The CFSP/ESDP, Parliamentary Accountability, and the ´Future of Europe´ Convention debate

This paper examines the importance that the current Convention on the Future of Europe is giving (or not) to the question of democratic accountability in European foreign and defence policy. As all European Union (EU) member states are parliamentary democracies1, and as there is a European Parliament (EP) which also covers CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policy) and ESDP (European Security and Defence Policy2) matters, I will concentrate on parliamentary accountability rather than democratic accountability more widely defined. Where appropriate, I will also refer to the work of other transnational parliamentary bodies such as the North Atlantic Assembly or NAA (NATO´s Parliamentary Assembly) or the Western European Union (WEU) Parliamentary Assembly3. The article will consist of three sections. First, I will briefly put the question under study within its wider context (section 1). Then, I will examine the current level of parliamentary accountability in CFSP and defence matters (section 2). Finally, I will consider the current Convention debate and assess how much attention is being given to the question of accountability in foreign and defence policies (section 3). This study basically argues that, once again, there is very little interest in an issue that should be considered as vital for the future democratic development of a European foreign and defence policy. It is important to note however that this paper does not cover the wider debate about how to democratise and make the EU more transparent and closer to its citizens. It concentrates on its Second Pillar because its claim is that very little if any attention is being given to this question

La influencia de la Constitución Española de 1812 en el constitucionalismo chileno del s. XIX. Un análisis comparado

Aquest treball presenta un anàlisi comparat de la Constitució espanyola de 1812 i les diverses constitucions xilenes del segle XIX. L’objectiu és determinar la influència d’una constitució vigent en ambdós territoris al desenvolupament constitucionalisme xilè posterior. L’estudi es realitza des de tres perspectives: institucional, estructural i literal.

El proceso electoral en España y Cataluña según la Constitución de 1812

En el presente trabajo se analiza la normativa electoral y su aplicación incluida en el articulado de la Constitución de 1812. Para ello en primer lugar se estudia el espíritu del proyecto electoral constitucional. Posteriormente se analiza su aplicación en los comicios para elegir las Cortes Ordinarias de 1813 en las dos realidades que contempla: los territorios de la metrópoli y los de ultramar. Analizada la normativa electoral, establecemos el Parlamento teórico resultante y su aplicación real. Finalmente, realizamos un análisis prosopográfico de los diputados elegidos en España y Cataluña, establecemos la morfología del parlamentario tipo y lo comparamos con los resultados de las dos realidades electorales apuntadas.