The subnational foundations of the European Parliament

Wagner, Wolfgang (author)

The powerful, directly-elected European Parliament is one of the most distinguishing features of the European Union. However, even the most elaborate theory of institutional choice, namely the rationalist institutional choice theory, is unable to explain why some member-states have held strong preferences for strengthening this institution. This article presents a constructivist explanation that traces support for the European Parliament back to the principles of direct parliamentary legitimation which are institutionalised in these member-states' regional policies. A comparison between constuctivist expectations and member-states' observable preferences on the introduction of a co-decision procedure during the Maastricht negotiations illustrates the plausibility of this explanation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Evropski parlament, Teorija izbora, Politične institucije, Regionalna politika, Konstruktivizem
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2002
• Number of pages: Str. 24-36, 95,98
• Numbering: Vol. 5, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135791
• UDC: 327:061.1EU
• ISSN on article: 1408-6980
• COBISS.SI-ID: 21355101
• Publication date in RUL: 30.03.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of international relations and development
• Shortened title: J. int. relat. & dev.
• Publisher: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre of International Relations
• ISSN: 1408-6980
• COBISS.SI-ID: 76065792

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Subnacionalni temelji Evropskega parlamenta

Abstract

Močan, neposredno izvoljen Evropski parlament je ena najbolj značilnih potez Evropske unije. Vendar tudi najbolj izdelana teorija institucionalne izbire, tj. teorija racionalne institucionalne izbire, ne more razložiti, zakaj želijo nekatere države članice tako zelo okrepiti vlogo te institucije. Članek predstavlja konstruktivistično razlago, ki išče podporo Evropskemu parlamentu v načelih neposredne parlamentarne legitimacije, ki je institucionalizirana v regionalnih politikah držav članic. Primerjava med konstruktivističnimi pričakovanji in vidnimi preferencami držav članic glede na uvedbo postopka soodločanja med maastrichtskimi pogajanji ilustrira tehtnost te razlage.

• Keywords: Theory of choice, Political institutions, Regional policy, Constructivism