"Europe's Modern Prince? An Insider's View of the Party of European Socialists"

Seen from the point of view of a senior practitioner in the largest European party- the Party of European Socialists - this paper looks at some political circumstances that have driven the development of party politics at the European Union level. Examination of the organisation and politics of the PES gives an insight into the growing legitimacy by national political elites of Union-level action, and highlights the emergence of a distinct supranational political agenda. The parties could, in this perspective, have profound influence on the democratic credentials and legitimacy of the Union, both in institutional questions (particularly the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference) and in policy development (for example, the European Employment Initiative)