Research project ParlTime Explore the relationship between Parliament and Time

The Parltime project is an ambitious research initiative launched in 2015 by Dr. Emmanuel Cartier and Dr. Gilles Toulemonde , joined in 2020 by Dr. Basile Ridard, in partnership with the CRDP-ERDP (research center) and the University of Lille, to explore the interactions between Parliament and time from a comparative European perspective.

The first stage of this project compared the relationship between parliaments and time in France, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom, and led to a symposium in partnership with the Senate and the National Assembly in Paris in 2017 and a book published by Dalloz in 2018.

The second stage, in partnership with the Robert Schuman Foundation, broadened the scope to seven other European Union (EU) Member States, choosing to study the role of the parliaments of the states concerned during the Covid-19 pandemic. This resulted in a virtual conference in June 2020 and national reports published in English and French by the Robert Schuman Foundation in 2021.

The final stage consisted of further broadening the scope of comparison to other EU Member States. This led to national reports being published in December 2023 on the basis of a common scientific framework, followed by a conference in partnership with the Hauts-de-France region entitled ‘Parliament and time: A comparative European approach’.

This international conference brought together academic experts (political scientists and lawyers) from many European States to study the relationship to time of the various parliaments concerned. The symposium, which took place on 18 and 19 December in the Regional Council's chamber, addressed key issues such as the impact of urgency on representative democracy, the management of speaking time in the chamber and the temporality of legislative production. Academics and researchers from across Europe presented the results of their research from a comparative perspective. Round tables were organised, facilitating fruitful exchanges between researchers and practitioners of parliamentary law on the confrontation of temporalities in law-making, parliamentary control and the management of representatives' mandates.

Parliament, a central institution in democratic political systems, performs three fundamental functions in many countries: law-making, government oversight and representation of citizens.

• 1st item: Law-making: Parliament is responsible for passing laws that organise society. This legislative function consists of proposing, debating, amending and adopting bills. In most systems, bills or proposals for legislation may be introduced either by members of Parliament or by the Government. Parliament then debates these bills, allowing representatives of the entire nation to participate in the formation of legal norms.

• 2nd item: Monitoring the actions of the Government: Parliament monitors and evaluates the actions of the Government. It has several means of control at its disposal, including committees of inquiry, hearings, public debates and question time with members of the Government. This role is crucial in ensuring the transparency of the Government and preventing abuses of power. In some systems, Parliament also has the power to censure the Government or even dismiss it in the event of serious misconduct.

• 3rd item: Representation of citizens: Members of parliament, whether elected or appointed, represent the population and have a mandate to defend the interests of their constituents. They thus embody the voice of citizens in political life and ensure that the various currents of thought and interests in society are taken into account in public decisions.