EU-25 WATCH No

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

EU-25 WATCH No in co-operation with The Trans European Policy Studies Association Centre International de Formation Européenne EU-25 WATCH No. 1 December 2004 Edited by the Institut für Europäische Politik, Berlin in collaboration with the Austrian Institute of International Affairs, Vienna Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Européennes Robert Schuman, Luxembourg Centre of International Relations, Ljubljana Cyprus Institute for Mediterranean, European and International Studies, Nicosia Danish Institute for International Studies, Copenhagen Elcano Royal Institute, Madrid EuroCollege, University of Tartu Federal Trust for Education and Research, London Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Helsinki Foundation for European Studies, European Institute, Lodz Greek Centre of European Studies and Research, Athens Groupe d’Etudes Politiques Européennes, Brussels Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest Institute for Strategic and International Studies, Lisbon Institut Francais des Perspectives Européennes, Paris Institute of European Affairs, Dublin Institute of International Relations, Prague Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome Latvian Institute of International Affairs, Riga Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, University of Malta Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’, The Hague Slovak Foreign Policy Association, Bratislava Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm and the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), Brussels Institut für Europäische Politik, Bundesallee 22, D-10717 Berlin Tel.: +49/30/88.91.34-0, Fax: +49/30/88.91.34-99 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.iep-berlin.de ISSN 1860-1936 EU-25 Watch | On the Project On the Project The enlarged EU of 25 members is in a process of reshaping its constitutional and political order and at the same time of expanding its membership and taking on new obligations in international politics. This project sheds light on key issues and challenges of European integration. “EU-25 Watch” informs about debates in the EU member states including the following aspects: • Ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe; • Policy-making under the Nice Treaty provisions and in the perspective of the EU Constitution; • Formation of post-enlargement agenda of the EU-25; • Positions of old and new members on the next financial framework and policy reform (Agenda 2007); • Coalition building in the enlarged EU; • Next rounds of enlargement and European neighbourhood policy. T.E.P.S.A. and other partner institutes in the 25 EU member states of the European Union conduct this regular stock-taking in order to monitor the main features and problems of deepening and widening the enlarged EU. Contributors to this issue are: Austria: Doris Zeibig, Austrian Institute of International Affairs, Vienna; Belgium: Mieke Vandeperre, Groupe d’Etudes Politiques Européennes, Brussels; Cyprus: Giorgos Kentas, Costas Melakopides, Cyprus Institute for Mediterranean, European and International Studies, Nicosia; Czech Republic: Petr Kratochvíl, Petr Pavlík, Institute of International Relations, Prague; Denmark: Jess Pilegaard, Catharina Sørensen, Danish Institute for International Studies, Copenhagen; Estonia: Piret Ehin, EuroCollege, University of Tartu; Finland: Jukka-Pekka Strand, Kristi Raik, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Helsinki; Germany: Barbara Lippert, Saskia Matl, Katrin Pecker, Institut für Europäische Politik, Berlin; Greece: Anthony D. Papayannides, Greek Centre of European Studies and Research, Athens; Hungary: Gábor Lakatos, Krisztina Vida, Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest; Ireland: Jill Donoghue, Institute of European Affairs, Dublin; Italy: Flavia Zanon, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome; Latvia: Dzintra Bungs, Latvian Institute of International Affairs, Riga; Lithuania: Dovile Jakniunaite, Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University; Luxembourg: Jean-Marie Majerus, Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Européennes Robert Schuman, Luxembourg; Malta: Stephen C. Calleya, Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, University of Malta; Netherlands: Hinke Pietersma, Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’, The Hague; Poland: Celina Blaszczyk, Anna Jedrzejewska, Marek Kozak, Rafal Trzaskowski, Przemysław Zurawski vel Grajewski, Foundation for European Studies, European Institute, Lodz; Portugal: Pedro Courela, Institute for Strategic and International Studies, Lisbon; Slovakia: Aneta Antušová, Vladimír Bilcik, Slovak Foreign Policy Association, Bratislava; Slovenia: Ana Bojinović, Petra Roter, Centre of International Relations, University of Ljubljana; Spain: José I. Torreblanca, Alicia Sorozza Blanco, Elcano Royal Institute, Madrid; Sweden: Rikard Bengtsson, Malmö University/ Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm; UK: Jonathan Church, Federal Trust for Education and Research, London. This survey was conducted on the basis of a questionnaire, sent out in summer 2004. Most institutes replied until the end of October 2004. Issues of EU-25-Watch are available on the World Wide Web (www.iep-berlin.de and www.tepsa.be) and on the homepages of all contributing institutes. The Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) in Berlin is responsible for the coordination of the project. Contact persons are Barbara Lippert ([email protected]) and Juliane Menke (jmenke@iep- berlin.de). The Institut für Europäische Politik is particularly grateful to the Otto Wolff-Foundation, Cologne and the Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE), Nice for supporting the IEP’s work on the project. CIFE is financially supported by the European Union. © Institut für Europäische Politik, 2004 2 / 169 EU-25 Watch | Content Table of Content On the Project ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Table of Content .................................................................................................................................... 3 List of Abbreviations............................