Representing Europe's Citizens? : Electoral Institutions and the Failure of Parliamentary Representation

The past 15 years have seen declining public support for European integration, and widespread suggestions that a legitimacy crisis faces the European Union (EU). Many in the EU have believed that this problem could be effectively tackled by vesting greater powers in the European Parliament (EP), the Union's only directly-elected institution. The central argument of this book is that, while considerable efforts have been made to increase the status of the EP, it is in crucial respects a failure as a representative body. This failure is grounded in the manner in which the parliament is elected. The electoral systems used for EP elections in many EU countries are actively obstructive of Europe's voters being represented in the way that they are most likely to respond positively towards. While the behaviour of EP members is shaped strongly by the electoral systems under which they are elected (which vary across the 25 member-states of the EU), the electoral systems currently in place push most of them to behave in ways contrary to what citizens desire. Drawing on public opinion data, surveys of MEPs and considerable qualitative interview evidence, this book shows that the failure of parliamentary representation in the EU has a strong foundation in electoral institutions. The past 15 years have seen declining public support for European integration, and widespread suggestions that a legitimacy crisis faces the European Union (EU). Many in the EU have believed that this problem could be effectively tackled by vesting greater powers in the European Parliament (EP), the Union's only directly-elected institution. The central argument of this book is that, while considerable efforts have been made to increase the status of the EP, it is in crucial respects a failure as a representative body. This failure is grounded in the manner in which the parliament is elected. The electoral systems used for EP elections in many EU countries are, we argue, actively obstructive of Europe's voters being represented in the way that they are most likely to respond positively towards. While the behaviour of EP members is shaped strongly by the electoral systems under which they are elected (which vary across the 25 member-states of the EU), the electoral systems currently in place push most of them to behave in ways contrary to what citizens desire. Drawing on public opinion data, surveys of MEPs and considerable qualitative interview evidence, we show that the failure of parliamentary representation in the EU has a strong foundation in electoral institutions. Contents......Page 10 List of Figures......Page 11 List of Tables......Page 12 1. Introduction: Representing Europe’s Citizens?......Page 16 2. Giving the People What they Want: Public Attitudes to Representation in the EU......Page 32 3. Electoral Institutions and Political Representation......Page 56 4. Representation and Electoral Systems in Europe......Page 78 5. Representation in Europe: The Institution and the Individuals......Page 108 6. Electoral Institutions and Geographical Representation......Page 134 7. Electoral Reform and the British MEP......Page 154 8. Life Under List: Representing a Region......Page 178 9. Conclusion: The Failure of Parliamentary Representation in Europe......Page 212 Appendices......Page 224 Bibliography......Page 232 I......Page 244 W......Page 245 Contents 10 List of Figures 11 List of Tables 12 1. Introduction: Representing Europe’s Citizens? 16 2. Giving the People What they Want: Public Attitudes to Representation in the EU 32 3. Electoral Institutions and Political Representation 56 4. Representation and Electoral Systems in Europe 78 5. Representation in Europe: The Institution and the Individuals 108 6. Electoral Institutions and Geographical Representation 134 7. Electoral Reform and the British MEP 154 8. Life Under List: Representing a Region 178 9. Conclusion: The Failure of Parliamentary Representation in Europe 212 Appendices 224 Bibliography 232 Index 244 A 244 B 244 C 244 D 244 E 244 F 244 G 244 H 244 I 244 J 245 K 245 L 245 M 245 N 245 O 245 P 245 R 245 S 245 T 245 W 245 "This is the first book-length study of its kind to analyse the effects of electoral systems on the representative activities of elected parliamentary representatives. Two unique sets of data were gathered for this study and this is the first time the results have been published. As the first study of its kind, it will be of great interest to comparative legislative studies scholars and electoral systems specialists. This book will also be in demand among EU scholars interested in questions relating to institutional reform in the EU."--Jacket