European Representation in EU National Parliaments

‘This excellent book provides a highly innovative perspective on parliamentary representation in EU politics. Do national MPs' patterns of representation reflect interdependencies in EU politics, where political decisions may have a profound impact beyond the domestic constituency? This is a must-read for anyone interested in representation, legislative studies and democracy in the EU.’

–Katrin Auel, Associate Professor, Institute of Advanced Studies Vienna, Austria


‘Lucy Kinski challenges established notions of representation by analyzing national parliaments as democratic building blocks of the EU. On the basis of close empirical analysis and in a highly readable style, her innovative study shows how EU parliamentarians do not merely promote the interests of their own voters but also creatively engage with concerns beyond their constituency.’


–Ben Crum, Professor of Political Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

‘Thisbook will be of great value for anyone interested in parliaments and representation in general, and the EU in particular. It presents a fresh and innovative look at national parliamentary representation in a globalized world, and uncovers patterns of cross-border representation. In filling this gap, it also appeals to those that deal with issues of international politics and global governance.’

–Markus Jachtenfuchs, Professor of European and Global Governance, Hertie School, and Director, Jacques Delors Centre, Berlin, Germany

This book provides an original argument that rejects the idea of national MPs having but one ‘standard’ mode of representation. It acknowledges the national electoral connection, but considers representation beyond national borders. The author empirically investigates such patterns of representation in MPs’ parliamentary speech-making behavior and their attitudes in Austria, Germany, Ireland and the UK. The book analyzes representative claims in parliamentary debates on the Constitutional Treaty, the Lisbon Treaty and the Eurozone crisis, and relies on qualitative interviews with members of the European affairs and budget committees. It finds a Eurosceptic Europeanization in that national MPs from the Eurosceptic left particularly represent other EU citizens.

Lucy Kinski is Senior Researcher and Lecturer at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and Fellow at the Düsseldorf Party Research Institute, Germany.