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 7 Intergovernmental Conference / Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe............................ 9 Austria................................................................................................................................................ 10 Belgium .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Cyprus................................................................................................................................................ 15 Czech Republic.................................................................................................................................. 15 Denmark ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Estonia ............................................................................................................................................... 20 Finland ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Germany ............................................................................................................................................ 26 Greece ............................................................................................................................................... 29 Hungary ............................................................................................................................................. 30 Ireland ................................................................................................................................................ 32 Italy..................................................................................................................................................... 34 Latvia.................................................................................................................................................. 35 Luxembourg ....................................................................................................................................... 40 Malta .................................................................................................................................................. 42 Netherlands........................................................................................................................................ 43 Poland................................................................................................................................................ 45 Portugal.............................................................................................................................................. 48 Slovakia ............................................................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • European Commission Press Release on the Adoption of Its Plan for the Consolidation of Its Services in Luxembourg (11 February 2003)
    European Commission press release on the adoption of its plan for the consolidation of its services in Luxembourg (11 February 2003) Caption: On 11 February 2003, the European Commission adopts a plan for the consolidation of its services in Luxembourg and empowers Neil Kinnock, Commission Vice-President for Administrative Reform, to sign the final agreement with Luxembourg’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Lydie Polfer. Source: RAPID. The Press and Communication Service of the European Commission. [ON-LINE]. [Brussels]: European Commission, [18.02.2003]. IP/03/2003. Disponible sur http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guestfr.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/216|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display=. Copyright: (c) European Union, 1995-2012 URL: http://www.cvce.eu/obj/european_commission_press_release_on_the_adoption_of_its_plan_for_the_consolidation_of_it s_services_in_luxembourg_11_february_2003-en-3aee6ba0-1e2d-4865-9cf6-6a1149edddbb.html Publication date: 23/10/2012 1 / 2 23/10/2012 Commission adopts its plan for the consolidation of its presence in Luxembourg The Commission has today adopted the definitive plan for the consolidation of its services in Luxembourg, and empowered Vice-President Neil Kinnock to formalise the agreement with the Luxembourg authorities. The plan will enable the Commission to ensure that its services in Luxembourg have sufficient size to enable them to operate with a high degree of autonomy and therefore higher efficiency. As the Commission made clear, this was the main objective of the process for consolidating the Institution's presence in Luxembourg launched in 2000. Consolidation will also entail an increase in the number of staff based in Luxembourg, from almost 3000 to 3400 by 2010. Neil Kinnock, Vice-President for Administrative Reform said: "The plan adopted today fulfils the objectives that the Commission set itself when we launched the process of consolidating services in Luxembourg.
    [Show full text]
  • European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway and to the Eea Joint Parliamentary Committee
    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION FOR RELATIONS WITH SWITZERLAND, ICELAND, AND NORWAY AND TO THE EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF THE MEETING 28 October 2004 in STRASBOURG CONTENTS Page 1. Adoption of the draft agenda (PE 342.084) .................................................................................. 2 2. Approval of the minutes of the constituent meeting held in Brussels on 12 October 2004 (PE 349.255) ..................................................................................................... 2 With a view to the 23rd EU-Switzerland interparliamentary meeting to be held in Strasbourg on 17-18 November 2004 3. Briefings by : ................................................................................................................................ 2 - Mr Philippe GUEX, Minister, Deputy Head of the Mission of Switzerland to the EU, on the situation in Switzerland and on its relations with the EU - Mr Matthias BRINKMANN, representing the European Commission, on EU-Switzerland relations followed by an exchange of views 4. Consideration of the draft programme and the draft agenda of the interparliamentary meeting ... 3 - nomination of first EP speakers 5. Any other business ............................................................................................................................ 4 6. Date and place of the next meeting ................................................................................................... 4 Annex: Attendance list _______________ 10 November 2004 HO/kn PE 349.258 The meeting opened at 9.55 with Mrs Diana WALLIS, chairperson, in the chair. Mr Paul van BUITENEN was excused. 1. The draft agenda was adopted. Interpretation available for the meeting: DE - EL - EN - NL - SV 2. Due to the short time between the last and today's meetings, it had not been possible to translate the minutes, which were distributed in English only. The minutes were approved. With a view to the 23rd EU-Switzerland interparliamentary meeting to be held in Strasbourg on 17-18 November 2004 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Free Movement and the Right to Protest
