Legislative behaviour and party competition in the european parliament: an application of nominate to the EU

Article Abstract:

This article looks at the voting behaviour of Members of the European Parliament in the first year of the 1999-2004 European Parliament. The research applies the Nominate scaling method (developed to map voting in the US Congress) to the 1,031 `roll-call votes' in the EP in this period. This method enables us to locate each MEP in a multi-dimensional policy space, and to plot a `cutting line' for each vote. From this information we find that legislative behaviour in the EP is mainly along left-right lines, transnational party group affiliation is more important than national affiliation for determining how MEPs vote, different majority-commanding coalitions form on different issues, and the difference between the simple majority and absolute majority rules has no effect on the voting behaviour of the two main party groups.

Europe, Research, Brief Article, Politics

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Internal policy developments

Article Abstract:

The EU actively dealt with numerous internal policy matters in 1996. Many common obstacles to unified policy development among the member states remained fixed despite the commission's efforts. Some significant progress was made in the matter of the European Monetary Union and the establishment of a European Police Force. Other matters remain to be acted upon, such as the policies to be formulated for employment and fishing.

European Community, Evaluation, European Monetary System, European federation

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Parties at the European level and the legitimacy of EU socio-economic policy

Article Abstract:

The role of political parties in the countries belonging to the EU is considered most important in the area of joint socio-economic policymaking. These groups cannot be regarded as political integrators, however, because of the preponderance of territorial-national interests and the altered relationship between parties and the concept of legitimacy.

Intnl Political Relations, International aspects, Political parties, International relations

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