments difficult for small and medium in Europe and elsewhere. This invaluable sourcebook will provide the business community and the political establishments with better access to EC information as they grapple with the implications of 1992.




Europe's Elected Parliament


Book Description

'An invaluable survey of the origins and development of the European Parliament, and of its uncertain role in narrowing the gap between European institutions and voters. Julie Smith traces the rising influence of the European Parliament over EU policy-making in the 20 years since it was first elected, the extension if its authority through successive Inter-governmental Conferences, and the ambiguities which nevertheless persist over its legitimacy as representing 'the people' in its dialogue with the Commission and Council.' WILLIAM WALLACE 'Julie Smith places the fifth direct elections to the European Parliament in the broader context of the EU's development. She examines the arguments and debates which surrounded the creation and evolution of a unique institution, considers the effects which direct elections have had - not always those expected - and the growing relations between EP political groups and national parties. She argues that national politicians should more openly acknowledge the shift in the balance of powers which European integration has caused.' MARTIN WESTLAKE This title is published in conjunction with UACES, the University Association for Contemporary European Studies. UACES web site can be found at www.uaces.org




The Making of the European Union


Book Description

The Making of the European Union argues that the process of European integration has drifted into serious crisis, perhaps the most serious since the Danes voted against the Treaty of the European Union in 1992. Analysing the conditions for European integration, this book applies a citizens' or 'bottom-up' perspective on the integration process. The difficulties that the constitutional process has encountered illustrate the relevance of bringing public opinion into the analysis of the prospects for European integration. The book describes and analyses the historical, mental, intellectual , and attitudinal denominators of European integration, denominators that have shaped the processes so far and will continue to do so in the future. The authors apply a broad comparative perspective, where European nation-states constitute the primary units of analysis. The focus is on the foundations of European integration, public views about the EU, including various shades of Euroscepticism, and the long-term prospects of the EU. This book will appeal to a wide audience including scholars and researchers in the social sciences - particularly political science, comparative politics and European studies. The book will also be of great interest to journalists and all those involved in the EU, including policy makers and civil servants throughout the EU itself.




The 1989 Election of the European Parliament


Book Description

A brief overview of the 1989 European Parliament elections in each of the member states. Each case study addresses a common set of issues, and each is designed to be intelligible to non-specialists and to those unfamiliar with the state in question.