The Europeanization of the Bundestag: From Observer to Player? Bertelsmann Studies

Calliess, Christian and Beichelt, Timm (2013) The Europeanization of the Bundestag: From Observer to Player? Bertelsmann Studies. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

Never before has the role of the German Bundestag with regard to European integration been so intensively discussed as during the European financial and debt crisis. However, it is easy to overlook the fact that major changes have come about in the participation of the German Parliament in European policy. On the one hand, this is as a result of the Treaty of Lisbon, which emphasizes the role of national parliaments in Article 12 TEU and grants them additional rights in some fields. On the other hand, it is also because of German law, not least spurred on by the rulings of the Federal Constitutional Court, ranging from its rulings on the European Arrest Warrant in 2005 and the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 to its rulings on the socalled rescue packages in 2011 and 2012. Upon closer examination of the most recent developments, it thus becomes apparent that the Bundestag’s political actions can now no longer be seen as “empty” as is alleged in most of the more dated specialist literature. The changes in the law over the past few years have enabled the Bundestag to play both a monitoring and participatory role in German European policy.

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