N. 1/2023 MPs Versus Prime Ministers
How German and Italian Parliaments Keep Tabs on the European Council
European integration has been a significant driver behind the weakening of national parliaments, and has been to the advantage of political executives in the EU. In this regard, scholars have observed that this shift of power is an inherent aspect of international cooperation, which favours the functional redistribution of authority among policy-making institutions and fosters policy-making centralization. Within political executives, the head of government is the actor who benefits the most from this process. Against this background, national parliaments have responded and developed a range of strategies to keep tabs on chief executives, especially after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. This paper aims to assess the nature and the impact of these strategies, by focusing on the institutional mechanisms and practices MPs rely on when overseeing prime ministers before and after the meetings of the European Council. Germany and Italy are used as case studies. Contrary to the more negative views regarding the capacity of national parliaments to scrutinise EU affairs in the two countries, the analysis shows that MPs make effective use of their powers to influence the agenda of EU summits. However, there are differences between the two countries. While German MPs have strong formal powers and are characterized by moderate activism, Italian MPs suffer from a weaker position vis-à-vis their prime minister and make a limited use of the institutional mechanisms at their disposal. This paper discusses the redefinition of democratic accountability in EU affairs, in light of noteworthy trends towards the political empowerment of chief executives.