This paper focuses on the Spanish parliament (Cortes Generales, or just Cortes) and its role in the management of the Eurozone-crisis. Which measures does the Cortes Generales possess to scrutinize instruments of crisis management? Has it been actively using those to scrutinize European crisis management or has it been a mere rule taker? To answer these questions it is essential to look at the role of national parliaments in the EU system first. In a second step we want to have a closer look at the role of the parliament in the Spanish political system to better understand the then following part that is dealing with what scrutiny measures the Cortes possess and how actively it has been using them during the Eurozone-crisis.
During the last decades, the process of European integration has fundamentally changed patterns of governance in Europe and led to the establishment of a new institutional framework on the continent. The ongoing transfer of competencies from the national to the supranational level has created a multi-level governance system in which new institutions emerged and already existing ones are looking for a new role in this very complex system. Since the national parliaments represent the will of the citizens, they play a crucial role in legitimating decision-making at the EU level and therefore are under pressure to find ways of influencing EU policy. This is especially crucial since national executives to an increasing degree exercise legislative competencies at the EU level (namely in the EU Council) and as a consequence increasingly restrict national parliaments in influencing policy-making at the EU level.
The beginning of the European debt crisis in 2010 reinforced this tendency, since measures to counter the Eurozone-crisis, such as the establishment of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), intergovernmental treaties outside the legal framework of the EU like the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (TSCG, also known as Fiscal Compact), and especially the European Semester strongly limit the national parliament’s key prerogative: budgetary authority. Since their legislative competencies have been limited, national parliaments have elaborated different mechanisms to scrutinize decision-making at the supranational level to ensure democratic legitimacy.
Table of Contents
I INTRODUCTION
II PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL IN THE EUROPEAN MULTI-LEVEL SYSTEM
III EUROZONE-CRISIS AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE SPANISH NATIONAL PARLIAMENT IN EU AFFAIRS
1 THE PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM OF SPAIN AND THE ROLE OF THE CORTES GENERALES IN EU AFFAIRS
2 EUROZONE-CRISIS AND SPANISH WAYS OF MANAGING IT
3 THE CORTES GENERALES´ INVOLVEMENT IN SCRUTINY OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE EUROZONE-CRISIS
IV CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the role and effectiveness of the Spanish parliament (Cortes Generales) in scrutinizing executive actions during the Eurozone crisis. It investigates whether the parliament has successfully utilized its institutional instruments to influence crisis management or whether it has remained a passive observer in the multi-level governance system of the European Union.
- The impact of European integration on the legislative powers of national parliaments.
- Mechanisms of parliamentary scrutiny within the Spanish political system.
- The influence of the Eurozone crisis on democratic legitimacy and executive-legislative relations.
- The effectiveness of the European Affairs Committee (EAC) and other tools like the political dialogue.
- The role of the Early Warning Mechanism in the context of the principle of subsidiarity.
Excerpt from the Book
3 The Cortes Generales´ involvement in scrutiny of the management of the Eurozone-crisis
Against the background of the democratic deficit of the EU and the shift of power to the executive in the management of the Eurozone-crisis, national parliaments have begun to establish and more effectively use very different instruments to scrutinize their governments in EU-affairs. Despite some institutional similarities, the national legislatures have set different priorities and developed different means of scrutiny that primarily focus on the reduction of information-asymmetries between them and their governments (Sprungk, 2013: 553). These asymmetries result out of the direct involvement of the governments into EU-affairs and have become more evident during the intergovernmental and quiet informal management of the Eurozone-crisis.
The most important instrument of the Spanish parliament to scrutinize European legislation and to control its executive in EU-affairs is the Comisión Mixta para las Cominidades Europeas, or European Affairs Committee (EAC), composed by currently 43 members from all parliamentary groups of the both Spanish chambers. It was already created shortly before the accession of Spain to the EU as a specialist committee in charge of receiving EU-documents, elaborating reports and providing information for the parliament on EU-matters (Act 47/1985). Whereas its activity used to be limited mainly to quiet ineffective ex post control (the reports had only very limited influence on the government’s position in EU-affairs), its position was strengthened continuously also with regard to more ex ante control: it obtained the competency to request hearings, collect information on specific legislative proposals and subsequent negotiations in the Council, and to set up sub-committees for the elaboration and adoption of specific reports.
Summary of Chapters
I INTRODUCTION: This chapter contextualizes the democratic deficit in the EU and defines the research aim regarding the Spanish parliament's role in the Eurozone crisis.
II PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL IN THE EUROPEAN MULTI-LEVEL SYSTEM: The chapter explores the theoretical framework of the principal-agent approach and how European integration has shifted power from national legislatures to the executive.
III EUROZONE-CRISIS AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE SPANISH NATIONAL PARLIAMENT IN EU AFFAIRS: This section provides a detailed analysis of the Spanish parliamentary system, the specific crisis management measures, and the scrutiny tools available to the Cortes Generales.
IV CONCLUSION: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that while the Spanish parliament has improved some internal processes, it remains largely a latecomer with limited influence on EU decision-making.
Keywords
Cortes Generales, Eurozone crisis, European integration, Parliamentary scrutiny, Multi-level governance, Democratic deficit, Executive power, European Affairs Committee, Subsidiarity, Early Warning Mechanism, Political dialogue, Crisis management, Legislative oversight, Spain, EU-affairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on the involvement of the Spanish national parliament (Cortes Generales) in scrutinizing its government's actions during the Eurozone crisis within the European Union's multi-level governance system.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include the loss of legislative sovereignty due to European integration, the democratic deficit, the tools for parliamentary control, and the specific impact of the financial crisis on Spanish parliamentary activity.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine whether the Cortes Generales actively used scrutiny instruments to hold the government accountable during the crisis or if it remained a passive "rule-taker".
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The study uses a political science approach, specifically employing neo-institutionalist theories and the principal-agent model to analyze institutional opportunities and parliamentary activity.
What does the main part of the work cover?
The main part covers the historical transition of the Spanish parliament, the specific mechanisms of the European Affairs Committee (EAC), and an evaluation of modern tools like the Early Warning Mechanism and the political dialogue with the European Commission.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is best characterized by terms such as parliamentary scrutiny, Eurozone crisis, multi-level governance, Cortes Generales, and democratic legitimacy.
How did the Eurozone crisis affect the power distribution in Spain?
The crisis shifted power further toward the executive branch as the government relied on rapid decision-making and decree laws, often bypassing detailed parliamentary oversight.
What role does the European Affairs Committee (EAC) play?
The EAC serves as the primary instrument for receiving EU documents and requesting hearings, although its influence on actual policy-making is described as limited.
Is the Spanish parliament considered a "loser" of integration?
While the paper acknowledges the parliament's limited influence, it suggests that calling it a "loser" is too harsh; rather, it identifies the parliament as a "latecomer" that is struggling to adapt its scrutiny mechanisms.
- Quote paper
- Josephine Susan Götze (Author), 2015, The Cortes Generales in troubled times. The Eurozone-crisis and parliamentary involvement in EU-affairs, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/320550
