JEAN BLONDEL is Professor of Political Science at the European University Institute in Florence and is external Professor attached to its Schuman Centre. He is the author of several books on government, among them, World Leaders, Government Ministers in the Contemporary World, Comparative Government, and co-editor (with M.Cotta) of Party and Government. - MAURIZIO COTTA is Professor of Political Science at the University of Florence. He has written on parliamentary institutions and legislative recruitment in Italian politics and on governments. He was co-editor (with J. Blondel) of Party and Government (1996) and Parliamentary Representatives in Europe.