Looking to the Future

Abstract

This chapter presents the contrast between the future as seen by the EP after 1979 and that which beckons for new members after the 2019 elections. There is no longer the automatic assumption that what has been achieved by the Parliament over 40 years in furthering integration will necessarily be sustained. The responses of former MEPs to this change can be categorised as optimistic, pessimistic and pragmatic and reflect different views about the nature of representative democracy at EU level, notably the tension between a separation of powers or parliamentary government and the need for any system to address the issue of identity for European citizens. The challenge for future legislatures is likely to prove even greater than was the fight to gain institutional acceptance in a previous generation.

Appendix

Contributions of Members of the European Parliament Relevant to This Chapter

• Adam Gordon (1979–2004): [42:00–54:00]

• Ahern Nuala (1994–2004): [01:27:15–01:29:10]; [01:34:45–01:37:30]

• Baeva Mariela (2004–2009): [Questionnaire]

• Balfe Richard (1979–2004): [49:30–53:00]

• Baron Crespo Enrique (1989–1992): [00:58:40–01:06:18]

• Bertens Jan-Willem (1994–1999): [01:00:00–01:12:00]

• Boege Reimer (1989–2019): [41:30–45:25]

• Bonde Jens-Peter (1979–2004): [23:00–24:30]

• Bowis John (1999–2009): [01:14:35–01:18:50]

• Bowles Sharon (2005–2014): [01:30:45–01:35:00]; [01:40:20–01:55:30]

• Brinkhorst Laurens Jan (1994–1999): [18:40–21:05]

• Brok Elmar (1980–2019): [11:05–12:03]; [38:30–43:20]

• Chichester Giles (1994–2014): [32:00–42:00]

• Collins Ken (1979–1999): [55:00–60:00]

• Cot Jean-Pierre (1984–1999): [28:30–31:55]

• Corbett Richard (1996–2009; 2014–2019): [01:02:20–01:09:40]

• Curry David (1979–1989): [31:00–41:00]

• Cushnahan John (1989–2004): [01:52:55–01:55:10]

• Daiber Birgit (1989–1994): [40:00–46:00]

• Davies Chris (1999–2014): [40:40–56:55]

• Dell’Alba Gianfranco (1994–2004): [24:05–26:48]

• De Vris Gijs (1984–1999): [36:00–42:00]

• Duff Andrew (1999–2014): [40:00–51:00]

• Fayot Ben (1989–1999): [46:00–57:00]

• Ford Glyn (1984–2009): [Questionnaire]

• Goedmakers Annemarie (1989–1994) (Questionnaire)

• Görlach Willi (1989–2004): [33:00–48:00]

• Green Pauline (1989–1999): [42:00–50:00]

• Guy-Quint Catherine (1999–2009): [43:15–45:24]

• Halligan Brendan (1983–1984): [01:18:10–01:24:00]

• Harbour Malcom (1999–2014): [01:04:00–01:10:00]

• Hennicot-Schoepges Erna (2004–2009): [42:55–48:45]

• Herzocog Edit (2004–2014): [33:45–38:15]; [47:20–50:00]

• Kallenbach Gisela (2004–2009): [59:45–01:10:10]

• Lamassoure Alain (1989–1993; 1999–2019): [48:20–58:20]

• Langenhagen Brigitte (1990–2004): [53:10–01:00:15]

• Mulder Jan (1994–2014): [30:25–34:20]

• Newton-Dunn Bill (1979–1994; 1999–2014): [01:15:30–01:18:00]

• Patterson Ben (1979–1994): [49:00–58:00]

• Plumb Henry (1979–1999): [47:00–54:00]

• Pollack Anita (1989–1999): [32:00–37:00]

• Pöttering Hans-Gert (1979–2009): [00:50–16:55]; [40:50–52:00]

• Randzio-Plath Christa (1989–2004): [51:20–56:00]

• Rinaldi Niccolo (2009–2013): [36:20–39:10]

• Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado José Maria (1989–2004): [01:03:15–01:07:30]

• Ryan Eoin (2004–2009): [01:22:15–01:25:00]

• Schmid Gerhard (1979–2004): [44:00–49:00]

• Simpson Anthony (1979–1994): [41:55–49:30]

• Titley Gary (1989–1994): [42:00–47:00]

• Tongue Carole (1989–1994): [41:15–47:30]

• Von Der Vring Thomas (1979–1994): [52:00–1:01:00]

• Wallis Diana (1999–2012): [38:00–48:00]

• Watson Graham (1994–2014): [Questionnaire] [37:30–44:22]

• Wurtz Francis (1979–2009): [35:55–38:20]

• Wynn Terry (1989–2006): [42:00–51:50]

Suggestions for Further Research

The growth of euroscepticism across the EU and inside the EP has been reflected in the academic literature in works such as Brack, N. (2014) L’Euroscepticisme au sein du Parlement européen: strategies d’une opposition anti-système au coeur des institutions, Luxembourg: Promoculture Larcier. This issue is likely to attract still more attention after the 2019 elections and will link to the more general discussion of the nature of parliamentary democracy at EU level, a debate to which one of the authors of this book has contributed: Shackleton, M. (2017) ‘Transforming Representative Democracy in the EU? The Role of the European Parliament’, Journal of European Integration, 39/2: 191–205. Amongst the questions that future research may wish to consider on the basis of the interviews are the following:

• How far will a more eurosceptic Parliament strengthen or weaken the traditional system of seeking consensus amongst political groups?

• To what degree will the Parliament tend towards a parliamentary democracy of the kind familiar in Europe or towards the kind of separation of powers found in the US? Or will it remain sui generis, with elements of both, acting as a barometer of opinion across the EU?

• Is the European Parliament “doomed to succeed” or should its future be imagined as depending on the fate of the whole EU and the commitment of national governments to the principle of shared sovereignty?