The wider project of which this book is a part, set out to investigate the constitutional structures of the EU Member States. As part of this comparative enterprise this work sheds light on the intricate interconnections which exist between Member State governments and their national parliaments. Although in many cases governments only exist and function as a consequence of parliamentary support, it is the executive that is usually the focal point of political life and that sets the nation's political course and drives forward its legislative agenda. Arguably, this perception is based on the...

Constitutional discourse in the context of European integration has been both embraced and rejected, and has witnessed the rise and fall of the constitutional treaty, including the turmoil of the failed ratification process. This book discusses the making of a constitutional law for Europe understood in its broadest sense, as a composite constitution, consisting of constitutional rules and principles developed at the European level, complemented by national constitutional rules and principles as well as rules and principles from other sources such as the European Convention on Human Rights...

This book offers a deeper understanding of the dynamics and challenges faced by the ongoing development of European constitutional law. The content and form of European constitutional law are shaped by rules, principles and values found partly in European law and partly in (common) national constitutional norms and international documents, especially the European Convention on Human Rights. Taking the multifaceted and multidirectional nature of European constitutional law as their starting point, the essays in this book are organised around three central themes. The first draws attention to...