    statewatch monitoring the state and civil liberties in the UK and Europe vol 13 no 1 January-February 2003 Free movement and the right to protest Information, intelligence and "personal data" is to be gathered on: potential demonstrators and other groupings expected to travel to the event and deemed to pose a potential threat to the maintenance of public law and order The freedom of movement for all EU citizens, one of its four by the unaccountable EU Police Chiefs Task Force, and the basic freedoms of the EU, is under attack when it comes to Security Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the people exercising their right to protest. European Union (the 15 EU governments) is to "advise" on The "freedom of movement" of people is held to mean the operational plans to combat protests (see Viewpoint, page 21). right of citizens to move freely between the 15 countries of the Information, intelligence and "personal data" on: EU without being checked or controlled or having to say why potential demonstrators and other groupings expected to travel to the they are travelling. Martin Bangemann, then the EC event and deemed to pose a potential threat to the maintenance of Commissioner for the Internal Market, told the European public law and order Parliament in 1992: "We want any EC citizen to go from are to be supplied by each national police and security agency to Hamburg to London without a passport" (Statewatch, vol 2 no 6). the state where the protest is planned - on a monthly, then weekly This "freedom" was never uniformly implemented but today it and finally daily basis up to the event.
    [Show full text]
  • Green Parties and Elections to the European Parliament, 1979–2019 Green Par Elections
    Chapter 1 Green Parties and Elections, 1979–2019 Green parties and elections to the European Parliament, 1979–2019 Wolfgang Rüdig Introduction The history of green parties in Europe is closely intertwined with the history of elections to the European Parliament. When the first direct elections to the European Parliament took place in June 1979, the development of green parties in Europe was still in its infancy. Only in Belgium and the UK had green parties been formed that took part in these elections; but ecological lists, which were the pre- decessors of green parties, competed in other countries. Despite not winning representation, the German Greens were particularly influ- enced by the 1979 European elections. Five years later, most partic- ipating countries had seen the formation of national green parties, and the first Green MEPs from Belgium and Germany were elected. Green parties have been represented continuously in the European Parliament since 1984. Subsequent years saw Greens from many other countries joining their Belgian and German colleagues in the Euro- pean Parliament. European elections continued to be important for party formation in new EU member countries. In the 1980s it was the South European countries (Greece, Portugal and Spain), following 4 GREENS FOR A BETTER EUROPE their successful transition to democracies, that became members. Green parties did not have a strong role in their national party systems, and European elections became an important focus for party develop- ment. In the 1990s it was the turn of Austria, Finland and Sweden to join; green parties were already well established in all three nations and provided ongoing support for Greens in the European Parliament.
    [Show full text]
  • Attitudes Towards Whistleblowers in the European Institutions (1957–2002)
    Politics and Governance (ISSN: 2183–2463) 2021, Volume 9, Issue 1, Pages 281–291 DOI: 10.17645/pag.v9i1.3944 Article From Neglect to Protection: Attitudes towards Whistleblowers in the European Institutions (1957–2002) Joris Gijsenbergh Faculty of Law, Radboud University, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands; E-mail: [email protected] Submitted: 17 December 2020 | Accepted: 4 March 2021 | Published: 31 March 2021 Abstract This article analyses how transparency became a buzzword in the European Union (EU) and its predecessors. In order to do so, it examines how the European Parliament (EP), the European Commission, the Court of Justice, and earlier European institutions responded to whistleblowing, between 1957 and 2002. In 2019, the EP agreed to encourage and pro- tect whistleblowers. However, whistleblowing is far from a recent phenomenon. Historical examples include Louis Worms (1957), Stanley Adams (1973), and Paul van Buitenen (1998). Based on policy documents and parliamentary debates, this article studies the attitudes and reactions within European institutions towards whistleblowing. Their responses to unau- thorized disclosures show how their views on openness developed from the beginning of European integration. Such cases sparked debate on whether whistleblowers deserved praise for revealing misconduct, or criticism for breaching corporate and political secrecy. In addition, whistleblowing cases urged politicians and officials to discuss how valuable transparency was, and whether the public deserved to be informed. This article adds a historical perspective to the multidisciplinary literature on whistleblowing. Both its focus on the European Coal and Steel Community, European Economic Community, and EU and its focus on changing attitudes towards transparency provide an important contribution to this multidisci- plinary field.
