"The Lisbon Treaty states that national Parliaments shall contribute to a better functioning of the EU. Can they really do it and therefore enrich the European democracy? How far can they extend their original sovereignty without distorting political responsibilities that should be geared upon the European Parliament? The authors analyze the experience of the Italian Parliament under the light of these crucial questions and their exhaustive answers are greatly helpful to the readers of all over Europe."
Giuliano Amato, Judge of the Italian Constitutional Court.

This important new collection explores the role of the Italian Parliament in the Euro-national parliamentary system as an example of an increased role for national parliaments within the composite European constitutional order. It illustrates how parliamentary interactions within the European Union are highly systematic, with integrated procedures and mutual interdependence between the various institutions and stakeholders. The book argues that this dynamic is vital for both the functioning and the future equilibrium of democracy in the EU. This is significant, particularly given the challenges posed to democracy within the EU institutions and the Member States.

Notwithstanding its peculiarities (a symmetrical bicameral system in which both Houses are directly elected, hold the same powers and are linked through a confidence relationship with the government), the Italian Parliament deserves specific attention as a lively active player of the European polity. The grid for its analysis proposed by this collection may also be applied to other national parliaments, so contributing to the development of comparative research in this field.

Introduction: The Italian Parliament and the New Role of National Parliaments in the European Union
Nicola Lupo and Giovanni Piccirilli

Part I: Italy Coping with the Process of European Integration
1. The Transformative Role of the Parliament in the Italian Experience
Pietro Falletta
2. The Role of the Italian Parliament in the Stipulation of International Treaties: Rise and Decline of the 'Authorisation Model'
Giuliano Vosa
3. Formulating and Implementing EU Law and Policies: 'Ascending' and 'Descending' Phases and Beyond
Renato Ibrido
4. The Evolution of Italian Representation in the European Parliament: Electoral Laws, Systemic Effects and MPs' Characteristics
Alessandro Chiaramonte, Lorenzo De Sio and Vincenzo Emanuele

Part II: The Formation of the National Position in the EU
5. The Function of Scrutiny and Political Direction of the Government, Between Foreign Affairs and European Affairs
Giovanni Rizzoni
6. European Affairs within the Chamber of Deputies
Antonio Esposito
7. European Affairs within the Senate of the Republic
Davide A Capuano
8. The Coordination with the Regional Councils
Cristina Fasone

Part III: The Italian Parliament in the 'Euro-national' Parliamentary System
9. Procedures vis-à-vis the Commission: The Subsidiarity Scrutiny as a Way to 'Reconnect' EU Democracy
Nicola Lupo
10. Procedures vis-à-vis the European Council and the Council: Approval, Delay and Veto Powers
Giovanni Piccirilli
11. Procedures vis-à-vis the European Parliament and the Other National Parliaments: Interparliamentary Cooperation
Elena Griglio
12. Procedures vis-à-vis the Court of Justice of the European Union: Ex Post Subsidiarity Scrutiny
Werner Vandenbruwaene
13. Procedures vis-à-vis the Institutions of the New Economic Governance
Massimo Nardini
14. Procedures vis-à-vis the 'Masters of the Treaties': The Parliamentary Role in the Revision of the Treaties
Barbara Guastaferro

Part IV: The Italian Future in a European Perspective
15. Understanding the Impact of the Autonomy of National Legislatures on the EU Policy Process
Amie Kreppel
16. The Italian Symmetrical Bicameral System in EU Affairs
Maria Romaniello
17. The 2016 Attempted Reform of the Italian Senate in a European Perspective
Luigi Gianniti
Conclusion: 'Silent' Constitutional Transformations: The Italian Way of Adapting to the European Union
Nicola Lupo and Giovanni Piccirilli
Afterword: European Democracy and National Parliaments (Through the Prism of Matteo Renzi)
Peter L Lindseth

“... the numerous articles of the book, excellently written by several scholars and parliamentary officers, successfully show the evolution, features, and problematic aspects of the Italian Parliament within the European framework ... Lupo and Piccirilli's book deserves a special credit for remembering that, after all, Member States' Parliaments still represent the highest expression of popular sovereignty within the European Union; their ability to influence the EU decision-making processes is necessary to the democratic legitimation of the EU itself.” –  Matteo De Nes, Post-doc Fellow in Constitutional Law, University of Padua, Italy, International Journal of Constitutional Law Blog