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Southern European Parliaments in Democracy Southern European Parliaments in Democracy analyses the development of the parliaments of Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey since the mid-1980s. This book considers the challenges of the transition to democracy and outlines how theParliamentsof Southern Europe have adapted to the pressures of a democratic polity. Its focus is an assessment ofthemain changes that have takenplace since theperiods of transition to democracy right up to the present day. Chapters are country specific and consider a variety of indicators, from legislation and scrutiny to the social background of MPs. This book was previously published as a special issue of The Journal of Legislative Studies. Cristina Leston-Bandeira is a Lecturer in Legislative Studies at the University of Hull. Page Intentionally Left Blank THE LIBRARY OF LEGISLATIVE STUDIES General Editor: Philip Norton ISSN 1460-9649 A series of new and recent books exploring the role of legislature in contemporary political systems. The volumes typically draw together a team of country specialist to provide in-depth analysis. Parliaments in Contemporary Western Europe Edited by Philip Norton Volume 1: Parliaments and Governments in Western Europe Volume 2: Parliaments and Pressure Groups in Western Europe Volume 3: Parliaments and Citizens in Western Europe Second Chambers Edited by Nicholas D.J. Baldwin and Donald Shell Delegation and Accountability in European Integration The Nordic Parliamentary Democracies and the European Union Edited by Torbjo¨rn Bergman and Erik Damgaard The Uneasy Relationships between Parliamentary Members and Leaders Edited by Lawrence D. Longley and Reuven Y. Hazan Parliaments in Asia Edited by Philip Norton and Nizam Ahmed Conscience and Parliament Edited by Philip Cowley The New Roles of Parliamentary Committees Edited by Lawrence D. Longley and Roger H. Davidson Members of Parliament in Western Europe Roles and Behaviour Edited by Wolfgang C. Mu¨ller and Thomas Saalfeld Parliaments in Western Europe Edited by Philip Norton The New Parliaments of Central and Eastern Europe Edited by David M. Olson and Philip Norton National Parliaments and the European Union Edited by Philip Norton Southern European Parliaments in Democracy Edited by Cristina Leston-Bandeira Firstpublished 2005byRoutledge 2 ParkSquare, MiltonPark,Abingdon, Oxon,OX14 4RN Simultaneously published inthe USAand Canada byRoutledge 711 Third Avenue,New York, NY10017 Routledge isanimprint of theTaylor&Francis Group #2005Cristina Leston-Bandeira Typesetin Times byTechset Composition Limited All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now knownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. BritishLibraryCataloguingin Publication Data Acatalogue record forthis bookisavailable fromthe BritishLibrary LibraryofCongress Catalogingin PublicationData Acatalogrecord forthis title hasbeen requested ISBN0-415-35888-4 Contents 1 Introduction: Southern European Parliaments in Democracy Cristina Leston-Bandeira 1 2 The Italian Parliament: InSearch GilibertoCapano of aNew Role? and MarcoGiuliani 8 3 Much Ado about Something? Parliamentary Politics inItaly Amidthe Rhetoric ofMajorityRule andan Uncertain Party System Luca Verzichelli 35 4 Internalising the Lessons of Stable Democracy: ThePortuguese CristinaLeston-Bandeira Parliament and Andre´ Freire 56 5 The HellenicParliament: TheNew Rules of the Game Penelope Foundethakis 85 6 The SpanishParliament ina TriangularRelationship,1982–2000 Jordi Capo Giol 107 7 Parliament andCitizenship inSpain: Twenty-Five Yearsofa Mismatch? PabloOnãte 130 8 Volatilityin Politics, Stability inParliament: An ImpossibleDream?The TurkishGrand National Assemblyduring the Last Two Decades I˙lter Turan 151 9 Conclusion: The Impact ofDemocratic Practiceon the Parliaments of Philip Norton SouthernEurope and Cristina Leston-Bandeira 177 Index 186 Page Intentionally Left Blank Southern European Parliaments in Democracy CRISTINA LESTON-BANDEIRA THE STUDY OF SOUTHERN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTS TheemergenceofnewdemocraciesinSouthernEuropeinthe1970sledtoa proliferation of literature on theories of transition to and consolidation of democracy. Here were several countries with geographical, cultural and his- torical similarities going through a concomitant experience of introducing democracyafteraperiodofauthoritarianregimes.Thisprovidedanexcellent opportunity to develop and deepen theories on democratisation, leading to prolific and seminal literature.1 However, not only did this literature neglect thestudyofinstitutions,2butalsothe successfulconsolidation ofdemocracy and the emergence of new democracies elsewhere3 has resulted since the beginningofthe1990sinadiminishedinterestinthese countries; oratleast intheirstatusasdevelopingdemocracies.Havingoncelostthelabelof‘new democracies’,thesecountriesacquiredthestatusofestablisheddemocracies, being grouped together with old democracies such as the United Kingdom. Geoffrey Pridham and Paul Lewis allude tothiswhenthey say that‘at some moment when consolidation is well advanced, new democracies cease to be called “new” and are regarded as established’.4 This lack of interest has been particularly notable in the case of parliamentary institutions, as their study in a framework of ‘consolidation of democracy’ was never deepened in Southern Europe (SE).5 As a consequence, there is no adequate study of how institutions, notably parliaments, have developed as democracy has become established inSouthernEurope. Rather than looking at two separate moments (new versus established democracy), it is important to ascertain how parliaments adapt to the process of democratisation. The values of legitimacy and representation are verydeartonewlydemocraticparliaments,butasthepractice ofdemocracy settlesin,thevaluesofefficacyandstabilitybecomemoreandmoreimport- ant. The purpose of this special issue is to ascertain how the parliaments of Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey have adapted to the pressures of a democratic polity. The only book to date entirely dedicated to the parliaments of Southern EuropewastheoneeditedbyUlrikeLiebertandMaurizioCotta:Parliament and Democratic Consolidation inSouthern Europe,6a comparativestudy on