Introduction

Abstract

National parliaments are the key representative institutions in European democracies. At the same time, economic and political interdependence in the European Union (EU) puts a question mark behind the ‘standard’ account of political representation based on an exclusive national representative relationship. Against this background, it is far from straightforward that members of national parliaments (MPs) only represent a unitary national interest in EU governance. Whom and how do national MPs represent in EU politics and why do they do so? This book provides an original and thought-provoking argument that rejects the idea of national MPs having but one ‘standard’ mode of representation. It acknowledges the importance of the national electoral connection, but updates the formal model of authorization and accountability to include externalities within the EU multi-level system. We have not yet seen any empirical research into a possible Europeanization of national parliamentary representation itself. The book investigates what national MPs say (their speech behavior in parliament) and what they think (their self-perception as representatives) in EU politics. This contributes to the normative discussion of the democratic legitimacy of trans- and supranational parliamentary representation in the EU and in international politics and global governance more broadly.