Introduction - the institution of parliaments, Philip Norton; old institution, new institutionalism? parliament and government in the UK, Philip Norton; the German Bundestag - influence and accountability in a complex environment, Thomas Saalfeld; the Italian Parliament - chambers in a crumbling House? Vincent Della Sala; parliament and government in Belgium - prisoners of partitocracy, Lieven de Winter; a changing relationship? parliament and government in Ireland, Euana O'Halpin; relationship between parliament and government in Portugal - an expression of the maturation of the political system, Cristina Leston Bandeira; the European Parliament - crawling, walking and running, Mark P. Shephard; conclusion - do parliaments make a difference? Philip Norton.