What is to be Expected of the New European Parliament?

Complementing May’s European column, in which he drew attention to France’s lack of involvement where the European Parliament is concerned, this month Jean-François Drevet outlines the role and functioning of the European Parliament, together with the changes it will undergo once the Treaty of Lisbon comes into force. After recalling the powers it enjoys within the institutional framework of the – present and future – Union, he gives a detailed account of how the Parliament operates (where it meets, its multilingualism, how votes are taken etc.) and how the balance of power works (political groups, national interests etc.), particularly at the time of voting. As we can see, the Parliament has assumed a greater role in the European institutional sphere, as time has gone by, confirming the process of democratization of that sphere, a fact that European citizens should become aware of, in order better to defend the vision of Europe that is theirs.