The conference is organised jointly by the Alcide de Gasperi Research Centre (EUI) and the Historical Archives of the European Union (EUI), with support of the Robert Schuman Centre (EUI), School of Transnational Governance (EUI), the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Rome Office, Association ‘Friends of the Historical Archives of the EU’, European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) and the European Parliament’s Former Members Association (FMA).

 

After exactly forty years, in May 2019 European citizens will elect the 9th legislature of the European Parliament (EP). Since 1979, the political and institutional relevance of this institution has progressively and decisively grown. In the last decades, the EP managed to establish itself as a keystone of the European Union’s policy-making process, increasingly acquiring legislative, supervisory, and budgetary responsibilities. This conference aims to discuss this evolution of the EP, highlighting not only its expansion as a powerful institution, but also its role in democratizing decision-making processes at the supranational level. At the same time, the conference will also look forward towards May 2019, discussing the relevance of the growing powers of the EP in a political context wherein the legitimacy of the European Union is increasingly contested and Eurosceptic parties seem to gain popularity across national electorates. The panels and roundtables bring together high-profile academics and European Parliament actors, who will share insights and experiences about the role of the European Parliament in the construction and democratization of the European Union.