European political party

(Also known as European political party or colloquially Europe party ) A political party at European level is a party or alliance of political parties, which is material politically active at European Union level. The existing parties at European level are predominantly alliances of national political parties with similar political direction. However, there are also European parties in the strict sense, whose members are individual citizens. Political parties at European level has been formally introduced by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992, but also existed before European party alliances. Early February 2009, met with Libertas first time an organization that is not composed of national member parties, the conditions for the establishment of a European party, but she was withdrawn shortly after this status.

The European parties are recognized in certain circumstances by the European Parliament, and can then receive party funding from the budget of the European Union. Currently, 13 parties are recognized. Under Article 10 of the EU Treaty, it is their duty to contribute " to the emergence of a European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union ." Despite their legal access to the EU framework, many of the parties have members in European countries outside the EU, partly as associate members.

  • European People's Party: 262
  • Party of European Socialists: 190
  • Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe: 75
  • Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists: 51
  • European Green Party: 46
  • Motion for a Europe of Freedom and Democracy: 24
  • European Left: 15
  • European Democratic Party: 7
  • 5 other recognized European parties: 18
  • Without Europe Party: 78

The parties at European level emerged from European party alliances and from the fractions in the European Parliament, said today reversed again form the groups in the European Parliament, especially from the European parties. Here, parties and fractions do not correspond completely, some groups consist of a number of European political parties, and is also found in many fractions together members of national parties that are not members of European party. Currently, approximately 88% of the MEPs of Europe belong to the party. The parties also form the basis for the political groups or groups in the Committee of the Regions and to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council.

  • 3.1 recognized by the EU political parties 3.1.1 Former parties

Requirements

Recognized parties have a right to party financing from EU funds. In order for a party alliance is recognized as a political party at European level, it must meet the following conditions, which are defined on the regulations governing political parties at European level and their funding 2004/2003 Regulation ( EC):

  • Legal personality in the Member State in which is located the headquarters of the party
  • MEPs or MPs in national or regional parliaments in at least one quarter of Member States; or at least three percent of the vote in the last European elections in at least one quarter of Member States
  • Plan to participate in European elections
  • Recognition of the EU's principles (eg, democracy, human rights, rule of law)

In comparison, at least 25 MEPs from at least one quarter of Member countries are to form a group in the European Parliament since 2009 required.

History

First party alliances at EC level (1957-1991)

Since establishing the European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) in 1952 there was a cooperation between the national parties that formed the various groups in the European Parliament. However, this initially based solely on a common political direction and not on a real organizational merger. The first step to stronger organizational structures was carried out in 1957 by the member parties of the Socialist International in the ECSC Member States agreed on a convention on the establishment of a liaison office. Was founded in 1974 from the Union of Socialist Parties of the European Community, the first formal party composite at the level of the European Communities.

The 1976 decided introduction of direct elections to the European Parliament was then the crucial point for developing a variety of transnational party groupings. It was recognized that this would be an important step towards the legitimacy of the political system of the EU, through which the supranational character of the European Parliament would be strengthened. Transnational parties should allow a less national approach to the political process at the European level. Therefore, even in 1976 the Christian Democratic European People's Party ( EPP) was founded, which arose from the beginning claim to want to be not only a party alliance, but a pan-European party. In the same year, the Federation of Liberal and Democratic parties emerged in the European Community; In 1979, the European Federation of Green and Radical parties, 1981, the European Free Alliance (EFA ), merged in the various regional parties. 1978 also the European Democratic Union ( EDU) was founded as an alliance of conservative parties after the EPP had a recording of non-Christian members closed. Only in 1991, the EPP also opened the non-denominational conservative spectrum, so that the EDU could go up in her 2002.

Despite the programmatic work that has been done ahead of the European elections in 1979 from the bodies of the European party alliances, the election campaign was marked nationally in this and also in the following elections especially. Although there were transnational programmatic designs, during the election campaign but presented each national party with their own choice program that was mostly determined primarily by national appeal. The transnational programs were not identical in every detail: Each Member State could add their own footnotes, which highlighted the national interest.

