The Possibilities of Liberal Reform

This chapter examines the years 1866–76 as a period of far-reaching liberal achievements in Germany’s Second Reich, and more modest, temporary liberal successes in Saxony. The first section provides a close examination of the Reichstag elections of February 1867, when Germans confronted the novelty of mass politics. It considers principal campaign themes and key races in order to convey the look and feel of this election contest, and discusses reactions to the election outcome in light of the political parties’ future prospects. A second section examines Saxony’s important but uncertain role in the North German Confederation, and the Reichstag election of August 1867. A third section is devoted to Saxony’s Landtag suffrage reform of 1868. Liberals, Conservatives, and the Saxon government put forward competing agendas for reform. The final reform reflected a mix of liberal and conservative ideals, and the general election of 1869 inaugurated a fragile liberal era.

EU comitology reform could politicise regulation

Subject Proposed reform of the EU comitology procedure. Significance The little-known ‘comitology’ procedure plays a key role in EU regulation. In recent years, this process has been breaking down as member-state expert representatives in comitology committees often abstain from voting, forcing the European Commission to take controversial decisions on its own (and accept any blame for them). In response, the Commission has proposed reforms that would pressure member states to take a position on (and hence political ownership of) controversial regulatory decisions. Impacts Government representatives, interest-group representatives and corporate lobbyists will be most affected by comitology reform. Despite adding transparency and avoiding blame-shifting to Brussels, the reforms would probably not help the EU’s image with citizens. The European Parliament might demand -- as part of any final reform package -- an increase in its involvement in the comitology process.

Parliamentary Report

The long-awaited proposals for the final (?) reform of the House of Lords were published on 15 May. Though the draft Bill envisages a House with 240 elected members and 60 appointed members nominated by a statutory Appointments Commission and recommended for appointment by the Prime Minister, the White Paper states explicitly that ‘it is a draft and we will consider options including a wholly elected House’. Probably the key proposal for readers of this Journal is that a maximum of 12 Church of England bishops would sit ex officiis in the reformed House, in addition to the 60 appointed members. Unlike the other members, the bishops will not be paid in respect of their membership, and the provisions of the draft Bill on taxation, suspension and expulsion and the majority of the disqualifying grounds will not apply to them. Over time the number of bishops in the Lords will be reduced from the initial 12 to 7.