    [Show full text]
  • Page 1 of 15 Mr Jean-Claude Juncker President European Commission Cc
    Mr Jean-Claude Juncker President European Commission cc: Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President, in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President for the Energy Union Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Elžbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Violeta Bulc, Commissioner for Transport Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Corina Creţu, Commissioner for Regional Policy Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Günther Öttinger, Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition Brussels, 16 June 2017 Re: Contribute to economic growth and climate change mitigation through a EU Cycling Strategy Dear President Juncker, With this letter, signed by leaders from businesses, public authorities and civil society, we call upon the European Commission to unlock the potential for creating jobs
    [Show full text]
  • The Diminishing Power and Democracy of Hong Kong: an Analysis of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement and the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement
    Portland State University PDXScholar University Honors Theses University Honors College Summer 2021 The Diminishing Power and Democracy of Hong Kong: An Analysis of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement and the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement Xiao Lin Kuang Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/honorstheses Part of the Asian Studies Commons, and the Other International and Area Studies Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Kuang, Xiao Lin, "The Diminishing Power and Democracy of Hong Kong: An Analysis of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement and the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement" (2021). University Honors Theses. Paper 1126. https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.1157 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. The diminishing power and democracy of Hong Kong: an analysis of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement and the Anti-extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement by Xiao Lin Kuang An undergraduate honors thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts In University Honors And International Development Studies And Chinese Thesis Adviser Maureen Hickey Portland State University 2021 The diminishing power and democracy of Hong Kong Kuang 1 Abstract The future of Hong Kong – one of the most valuable economic port cities in the world – has been a key political issue since the Opium Wars (1839—1860).
    [Show full text]
  • Reclaiming Their Shadow: Ethnopolitical Mobilization in Consolidated Democracies
    Reclaiming their Shadow: Ethnopolitical Mobilization in Consolidated Democracies Ph. D. Dissertation by Britt Cartrite Department of Political Science University of Colorado at Boulder May 1, 2003 Dissertation Committee: Professor William Safran, Chair; Professor James Scarritt; Professor Sven Steinmo; Associate Professor David Leblang; Professor Luis Moreno. Abstract: In recent decades Western Europe has seen a dramatic increase in the political activity of ethnic groups demanding special institutional provisions to preserve their distinct identity. This mobilization represents the relative failure of centuries of assimilationist policies among some of the oldest nation-states and an unexpected outcome for scholars of modernization and nation-building. In its wake, the phenomenon generated a significant scholarship attempting to account for this activity, much of which focused on differences in economic growth as the root cause of ethnic activism. However, some scholars find these models to be based on too short a timeframe for a rich understanding of the phenomenon or too narrowly focused on material interests at the expense of considering institutions, culture, and psychology. In response to this broader debate, this study explores fifteen ethnic groups in three countries (France, Spain, and the United Kingdom) over the last two centuries as well as factoring in changes in Western European thought and institutions more broadly, all in an attempt to build a richer understanding of ethnic mobilization. Furthermore, by including all “national
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Party Electorates and Economic Realignment
    Changing party electorates and economic realignment Explaining party positions on labor market policy in Western Europe Dominik Geering and Silja Häusermann, University of Zurich [email protected], [email protected] Abstract Socio-structural change has led to important shifts of voters, such as middle class voters increasingly voting for the left and working class voters increasingly voting for the populist right. These electoral shifts blur the voter-party alignments, which prevailed during the post- war period. Consequently, comparative politics scholars have started to question whether parties still represent the class interests of their voters. Most contributions answer this question negatively, arguing that parties have detached themselves from the class profile of their electorates. We argue that this conclusion is erroneous as it relies on assumptions on and measures of class structuration that are outdated. We show that the class profile of party electorates still predicts parties’ positions on labor market policies. However, these voter- party alignments become observable empirically only if we a) use a post-industrial schema of class stratification to characterize party constituencies and b) distinguish between different dimensions of labor market policy, notably redistribution and activation. For our analysis we explore the class profiles of electorates and party positions on labor market policies in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK. We use two sources of data: Micro-level survey data (ISSP 2000 and 2006) and a newly compiled data set on party positions during electoral campaigns in the 2000s. We have three main findings. First, we show that the distinction between working class and middle-class parties does not explain party positions anymore, because the middle class has expanded and become heterogeneous.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Outsider Politics: Radicalism
