PARLIAMENTS AND PRESSURE GROUPS IN WESTERN EUROPE THE LIBRARY OF LEGISLATIVE STUDIES General Editor Philip Norton ISSN 1460-9649 A series of new and recent books exploring the role of legislatures in contemporary political systems. The volumes typically draw together a team of country specialists 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 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. Müller 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 PARLIAMENTS IN CONTEMPORARY WESTERN EUROPE Volume 2 Parliaments and Pressure Groups in Western Europe Edited by PHILIP NORTON ROUTLEDG RTayoloru &t Flreandcisg Cero up E LONDON AND NEW YORK First published in 1999 in Great Britain by ROUTLEDGE PUBLISHERS Reprinted 2004 By Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Transferred to Digital Printing 2006 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group Copyright © 1999 Routledge British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Parliaments in contemporary western Europe Vol.2: Parliaments and pressure groups in western Europe. – (Library of legislative studies) 1. Legislative bodies – Europe, Western 2. Pressure groups – Europe, Western 3. Politics, Practical – Europe, Western I. Norton, Philip 328.4 ISBN 0 7146 4834 5 (cloth) ISBN 0 7146 4386 6 (paper) ISSN 1460–9649 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Parliaments and governments in Western Europe / edited by Philip Norton. p. cm. – (Library of legislative studies) Includes index. ISBN 0-7146-4834-5. – ISBN 0-7146-4386-6 (pbk.) 1. Legislative bodies – Europe, Western. 2. Europe, Western – Politics and government. I. Norton, Philip. II. Series. JN94.A71P38 1998 328.3'9'094–dc21 98–16206 CIP All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher of this book. Publisher's Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original may be apparent Contents Preface vii List of Contributors ix General Introduction xi 1. Introduction: Putting Pressure on Parliaments Philip Norton 1 2. The United Kingdom: Parliament Under Pressure Philip Norton 19 3. Germany: Bundestag and Interest Groups in a Tarty Democracy' Thomas Saalfeld 43 4. Parliament and Pressure Groups in Italy Vincent Delia Sala 67 5. Belgium: Insider Pressure Groups in an Outsider Parliament Lieven de Winter 88 6. The Netherlands: Parliamentary Parties Rival with Pressure Groups M.P.C.M. Van Schendelen 110 7. Parliaments and Pressure Groups: Eunan O'Halpin The Irish Experience of Change and Eileen Connolly 124 8. The European Parliament: Getting the 145 House in Order Mark P. Shephard 167 9. Conclusion: Conflicting Pressures Philip Norton 177 Index Preface This volume constitutes the second in a series of three, exploring the relationship between parliaments and key bodies in the political system. The focus of this work is the relationship between parliaments and pressure groups, a relationship that remarkably has attracted little attention, especially in comparative analysis. I am particularly grateful to the other contributors to the volume for their hard work and commitment. For most it has involved a fairly intense period of research and writing, undertaken when they had just completed their chapters for the first volume and while having to teach and meet other writing commitments. This is another title in the growing list of books in legislative studies published by Frank Cass. Legislatures are important subjects of study and Frank Cass has been at the forefront in ensuring that the fruits of that study are made available to a much wider audience. In reaching that wider audience, my fellow contributors and I are keen to ensure that the contact is not one way, and we welcome comments and suggestions from readers. PHILIP NORTON Centre for Legislative Studies, University of Hull vii The Contributors Eileen Connolly is a Research Associate in Government at Dublin City University. Vincent Delia Sala is Associate Professor of Political Science at Carleton University, Ottawa. Lieven de Winter is Lecturer in the Départment de Sciences Politiques at the Université Catholique de Louvain and in the Faculteit Sociale Witenschappen at the Katholieke Universiteit, Brussels. Philip Norton is Professor of Government at the University of Hull. Eunan O'Halpin is Professor of Government at Dublin City University. Thomas Saalfeld is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Kent. Mark Shephard is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Houston. M.C.P.M. Van Schendelen is Professor of Political Science at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. ix