The EP in the Career of German MEPs

Parliamentarism in Germany in Comparison

Berlin

15.02.2017

Article: "Springboard or Elephants’ Graveyard: The Position of the European Parliament in the Careers of German MPs" by Michael Edinger

MEP: Member of the European Parliament

MdB: Member of the Bundestag

State MP: Member of a parliament of a German state

Typical perception of the German MEP

  • Elderly politician looking for a safe haven to terminate his/her career

Less typical, but common: young politician without experience trying to use the EP as a springboard

Study

  • 335 MEPs
  • elected in Germany
  • between 1979 and 2014

Career path depends on structure of opportunities

Federalism

  • movement between levels in Germany is structurally encouraged

Legal Framework

  • dual mandate allowed until 2004 but already very rare in Germany since 1984

Attractiveness of the EP

  • until 2009: salary ≈ Bundestag
  • since 2009: salary < Bundestag
  • MEPs: fewer staff, bigger workload, more travel

Career path depends on structure of opportunities

Electoral System

  • personalization in Bundestag elections
  • 5% threshold in Bundestag elections and in EP until 2014

Party Nomination

  • smaller parties have one national list
  • CDU has regional lists (+ CSU)
  • SPD had regional lists until 2004
  • Stronger control by party leadership in EP elections

Career path depends on structure of opportunities

Timing

  • Independent cycles: usually elections don't coincide
  • Exceptions:
    • Bundestag: 1994 and 2005
    • Thuringia: 2004

Salience

  • EP elections have:
    • less media attention,
    • less turnout,
    • more protest vote

Crossing Levels

State parliament → Bundestag

  • 1st&2nd elections: very intensive due to state parliaments being older
    • 2nd term: > 1/3 former state MPs in the Bundestag
  • 1984-2014
    • 13%-20% former state MPs
    • 1/5-1/6 MdB entered politics at state level

Bundestag → State parliament

  • ≈ 5% of state MPs have previous Bundestag experience

Crossing Levels

Bundestag → State government

  • very common

State government → Bundestag

  • common

∴ Mobility mostly from state to national level (upward)

German MEPs

  • 25%-32% have previous experience at state/national level
  • ≈ 60% in 1979 due to "natural candidates"
  • since 1989: stable level but always higher than MdB with previous experience

Mobility

  • former MdB among MEPs: <10% for past 15 years
  • former state MPs among MEPs: 1/4 of MEPs (2009/2014)
  • 2009:
    • 68% without experience
    • 26% former state MPs
    • 10% former MdB

German MEPs

∴ mandate in EP has lost appeal for MdB

 

∴ mandate in EP has growing appeal for state MPs due to declining state parliament importance and growing EP importance

  • MEP incumbent rate: >60%
    • ≈  Bundestag
    • higher than state parliaments

 

  • former MEPs into MdB/state <<< former state/MdB into MEP

Typology of an MEP

  • Career Experience
    • if it was MdB/MP before it was MEP (or not)
  • Career orientation
    • ambition
      • if it tried being a candidate in national/state level while being an MEP
    • expertize
      • if it worked on EU issues outside the EP

Typology of an MEP

no experience prior exp. after exp.
Nat.-centered E A C
EU-centered F B D
no experience prior exp. after exp.
Nat.-centered Failed Stepping Stone Pensioner or
Europeanized		 Stepping Stone
EU-centered Euro Politician Euroleader or
Euroexpert		 Euro Professional

Typology of an MEP

no experience prior exp. after exp.
Nat.-centered Failed Stepping Stone Pensioner or
Europeanized		 Stepping Stone
EU-centered Euro Politician Euroleader or
Euroexpert		 Euro Professional

A: Pensioner or Europeanized

  • long EU activity after short national/state activity
  • very short or late EU experience

B: Euroleader or Euroexpert

  • had served before in EU committees, in non-elected EP, in EU civil society organizations, in EUparty, etc

Typology of an MEP

no experience prior exp. after exp.
Nat.-centered Failed Stepping Stone Pensioner or
Europeanized		 Stepping Stone
EU-centered Euro Politician Euroleader or
Euroexpert		 Euro Professional

C: Stepping Stone

  • usually becomes MEP at young age
  • or after defeat at national/state level and uses EP as "parking"

D: Europrofessional

  • after being MEP returns to national/state level to work on EU issues

Typology of an MEP

no experience prior exp. after exp.
Nat.-centered Failed Stepping Stone Pensioner or
Europeanized		 Stepping Stone
EU-centered Euro Politician Euroleader or
Euroexpert		 Euro Professional

A

48%

B

19%

C

19%

D

14%

∴ Half are pensioners or long-term MEPs

Conclusions

∴ >50% of MEPs have cross-level experience (more prior than after)

∴ Downward trend: MEPs that were MdB

∴ Pensioner style is no longer typical

∴ Territorially upward career path no longer dominant.

∴ Opposite also not dominant

∴ Starting career in EP is not a main path

∴ EP is at interception of different career paths

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