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Outsider politics : Radicalism as a Political Strategy in Western Europe and Latin America A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science by Verónica Hoyo Committee in charge: Professor William Chandler, Chair Professor Matthew Shugart, Co-Chair Professor Akos Rona-Tas Professor Sebastian Saiegh Professor Kaare Strom 2010 Copyright Verónica Hoyo, 2010 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Verónica Hoyo is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Co-Chair Chair University of California, San Diego 2010 iii DEDICATION A mis padres, Irma y Gonzalo, y a mi hermana Irma. Gracias por ser fuente constante de amor, inspiración y apoyo incondicional. Esto nunca hubiera sido posible sin ustedes. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page.............................................................................................................. iii Dedication..................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents.......................................................................................................... v List of Abbreviations...................................................................................................... vi List of Tables................................................................................................................... xii List of Graphs................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Review of European and National Election Results 2014-2019 Mid-Term January 2017
    Review of European and National Election Results 2014-2019 Mid-term January 2017 STUDY Public Opinion Monitoring Series Directorate-General for Communication Published by EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Author: Jacques Nancy, Public Opinion Monitoring Unit PE 599.242 Directorate-General for Communication Public Opinion Monitoring Unit REVIEW EE2014 Edition Spéciale Mi-Législature Special Edition on Mid-term Legislature LES ÉLECTIONS EUROPÉENNES ET NATIONALES EN CHIFFRES EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL ELECTIONS RESULTS TABLES Mise à jour – 20 janvier 2017 Update – 20th January 2017 8éme Législature 8th Parliamentary Term DANS CETTE EDITION Page IN THIS EDITION Page EDITORIAL11 EDITORIAL I.COMPOSITION DU PARLEMENT EUROPÉEN 6 I. COMPOSITION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 6 A.REPARTITION DES SIEGES 7 A.DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS 7 B.COMPOSITION DU PARLEMENT 8 B.COMPOSITION OF THE PARLIAMENT 8 -9-9AU 01/07/2014 ON THE 01/07/2014 -10-10AU 20/01/2017 ON THE 20/01/2017 C.SESSIONS CONSTITUTIVES ET PARLEMENT 11 C.CONSTITUTIVE SESSIONS AND OUTGOING EP 11 SORTANT DEPUIS 1979 SINCE 1979 D.REPARTITION FEMMES - HOMMES 29 D.PROPORTION OF WOMEN AND MEN 29 AU 20/01/2017 ON 20/01/2017 -30-30PAR GROUPE POLITIQUE AU 20/01/2017 IN THE POLITICAL GROUPS ON 20/01/2017 ET DEPUIS 1979 AND SINCE 1979 E.PARLEMENTAIRES RÉÉLUS 33 E.RE-ELECTED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT 33 II.NOMBRE DE PARTIS NATIONAUX AU PARLEMENT 35 II.NUMBER OF NATIONAL PARTIES IN THE EUROPEAN 35 EUROPEEN AU 20/01/2017 PARLIAMENT ON 20/01/2017 III.TAUX DE PARTICIPATION 37 III. TURNOUT 37 -38-38TAUX DE PARTICIPATION
    [Show full text]
  • Engineering Electoral Systems: Possibilities and Pitfalls
    Alan Wall and Mohamed Salih Engineering Electoral Systems: Possibilities and Pitfalls 1 Indonesia – Voting Station 2005 Index 1 Introduction 5 2 Engineering Electoral Systems: Possibilities and Pitfalls 6 2.1 What Is Electoral Engineering? 6 2.2 Basic Terms and Classifications 6 2.3 What Are the Potential Objectives of an Electoral System? 8 3 2.4 What Is the Best Electoral System? 8 2.5 Specific Issues in Split or Post Conflict Societies 10 2.6 The Post Colonial Blues 10 2.7 What Is an Appropriate Electoral System Development or Reform Process? 11 2.8 Stakeholders in Electoral System Reform 13 2.9 Some Key Issues for Political Parties 16 3 Further Reading 18 4 About the Authors 19 5 About NIMD 20 Annex Electoral Systems in NIMD Partner Countries 21 Colophon 24 4 Engineering Electoral Systems: Possibilities and Pitfalls 1 Introduction 5 The choice of electoral system is one of the most important decisions that any political party can be involved in. Supporting or choosing an inappropriate system may not only affect the level of representation a party achieves, but may threaten the very existence of the party. But which factors need to be considered in determining an appropriate electoral system? This publication provides an introduction to the different electoral systems which exist around the world, some brief case studies of recent electoral system reforms, and some practical tips to those political parties involved in development or reform of electoral systems. Each electoral system is based on specific values, and while each has some generic advantages and disadvantages, these may not occur consistently in different social and political environments.
    [Show full text]