Join the European Union Center of Excellence and European Studies Center for a lunchtime discussion as Andrea Aldrich, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Political Science, presents her research on the national European parties and their relationships with European Elections and Members of the European Parliament. Assuming that political parties have office, vote, and policy seeking goals in any electoral contest, she will argue these goals in European elections are defined by their ability to seize opportunities in national politics and their preferences for European integration. These goals then dictate the choice made for candidate selection for the European Parliament and are able to explain why variation exists among MEPs with respect to their past political experience, party service, European institutional leadership experience, and substantive expertise. In doing so, it highlights the variation in the quality of representation among member states and the impact this has on the quality of representative democracy in the EU. PIZZA WILL BE SERVED.