Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Encyclopedia
The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) is the current liberal/centrist political group of the European Parliament. It is made up of MEPs
from two European political parties, the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
and the European Democratic Party
, which collectively form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
.
ALDE is one of the three oldest Groups, dating its unofficial origin back to September 1952 and the first meeting of the Parliament's predecessor, the Common Assembly. Founded as an explicitly Liberal Group, it has expanded its remit to cover the different centrist
traditions of each new Member State as they acceded to the Union
, progressively changing its name in the process.
It is the third-largest Group in the Parliament and does not participate in the Grand Coalition (the coalition designed to provide a majority) for the Sixth Parliament (2004–2009). It did however partner with the EPP-ED to form the Grand Coalition for the Fifth Parliament, during which time it achieved its sole President of the European Parliament
, Pat Cox
.
(the Parliament's predecessor) on 10 September 1952, but the Group was officially founded as the Group of Liberals and Allies on 23 June 1953.
As the Assembly grew into the Parliament, the French Gaullists
split from the Group on 21 January 1965 and the Group started the process of changing its name to match the liberal/centrist traditions of the new member states, firstly to the Liberal and Democratic Group in 1976, then to the Liberal and Democratic Reformist Group on 13 December 1985, then to the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
on 19 July 1994 to match the European political party of the same name
.
In 1999, the Group partnered with European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP-ED) group to form the Grand Coalition for the Fifth Parliament. The customary split of the Presidency of the European Parliament between Groups in the Coalition meant that the Group achieved its first President of the European Parliament
on 15 January 2002, when Pat Cox
was elected to the post to serve the latter half of the five-year term. The Group lost its Grand Coalition status after the 2004 elections.
On 13 July 2004 the Group approved a recommendation to unite with MEPs
from the centrist and social-liberal European political party
called the European Democratic Party
founded by François Bayrou
's Union for French Democracy
, the Lithuania
n Labour Party
and the Italian Margherita.
The Group accordingly became the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) on 20 July 2004, to match the eponymous transnational political alliance
, although the two Europarties remained separate outside the European Parliament. The MEP Graham Watson
of the British Liberal Democrats became the first chair of ALDE.
or the EDP
.
The senior staff of ALDE as of 24 October 2008 are as follows:
The chairs of ALDE and its predecessors from 1953 to 24 October 2008 are as follows:
A December 2007 European Parliament document gave the percentage of MEPs for each Group and member state at that date. The results for ALDE are given on the diagram on the right.
The document shows that ALDE does not draw its MEPs evenly from throughout the EU. Its smallest support is in the Iberian peninsula
, Central Europe
, and Greece. Its largest support comes from Scandinavia
, the Baltic states
and the non-Greek Balkans
. Only one member state (Lithuania) has more than 50% of its MEPs sitting with ALDE. Countries with no ALDE MEPs include Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Slovakia.
The debates and votes in the European Parliament are tracked by its website and categorized by the Groups that participate in them and the rule of procedure that they fall into. The results give a profile for each Group by category and the total indicates the Group's level of participation in Parliamentary debates. The activity profile for each Group for the period August 1, 2004 to August 1, 2008 in the Sixth Parliament is given on the diagram on the right. ALDE is denoted in yellow.
The website shows ALDE as participating in 661 motions, making it the second most active Group during the period.
, the global financial crisis of 2008, civil liberties and its 10 priorities for the 2009 elections.
. That article characterizes ALDE as cohesive, gender-balanced centrist Euroneutrals that cooperate most closely with EPP-ED, are ambiguous on hypothetical EU taxes and supportive of eventual full Turkish accession to the European Union.
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
from two European political parties, the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
and the European Democratic Party
European Democratic Party
The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
, which collectively form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
.
ALDE is one of the three oldest Groups, dating its unofficial origin back to September 1952 and the first meeting of the Parliament's predecessor, the Common Assembly. Founded as an explicitly Liberal Group, it has expanded its remit to cover the different centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
traditions of each new Member State as they acceded to the Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, progressively changing its name in the process.
