Call for proposals and submission guidelines

5th Global Conference on Parliamentary Studies: Parliaments at a Crossroads

Luxembourg, 5 June 2026

European Parliament, Konrad Adenauer Building

The Chair of Legislative Studies at the University of Luxembourg, in cooperation with the International Journal of Parliamentary Studies (Brill) and Széchenyi István University, would like to invite academics, researchers, and practitioners to submit paper proposals for the 5^th Global Conference on Parliamentary Studies, to be held at the European Parliament (Konrad Adenauer Building), Luxembourg, on 5 June 2026.

Parliaments worldwide are navigating a period of profound transformation. Accelerating technological change, geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, and evolving citizen expectations are reshaping how representative institutions legislate, scrutinize executives, engage with society, and address global challenges. The Conference provides a forum to examine how parliaments adapt to these new pressures and seize emerging opportunities, while safeguarding democratic principles, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.

The Conference will explore four key research areas. Academics, researchers, and practitioners are warmly invited to submit paper proposals in English addressing any of the following topics:

1. Parliaments and Science

• The use of AI-based technologies in parliaments
• Ethics and regulation of disruptive technologies
• Parliamentary oversight of national digital agendas
• The role of scientific advisory mechanisms in parliamentary activity

2. Parliaments and International Affairs

• Interparliamentary cooperation on security and defense
• Parliamentary oversight of foreign policy
• Values-driven parliamentary diplomacy in response to global challenges, such as democratic erosion, human rights abuses, and humanitarian crises
• Parliamentary engagement with global and regional multilateral institutions

3. Parliaments and Economic Governance

• Parliamentary oversight of fiscal policy and budgetary frameworks
• Oversight of industrial policy and investment for green and digital transitions
• Parliamentary involvement in economic growth and crises prevention
• Parliamentary engagement with multilevel economic governance and international financial institutions

4. The State of Representative Democracy: Legitimacy, Involvement, and Functioning

• Legislative agenda-setting and quality of lawmaking
• Electoral processes and representation
• Citizens’ engagement in domestic policy and politics
• Parliamentary ethics and transparency

Submission guidelines

Submissions are welcome from scholars, researchers, and practitioners at any career stage, and from any discipline relevant to the Conference themes. Participation is free of charge.

To submit an abstract, you should first create a Sciencesconf.org account: Create an account.

Once logged in, you are invited to submit an abstract of up to 400 words in English via the “Abstract submission” tab on this website by 28 February 2026.

Please do not include personal information in the abstract itself.

Review process and publication

Abstracts will be reviewed by members of the Conference Scientific Committee:

• Professor Philippe Poirier (Holder of the Chair of Legislative Studies, University of Luxembourg)
• Professor Zsolt Szabó (Senior Research Fellow, Széchenyi István University, Hungary)
• Professor Fotis Fitsilis (Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Parliamentary Governance, Austral University, Argentina)
• Ms. Laura Gil-Besada (Doctoral Researcher, University of Luxembourg and Complutense University of Madrid)
• Doctor Mónica Velasco-Pufleau (Research Associate, Chair of Legislative Studies, University of Luxembourg)
• Ms. Sorina Carstea (Doctoral Researcher, University of Luxembourg and University of Liège)

Accepted participants will be notified by 15 March 2026. Full paper drafts must be submitted by 15 May 2026.

After the conference, presenters are encouraged to submit their papers to the International Journal of Parliamentary Studies (Brill), co-organiser of the Conference. The journal will select papers for publication through its standard peer-review procedures.

Passive participation

Authors whose papers are not accepted may apply for passive participation (attendance without presenting) from 15 April to 15 May 2026. Members of the general public may also apply to attend the conference during this period. Please note that registration for passive participation may close earlier if capacity is reached. Passive participation is free of charge.

If you have any questions, please contact parliaments2026@sciencesconf.org.  

The Chair of Legislative Studies at the University of Luxembourg is the result of a partnership with the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg, the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie, and the European Parliament. The Master in Legislative Studies is the result of a partnership between the University of Luxembourg, Babeș-Bolyai University, Laval University, Senghor University, and Sciences Po Rennes.