Contractual anchor (1992-2003)

The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 strengthened the role of European parties, the first time were given a basis in the Treaty System. In Article 138a (after subsequent numbering Article 191 ) of the Treaty stated: " Political parties at European level are important as a factor for integration within the Union. They contribute to forming a European awareness and to expressing the political will of the citizens of the Union to express. " Although this contractual commit any substantive consequences were first connected, several European party alliances constituted themselves in the following years, relying on Article 138a of the EC Treaty new. The federal government of the Social Democratic parties named in the fall of 1992 in Party of European Socialists (PES ) to the Federation of Liberal and Democratic parties, in December 1993 the European Liberal, Democratic and Reform Party ( ELDR). A new statute also gave the European Federation of Green Parties (1993 ) and the European Free Alliance (1994).

With the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997 the state received a new relevance as a European party, since the parties were now given the possibility of funding from the EU budget. As a result, 2003, minimum criteria have been established in an EC regulation for the first time, the party had to meet a combination to be recognized as a political party at European level in the sense of the EC Treaty ..

Younger party foundations ( since 2004)

  • SPE: 8
  • Without: 5
  • ALDE: 2
  • EPP: 12
  • AECR: 1

Prior to the 2004 European elections finally emerged from the European Federation of Green Parties of the European Green Party ( EGP) that are no longer made ​​up the first European Party only from its member parties, but also individuals allowed membership. In addition, the EGP led the first party to a Europe-wide campaign with a common manifesto. Since been resolved - - Also in 2004, the centrist European Democratic Party ( EDP), the European Left (EL ) and the created national conservative Alliance for Europe of the Nations ( AEN ), the first Eurosceptic Europe party. The following year ( ADIE ) and the EUDemokraten were founded two other European parties of the Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe who opposed further integration. Both, however, reached only a small influence, ADIE end of 2008 disbanded again.

A novelty eventually formed the Irish civil rights movement Libertas, which was recognized as the first purely transnational party, ie without national member parties of the EU in early 2009. Libertas was created in 2008 as an Irish citizen movement for the campaign against the Lisbon Treaty and then converted the to a party. After MPs had announced from seven EU Member States membership in the party, she met the formal criteria for recognition as a European party. However, some of the MPs already recanted again shortly after their party membership, so Libertas lost its status in the same year again, and finally ceased to operate.

Since the 2009 European election four European parties were recognized. Beginning of 2010 filled the since 2005 existing European Christian Political Movement ( ECPM ) the necessary criteria. From the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, which organized the British Conservatives, the European Party Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists ( AECR ) was the criteria. Founded by members of several right-wing populist parties in autumn 2010 European Alliance for Freedom (EAF ) was recognized in February 2011 as Europe party. The existing since 2009, right-wing European Alliance national movements ( EANB ) was recognized in February 2012. Against the acceptance and financial support to the EANB there was in consequence resistance from all political groups in the European Parliament. In the episode was considering tightening the requirements for European parties.

European political parties in detail

Recognized by the EU political parties

The following table lists the 13 currently recognized by the EU parties.

Associate members, members with observation status and parties, of which only the leading persons are represented in the corresponding European party, are in italics.

Former parties

  • The right-wing conservative Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe ( AIDE ) consisted of 28 October 2005 to 31 December 2008. Their members were mostly of the IND / DEM. After the dissolution of some of its members of the newly founded Libertas joined, others remained without European party.
  • Libertas was shortly recognized in February 2009 as a European political party, after two members of the European Parliament but withdrew their supporters signatures, their status was suspended as a party until further notice. After the failure of Libertas in the European elections of 2009 and the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, it terminated its activities.
  • The national conservative Alliance for Europe of the Nations existed from 2004 to 2009 and consisted primarily of the members of the Group UEN. After the dissolution of the group in the wake of the 2009 European elections, the party ceased its activities; the most important members joined in part to the AECR.

