MEPs and the Building of a “Parliamentary Europe”

The European Parliament (EP) has become significantly more important in the last ten to fifteen years. Little attention has thus far been paid, however, to one crucial element in this story: the consistent support of the majority of EP members (MEPs) for a strategy of parliamentary assertiveness. In this note, I investigate the factors influencing MEPs’ behaviour in a series of key parliamentary divisions, where issues concerning the assertiveness of the Parliament were at question. Contrary to much speculation, more experienced MEPs do not appear to become socialized into more hard-line attitudes. Rather, factors relating to members’ partisan status and nationality are the major determinants of support for enhancing the status of the EP. The findings are argued to suggest important implications for both the EP and the European Union as a whole.