Suchergebnisse

THE POSITION OF THE SPANISH CORTES REGARDING EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AND EUROPEAN UNION (EU) POLITICS MUST BE SET IN THE PROPER HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. INITIALLY, THE CORTES, THE PARTIES, AND PUBLIC OPINION WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH DOMESTIC POLITICAL CHANGE AND ACHIEVING POLITICAL STABILITY THAN WITH ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS. THIS KEPT THE DEBATE OVER MEMBERSHIP COSTS AND BENEFITS AT BAY. IN ADDITION, AN OVERARCHING CONSENSUS AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES ON THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION REINFORCED PARLIAMENT'S LACK OF CONCERN. MOREOVER, SUCCESSIVE CONTINUING GOVERNMENT MAJORITIES IN PARLIAMENT DIMINISHED THE POSSIBILITIES FOR AND THE SALIENCE OF PARLIAMENTARY STRUGGLE. THE PREOCCUPATION RAISED BY THE MAASTRICHT TREATY, THE EFFECTS OF THE RECENT ECONOMIC CRISIS, AND A CHANGING PERCEPTION OF MEMBERSHIP COSTS AMONG PUBLIC OPINION HAVE INCREASED THE TENDENCY TOWARDS DIFFERENTIATION AMONG PARTIES. THE FIRST CONSEQUENCE HAS BEEN A REFORM OF PROCEDURES AND THE CORTES' GREATER INVOLVEMENT WITH EU POLITICS. BUT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS REMAIN TO BE SEEN.