Women in the European Parliament: effects of the voting system, strategies and political resources. The case of the French delegation. GSPE Working Paper 10/28/2008

Beauvallet, Willy and Michon, Sebastien. (2008) Women in the European Parliament: effects of the voting system, strategies and political resources. The case of the French delegation. GSPE Working Paper 10/28/2008. [Working Paper] (Unpublished)

Preview

PDF Download (147Kb) | Preview

Abstract

This article aims to provide elements to explain the feminisation of French MEPs. While the voting system should be taken into account, its effects can only be understood in relation with two elements: on the one hand, the position of the European Parliament in the French political field; on the other, the specific configuration of social and political struggles of the public space in 1990s France. Within this framework, gender constitutes a political resource that is more valuable in the European Parliament than in the national parliament; as a result, women who are less politically professionalised are promoted. They turn towards forms of parliamentary "goodwill" and strategies of over-involvement in European political roles. The relative specificity of the postures they adopt within the institution does not have to do with a hypothetical "feminine nature", but with a set of sociopolitical processes.

Actions (login required)