Suchergebnisse

THE FIRST THREE SETS OF EUROPEAN ELECTIONS WERE EASILY DISMISSED AS SECOND-ORDER: THE CAMPAIGNS WERE PREDOMINANTLY NATIONALLY ORGANIZED AND FOCUSED ON DOMESTIC ISSUES. TURNOUT WAS LOW, AND SMALL AND PROTEST PARTIES PERFORMED WELL IN ELECTIONS TO AN INSTITUTION WIDELY PERCEIVED TO BE WEAK AND INEFFECTUAL. BY 1994 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HAD ACQUIRED SIGNIFICANT POWERS AND THE EUROPEAN UNION WAS FACING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS CONCERNING BOTH ITS OWN INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ENLARGEMENT AND ISSUES OF PUBLIC POLICY SUCH AS UNEMPLOYMENT. THIS SITUATION MIGHT HAVE LED TO GREATER PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE ELECTIONS AND MORE CLOSELY CO-ORDINATED TRANSNATIONAL CAMPAIGNS. CONSIDERING THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM IN FORCE, THE NATURE OF THE CAMPAIGNS, ISSUES ON WHICH THE ELECTIONS WERE FOUGHT IN THE 12 MEMBER STATES AND THE FINAL OUTCOME, THERE WAS NO MAJOR SHIFT TO MORE INTEGRATED EUROPEAN ELECTIONS IN 1994.

BARELY THREE WEEKS AFTER THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EP) ELECTIONS IN JUNE 1994, THE HEADS OF GOVERNMENT FROM THE 12 MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) MET TO TACKLE SOME OF THE THORNIEST PROBLEMS IN EUROPEAN POLITICS, IN PARTICULAR THE CHOICE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT. THE DEBATE WAS CONDUCTED VERY MUCH ALONG NATIONAL, ALMOST NATIONALISTIC, LINES. THE NEWLY ELECTED PARLIAMENT HAS IMPORTANT NEW POWERS, ESTABLISHED BY THE MAASTRICHT TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION. THE PARLIAMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO BE CONSULTED, BUT NOT TO VETO. THE PARLIAMENT DOES, HOWEVER, HAVE THE POWER TO REJECT, AT A FUTURE VOTE, THE PRESIDENT AND 16 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AS A BODY. IT MAY YET DO SO.

Transnational social movement organizations (TSMOs) are important sources of global political information for their members, & facilitate action on three levels: international, national, & local. Internationally, they provide national & local actors a way to remain informed about relevant international developments & help represent their interests in international decision-making forums. Nationally, the global action strategies of TSMOs attempt to influence national governments within international institutions or national policy toward more globally acceptable standards, facilitate international exchange of information on national movement strategies, & help coordinate simultaneous national initiatives that focus the energies of activists from different countries on a common goal. Locally, TSMOs educate local institutions & individuals on international norms or standards, share information & resources for collective action & change, & monitor local government compliance with international agreements. L. Nguyen

IN BERMUDA, INTENSE POLITICAL RIVALRIES HAVE PRODUCED OPPONENTS, NOT ENEMIES. THE CAREERS OF FOUR VETERAN PARLIAMENTARIANS--RALPH MARSHALL, LOIS BROWNE-EVANS, JOHN SHARPE, AND WALTER ROBERTS--ILLUSTRATE HOW BERMUDA'S SYSTEM OF PARTY POLITICS WORKS.

Argues that there is a need for government that is committed to the role of the public sector both philosophically as well as simply financially; a government which understands the positive case for the public sector; which appreciates that public provision and organization are vital pre-conditions of economic success and social cohesion. (RSM)