Party political forces in the form of the European Political Groups (EPGs) and the Europarties populate the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary landscape at the EU-level. In so doing, they remind us that the European Parliament (EP) is both a legislative and representative body that needs to be renewed every five years. In its legislative guise, where no one political group commands a majority, some form of crossparty solidarity between the political mainstream has always been essential. At

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... e representative level, however, the resonance of this setup is coming under greater scrutiny. First, because of the intensifying electoral struggle between the forces associated with the political mainstream and the various shades of Euroscepticism which revel in their status as political outsiders. Second, because of the growing belief that such cross-party solidarity is undermining the potential of mainstream party politics, at the EU-level, to develop linkages with European voters. In a partial response to this dilemma, the mainstream engineered the inauguration of the (i.e. the ʻindirect' election of the President of the European Commission) as part of the 2014 European elections. As the guardians of this process, the Europarties would be responsible for selecting a ʻleading candidate'a She/ he would go on to become the ʻface' of their corresponding election 77 『日本 EU 学会年報』第35号,pp. 77-102 平成27年