It is the third-largest Group in the Parliament and does not participate in the Grand Coalition (the coalition designed to provide a majority) for the Sixth Parliament (2004–2009). It did however partner with the EPP-ED to form the Grand Coalition for the Fifth Parliament, during which time it achieved its sole President of the European Parliament
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
, Pat Cox
Pat Cox
Pat Cox is an Irish politician and former television current affairs presenter. He was President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004 and served as a member of the European Parliament from 1989–2004....
.
History
The Group can trace its unofficial ancestry back to the Liberal members present at the first meeting of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel CommunityEuropean Coal and Steel Community
The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
(the Parliament's predecessor) on 10 September 1952, but the Group was officially founded as the Group of Liberals and Allies on 23 June 1953.
As the Assembly grew into the Parliament, the French Gaullists
Gaullist Party
In France, the Gaullist Party is usually used to refer to the largest party professing to be Gaullist. Gaullism claimed to transcend the left/right rift...
split from the Group on 21 January 1965 and the Group started the process of changing its name to match the liberal/centrist traditions of the new member states, firstly to the Liberal and Democratic Group in 1976, then to the Liberal and Democratic Reformist Group on 13 December 1985, then to the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (European Parliament group)
The Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party was a liberal political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1994 and 2004. The group comprised the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and its constituent national-level parties.Its predecessors have existed since...
on 19 July 1994 to match the European political party of the same name
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
.
In 1999, the Group partnered with European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP-ED) group to form the Grand Coalition for the Fifth Parliament. The customary split of the Presidency of the European Parliament between Groups in the Coalition meant that the Group achieved its first President of the European Parliament
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
on 15 January 2002, when Pat Cox
Pat Cox
Pat Cox is an Irish politician and former television current affairs presenter. He was President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004 and served as a member of the European Parliament from 1989–2004....
was elected to the post to serve the latter half of the five-year term. The Group lost its Grand Coalition status after the 2004 elections.
On 13 July 2004 the Group approved a recommendation to unite with MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
from the centrist and social-liberal European political party
European political party
A European political party, formally a political party at European level, informally a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe and in the institutions of the European Union. They are regulated and funded by the European Union and are usually made up...
called the European Democratic Party
European Democratic Party
The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
founded by François Bayrou
François Bayrou
François Bayrou is a French centrist politician, president of Union for French Democracy since 1998 and was a candidate in the 2002 and 2007 French presidential elections. In the first round, he received 18.6% of the vote, finishing in 3rd place and therefore was eliminated from the race....
's Union for French Democracy
Union for French Democracy
The Union for French Democracy was a French centrist political party. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in order to counterbalance the Gaullist preponderance over the right. This name was chosen due to the title of Giscard d'Estaing's...
, the Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n Labour Party
Labour Party (Lithuania)
The Labour Party , or DP, is a centrist political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2003 by the Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich....
and the Italian Margherita.
The Group accordingly became the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) on 20 July 2004, to match the eponymous transnational political alliance
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
, although the two Europarties remained separate outside the European Parliament. The MEP Graham Watson
Graham Watson
Sir Graham Robert Watson is a European politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was leader of the liberal group in Parliament for seven years between 2002 and 2009.-Early life:Graham Watson was born in Rothesay...
of the British Liberal Democrats became the first chair of ALDE.
Subgroups
ALDE is a coalition of centrist and liberal MEPs from the European centre. It does not have formal subgroups, although the MEPs fall naturally into two informal subgroups, depending on whether they associate with the ELDREuropean Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
or the EDP
European Democratic Party
The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
.
