The European Parliament (EP) is an influential institution, but it has usually received little attention from historians. Against this background, Ines Soldwisch carries out a critical analysis of the institution from 1979 to 2004. The focus of the study is on the members of the EP, who have ?created= their institution within the framework of the European treaties. The EP is examined for the first time from a micro-perspective, and this unique institution=s communication points, rules of communication and self-organization are described clearly. In this multi-layered study, Ines Soldwisch succeeds both in indicating the institution=s general lines of development and also in adopting the points of view of individual protagonists. The result is a mosaic in which both the details and also the broader contexts emerge.

PD Dr. Ines Soldwisch lehrt Neuere und Neueste Geschichte an der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule in Aachen.