Tenure, turnover and careers in the European Parliament: MEPs as policy-seekers

ABSTRACT

Given the considerable increase in its powers over recent decades, this article asks how far the European Parliament (EP) is an attractive place to build a legislative career. Using a theory of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) as policy-seekers, it shows that MEPs are indeed building careers in this supranational institution. Turnover is in decline in the EP and on its committees, average length of service has increased and greater proportions of MEPs aspire to stay than previously. Looking at the 30 years since direct elections began, policy influence and office benefits are associated with lower likelihood of exiting the EP while being on the geographical periphery of the EU makes MEPs more likely to leave.

KEY WORDS:

• European Parliament
• legislative careers
• legislative turnover
• MEPs
• policy-seeking
• second-order elections

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to Shane Martin, Christopher Kam and the journal's anonymous referees for helpful comments on earlier versions of this article.

Notes

1 However, some more recent studies indicate that attitudes to and party positions regarding European integration do have some effects on voters in European elections (e.g., Ferrara and Weishaupt 2004; Hix and Marsh 2007; Hobolt et al. 2009).

2 These committees were: Foreign Affairs; Budgets; Agriculture; and Economics during the first two terms. For the third, fourth and fifth terms they were the same except Environment replaced Agriculture. For term six they were Foreign Affairs, Economics, Environment and International Trade.

3 These are available at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sei/research/europeanpartieselectionsreferendumsnetwork/europeparliamentelections.

Additional information

Biographical note

Richard Whitaker is a lecturer in European politics at the University of Leicester, UK.