Organisation
The Bureau is the main decision making body of the ALDE Group and is composed of the leaders of the delegations from each member state that elects ALDE MEPs. The Bureau oversees the ALDE Group's main strategy and policies and is headed by a chair (referred to as the Leader). The day-to-day running of the Group is performed by its secretariat, led by its Secretary-General.The senior staff of ALDE as of 24 October 2008 are as follows:
| Member |
Position |
Source |
|---|---|---|
| Andrejevs, Georgs | Member | |
| Beels, Alexander | Secretary General | |
| Birutis, Šarūnas | Member | |
| Cappato, Marco | Member | |
| Cavada, Jean-Marie | Member | |
| Cocilovo, Luigi | Vice-President of EP | |
| Costa, Paolo | Chair of TRAN committee | |
| De Sarnez, Marielle | 4th Deputy-Leader | |
| Deprez, Gérard | Chair of LIBE committee | |
| Donnici, Beniamino | Member | |
| Duff, Andrew | Member | |
| Ek, Lena | Member | |
| Gentvilas, Eugenijus | Member | |
| Guardans, Cambó Ignasi | Member | |
| Harkin, Marian | Member | |
| Hyusmenova, Filiz Hakaeva | Member | |
| In 'T Veld, Sophia | Member | |
| Kacin, Jelko | Member | |
| Koch-Mehrin, Silvana | 1st Deputy-Leader | |
| Lax, Henrik | Member | |
| Lebech, Johannes | Member | |
| Maaten, Jules | Member | |
| Matsakis, Marios | Member | |
| Morillon, Philippe | Chair of PECH committee | |
| Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Annemie | Member | |
| Onyszkiewicz, Janusz | Member | |
| Ortuondo, Larrea Josu | Member | |
| Oviir, Siiri | Member | |
| Pauli, François | Deputy Secretary General | |
| Polfer, Lydie | Member | |
| Raeva, Bilyana Ilieva | Member | |
| Resetarits, Karin | Member | |
| Ries, Frédérique | Member | |
| Riis-Jørgensen, Karin | 3rd Deputy-Leader | |
| Rinaldi, Niccolo | Deputy Secretary General | |
| Savi, Toomas | Member | |
| Schmidt, Olle | Member | |
| Sterckx, Dirk | Member | |
| Susta, Gianluca | 5th Deputy-Leader | |
| Szent-Iványi, István | Member | |
| Vălean, Adina-Ioana | 2nd Deputy-Leader, Whip | |
| Virrankoski, Kyösti | Member | |
| Wallis, Diana | Vice-President of EP | |
| Watson, Graham | Leader |
The chairs of ALDE and its predecessors from 1953 to 24 October 2008 are as follows:
From |
To |
Chair |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 1956 | "Delbos" | |
| 1957 | 1968 | "Pleven" (René Pleven René Pleven René Pléven was a notable French politician of the Fourth Republic. A member of the Free French, he helped found the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance , a political party that was meant to be a successor to the wartime Resistance movement... ?) |
|
| 1969 | 15 March 1973 | Cornelis Berkhouwer | |
| 1973 | 1977 | "Durieux" | |
| 9 October 1978 | 16 July 1979 | Jean-François Pintat | |
| 17 July 1979 | 27 June 1984 | Martin Bangemann | |
| 24 July 1984 | 24 July 1989 | Simone Veil | |
| 25 July 1989 | 11 December 1991 | Valery Giscard d'Estaing | |
| 27 January 1992 | 18 July 1994 | Yves Galland | |
| 19 July 1994 | 2 August 1998 | Gijs de Vries | |
| 9 September 1998 | 14 January 2002 | Pat Cox | |
| 16 January 2002 | 31 June 2009 | Graham Watson | |
| 1 July 2009 | present | Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :... |
Membership by party in Sixth and Seventh Parliaments
The national parties that are members of ALDE are as follows:| Country |
National Party |
European Party |
MEPs 2004-2009 |
MEPs 2009-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Forum Liberal Forum The Liberal Forum is a small classical liberal party in Austria. The party is currently led by Angelika Mlinar, and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Founding:... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | - | |
| Flemish Liberals and Democrats Flemish Liberals and Democrats ' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
3 | 3 | |
| Reformist Movement Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
3 | 2 | |
| National Movement for Stability and Progress | ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
2 | 2 | |
| Movement for Rights and Freedoms Movement for Rights and Freedoms The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
3 | 3 | |
| Democratic Party Democratic Party (Cyprus) The Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Cyprus, founded in 1976 by Spyros Kyprianou. As it is reported in its founding statement , the Democratic Party proposes to the Cypriot society the political philosophy of "social centrism", which constitutes “a total of attributes and values... (note: left ALDE for S&D Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is the social-democratic political group in the European Parliament, formed by MEPs of the Party of European Socialists and allied centre-left parties. The group dates its ancestry via various names back to the beginning of the European... in 2009) |
none | 1 | - | |
| Venstre - Liberal Party Venstre (Denmark) VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
3 | 3 | |
| Danish Social Liberal Party | ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | - | |
| Estonian Centre Party Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members.... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 2 | |
| Estonian Reform Party Estonian Reform Party The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 1 | |
