European Parliament (before 2020)

European Parliament (before 2020)
Name	European Parliament (before 2020)
Native name	Parlement européen (avant 2020)
Established	1952 (Common Assembly), 1979 (direct elections)
Members	751 (2014–2019)
Headquarters	Strasbourg, Brussels, Luxembourg

European Parliament (before 2020) was the directly elected deliberative assembly of the European Union between the origins of the Common Assembly and the 2019–2020 seat adjustments. It functioned as a transnational legislature that interacted with supranational and intergovernmental institutions across the supranational project led by Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, and institutions created by the Treaty of Rome and the Treaty of Maastricht.

History and development

The institution evolved from the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community alongside bodies such as the High Authority and the Council of Ministers, and was shaped by milestones including the Treaty of Paris, the Treaty of Brussels, the Single European Act and the Treaty of Lisbon. Early debates linked figures like Konrad Adenauer, Alcide De Gasperi, and Paul-Henri Spaak to integration projects that later influenced the Parliament during crises such as the Suez Crisis and diplomatic frameworks like the North Atlantic Treaty. Direct elections in 1979 followed campaigns involving Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt, while legislative authority expanded after rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union and reforms in the Maastricht Treaty and the Amsterdam Treaty.

Institutional structure and powers

Formally, the body shared functions with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union and interacted with judicial organs like the European Court of Justice and advisory bodies such as the European Economic and Social Committee. The President of the Parliament, elected by MEPs, joined the roster of officials alongside Joschka Fischer-era foreign policy architects and commissioners confirmed by the Parliament after hearings. Competences covered budgetary authority established after the Budgetary Treaty and codecision powers extended by the Lisbon Treaty, which rebalanced relations with the European Council and national executives such as in France and Germany.

Composition and political groups

Membership comprised Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) drawn from national parties such as the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, European People's Party (EPP), Party of European Socialists (PES), Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE), European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and the Greens/European Free Alliance. Prominent leaders included figures associated with Angela Merkel-era politics, Guy Verhofstadt, Martin Schulz, Jacek Protasiewicz, and representatives from states like Poland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Sweden, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. The chamber balanced regional delegations, committee assignments (e.g., Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Committee on Foreign Affairs), and interparliamentary groups interacting with organizations such as the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organization.

Legislative procedures and decision-making

The Parliament exercised lawmaking under procedures such as the Ordinary Legislative Procedure (formerly codecision), consultation, and consent, sharing authority with the Council of the European Union and influenced by policy proposals from the European Commission. Key areas included the Single Market, Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Schengen Area policies, and measures affecting the Eurozone and the European Central Bank. Decision-making involved plenary sessions in Strasbourg, committee work in Brussels, and administrative support from the Secretariat-General of the European Parliament. Legislative outcomes were shaped by interinstitutional agreements, trilogue negotiations involving the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, and oversight through mechanisms invoked after events like the 2008 financial crisis.

Elections and representation

Elections occurred every five years since 1979 under systems influenced by national laws and directives such as the Act concerning the election of the representatives of the Assembly by direct universal suffrage. High-profile campaigns engaged leaders like Silvio Berlusconi, François Mitterrand, David Cameron, and Jose Manuel Barroso in national contexts including Ireland, Denmark, Portugal, and Austria. Voter turnout trends and debates on transnational lists, representation of smaller states (e.g., Malta, Luxembourg), and allocation of seats under principles echoed in rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and discussions within the Convention on the Future of Europe influenced reforms such as seat redistributions prior to the 2019 European Parliament election.

Relations with other EU institutions

The Parliament interacted closely with the European Commission through confirmation hearings and the power to approve or censure college nominees, exemplified in controversies surrounding commissioners linked to the Santer Commission and subsequent college resignations. Relations with the European Council and heads of state like François Hollande and Gordon Brown combined treaty negotiation, summit diplomacy, and crisis responses. External relations with institutions such as the United Nations, NATO, Council of Europe, and partner countries like Turkey and Russia were mediated through parliamentary delegations and the European External Action Service after the Lisbon Treaty.

Criticisms and controversies

Critiques addressed democratic legitimacy debated by scholars influenced by debates referencing Alexandre Kojève, Jürgen Habermas, and Robert Dahl, transparency issues exposed during episodes such as the Panama Papers and lobbying scandals involving firms linked to the Tobacco industry. Accusations of low turnout and questions about supranational accountability were voiced alongside controversies over parliamentary privileges, immunity disputes involving MEPs from Hungary and Poland, and budgetary disputes culminating in tensions with the European Court of Auditors and investigations by national prosecutors in countries including Belgium and Italy.

Category:European Union institutions