What was the result? What was the impact of the Commission’s fall? It had a considerable effect on Parliament’s view of itself, with the event acquiring an almost legendary status. Most members saw it as marking a major shift in relations between the Commission and the Parliament, between an executive and a parliament. Pat Cox […]

What happened in 1999 and why? How was the “sword of public accountability” described at the end of the previous post actually wielded? Pat Cox describes the process by which the report of a Committee of Independent experts, set up to examine the irregularities identified by the Parliament, was examined by him and his staff. […]

How did we get to March 1999? The resignation of the Santer Commission was the result of specific circumstances linked to financial management, but it was an event that can be traced back to developments that took place many years before. The right of censure of the Commission by the Parliament was enshrined in Article […]