¹ One of the fundamental objects of the study of the research project of the IPSA Research Committee on European Unification on ‘Relations between the national and the European political parties’ was the difference between the national and the European political ‘perspective’ or ‘conscience’. The view from the House of Commons, the Palais Bourbon or the Bundestag and that from Strasbourg differ greatly. This element of individual political psychology is what ultimately separates the national parliamentarians from those of Strasbourg and sometimes the same man or woman from himself or herself after immersion in the European ambience. When and how does this change occur? What are the main differences between the two perspectives? How can they be reconciled? These questions were put to several Euro-MPs of different parties and different nationalities and already form a most illuminating collection for the research project still in preparation.

Yet the conversation with Lord Plumb, the new President of the European Parliament, touched for reasons explained in the text on so many topical questions and on so many pressing problems in the present crisis of the European Community that, with his permission and that of the organizers of the research project, we decided to publish some extracts from that text now.