Martin Steven is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University, UK. He is the Jean Monnet European Union Studies academic coordinator and founding convener of the European Parliament Academic Research Network.

• Introduction - The European Parliament in challenging times: The ninth session of the EP, 2019–2024 1. Unity in adversity: Has the grand coalition survived fragmentation and COVID-19 in the 9th European Parliament? 2. The challenges of policy oversight for the European Parliament: How the committee system is adapting in its scrutiny of budgetary expenditure 3. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR): ‘Eurorealism’ in the ninth European Parliament 4. Politicisation of asylum and refugees and the signs of political contagion effect in European Parliament 5. The European Parliament and the COVID-19 crisis 6. The European Parliament and gender equality promotion through parliamentary diplomacy 7. The role of national parliaments and European Parliament as guardians of European values: The case of democracy and the rule of law in Cyprus 8. The European Parliament as an agenda promoter in EU foreign policy: The genesis of the EU diplomatic academy

Martin Steven is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University, UK. He is the Jean Monnet European Union Studies academic coordinator and founding convener of the European Parliament Academic Research Network.

• Introduction - The European Parliament in challenging times: The ninth session of the EP, 2019–2024 1. Unity in adversity: Has the grand coalition survived fragmentation and COVID-19 in the 9th European Parliament? 2. The challenges of policy oversight for the European Parliament: How the committee system is adapting in its scrutiny of budgetary expenditure 3. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR): ‘Eurorealism’ in the ninth European Parliament 4. Politicisation of asylum and refugees and the signs of political contagion effect in European Parliament 5. The European Parliament and the COVID-19 crisis 6. The European Parliament and gender equality promotion through parliamentary diplomacy 7. The role of national parliaments and European Parliament as guardians of European values: The case of democracy and the rule of law in Cyprus 8. The European Parliament as an agenda promoter in EU foreign policy: The genesis of the EU diplomatic academy

Martin Steven is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University, UK. He is the Jean Monnet European Union Studies academic coordinator and founding convener of the European Parliament Academic Research Network.

• Introduction - The European Parliament in challenging times: The ninth session of the EP, 2019–2024 1. Unity in adversity: Has the grand coalition survived fragmentation and COVID-19 in the 9th European Parliament? 2. The challenges of policy oversight for the European Parliament: How the committee system is adapting in its scrutiny of budgetary expenditure 3. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR): ‘Eurorealism’ in the ninth European Parliament 4. Politicisation of asylum and refugees and the signs of political contagion effect in European Parliament 5. The European Parliament and the COVID-19 crisis 6. The European Parliament and gender equality promotion through parliamentary diplomacy 7. The role of national parliaments and European Parliament as guardians of European values: The case of democracy and the rule of law in Cyprus 8. The European Parliament as an agenda promoter in EU foreign policy: The genesis of the EU diplomatic academy