Other European party alliances without official party status

The Pirate parties have joined together in the European Pirate Party ( PPEU ). The Swedish Pirate Party is currently represented by two seats in the European Parliament, the German Pirate Party in four national parliaments, and the Czech Pirate Party has one representative in the Senate.

In October 2013, on the initiative of the Communist Party of Greece the initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties for the research and development of European issues and to coordinate their activities, founded shortly INITIATIVE. Its membership includes 29 parties, of which about one-third of non-EU countries. She is represented by two Greek and Latvian MEPs in the European Parliament who belong to both of the GUE / NGL Group.

At the European National Front, the German NPD is involved. She is planning the formation of a European election platform for the European elections. The recognition as Europe party is not in sight; except the NPD, which is represented in two German state parliaments, only the Greek Golden Dawn is represented with 18 seats in the National Parliament. The ENF is hardly more have appeared since 2009.

The Nordic green - left alliance is an alliance of seven Nordic Green Left parties from five countries. The recognition as Europe party is unlikely, however, because the party is only active in five countries. The member parties are in part also a member of the European Left and the European Greens and the three members of the European Parliament have joined the appropriate fractions.

The European Anti-Capitalist Left is a federation small left parties. However, it should be understood only as an informal network, individual member parties are also in the European Left Member.

In October 2010, was founded by several feminist party, the Feminist European Coordination Board. The organization in which the German Feminist Party The women who Feministiskt Swedish initiative, the Polish partia Kobiet and the Spanish Iniciativa Feminista members, aims to be represented on the European elections in 2014 with a Group in the European Parliament. Neither party is currently represented above the municipal level in parliaments.

In August 2008, an alliance of animal welfare parties was in Dresden decided that from the Partij voor de Dieren (Netherlands), MUT- party, human environmental protection of animals - The Animal Rights Party ( Austria ) and the party man environmental welfare ( Germany ) is. The Alliance works with other animal welfare parties in Europe.

In September 2013 four libertarian parties founded in the Dutch city of Utrecht, the European Party for Individual Liberty ( Epil ). Founding members of the Epil are the German party of reason, the French Parti Libéral Démocrate, the Spanish Partido de la Libertad Individual and the Netherlands Libertarische Partij.

Transnational parties

In addition to these party alliances, there are some other pan-European groups, which are trans- national organized and partially compete in European elections, but without meeting the requirements for the establishment of a European party:

Newropeans is an organization founded by the French activists Franck Biancheri, which campaigns for the democratization of the EU. The party joined the European elections in 2009, among others in Germany and in France, in Germany it reached 0.05%.

Europe - Democracy - Esperanto ( EDE ) is committed to the use of the constructed language Esperanto at European level. The party took the first time in France in 2004 in the European elections in part (0.15 %) and came 2009, in Germany (0.04 %).

There is also the European Federalist Party, which arose from the merger of United Europe and the French Federalist Party in 2011. The party has to date only to elections in France.

Treaties of the European Union European Parliament election, 1979 Treaty of Rome European Parliament election, 2004 EUDemocrats Right-wing populism Conservatism Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland Italy Lega Nord German Communist Party French Communist Party United Left (Spain) Centrism Die Friesen Lusatian Alliance Unity List (Austria) Plaid Cymru Galician Nationalist Bloc Vlaams Belang National Front (France) Nationalism British National Party Party of Bible-abiding Christians Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland ChristianUnion Reformed Political Party Christian Democratic Union (Ukraine) June List Pirate Party (Sweden) National Democratic Party of Germany Women's Party (Poland) Party for the Animals Euronat List of political parties in Albania Political parties in Belgium List of political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina List of political parties in France List of political parties in Greece List of political parties in Italy List of political parties in Kosovo List of political parties in Latvia List of political parties in Liechtenstein List of political parties in Luxembourg List of political parties in Malta List of political parties in the Republic of Macedonia List of political parties in Poland List of political parties in Portugal List of political parties in Sweden List of political parties in Spain List of political parties in Hungary
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