| Centre Party Centre Party (Finland) The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
4 | 3 | |
| Swedish People's Party | ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 1 | |
| Democratic Movement Democratic Movement (France) The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential... |
EDP European Democratic Party The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels... |
7 | 5 | |
| CAP21 | - | 1 | ||
| Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe The Civic Alliance for Democracy in Europe is a liberal political party in France.It was launched in January 2008 by Jean-Marie Cavada, Claire Gibault and Janelly Fourtou, three MEPs elected for Union for French Democracy... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
3 | - | |
| Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
7 | 12 | |
| Democratic Alliance Democratic Alliance (Greece) The Democratic Alliance is a centrist-liberal political party in Greece. It was founded on 21 November 2010 by Dora Bakoyannis, a few months after she was expelled from the centre-right party New Democracy for voting in support of an European Union-International Monetary Fund backed financial... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
- | 1 | |
| Alliance of Free Democrats Alliance of Free Democrats The Alliance of Free Democrats – Hungarian Liberal Party is a liberal party in Hungary, led since July 2010 by Viktor Szabadai . The SZDSZ is a member of the ELDR and of Liberal International... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
2 | - | |
| Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
- | 3 | |
| Marian Harkin Marian Harkin Marian Harkin is an Irish politician and is currently a Member of the European Parliament for the North-West constituency.... (Independent) |
EDP European Democratic Party The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels... |
1 | 1 | |
| Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (note: merged into PD Democratic Party (Italy) The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election.... in 2007) |
EDP European Democratic Party The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels... |
9 | - | |
| Italy of Values Italy of Values Italy of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 5 | |
| Alliance for Italy Alliance for Italy Alliance for Italy is a centrist political party in Italy.The party, which is described in its manifesto as "democratic, liberal, popular" as opposed both to "right-wing populism" and the "social-democratic left, an experience with high and memorable value, yet by now run out", was launched on 11... |
EDP European Democratic Party The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels... |
1 | 1 | |
| Italian Radicals Italian Radicals Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
2 | - | |
| LPP/LC LPP/LC Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way is a Latvian political party, created from the merger of the Christian democratic Latvia's First Party , the liberal Latvian Way and the regionalist We for our District and Vidzeme Union in 2007. These parties had already formed an electoral coalition in 2006... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 1 | |
| Labour Party Labour Party (Lithuania) The Labour Party , or DP, is a centrist political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2003 by the Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich.... |
EDP European Democratic Party The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels... |
5 | 1 | |
| Liberal and Centre Union Liberal and Centre Union The Liberal and Centre Union , abbreviated to LiCS, is a centre-right, liberal and conservative liberal political party in Lithuania. The party has thirteen seats in the Seimas, making it the fourth-largest party in the legislature.... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
2 | - | |
| Liberal Movement | ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
- | 1 | |
| Democratic Party Democratic Party (Luxembourg) The Democratic Party , abbreviated to DP, is the major liberal political party in Luxembourg. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre-right, holding moderate market liberal views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties, human rights, and internationalism.Founded in... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 1 | |
| People's Party for Freedom and Democracy People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
4 | 3 | |
| Democrats 66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 3 | |
| Democratic Party – demokraci.pl | ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
4 | - | |
| Paweł Piskorski (Independent) | none | 1 | - | |
| Marek Czarnecki Marek Czarnecki Marek Aleksander Czarnecki is a Polish politician andMember of the European Parliament for the Masovian Voivodshipwith the Self-Defense,and is therefore a Non-Inscrit in the European Parliament.... (Independent) |
none | 1 | - | |
| National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
6 | 5 | |
| Liberal Democracy of Slovenia Liberal Democracy of Slovenia Liberal Democracy of Slovenia is a liberal political party in Slovenia. It is led by Katarina Kresal and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
2 | 1 | |
| Zares Zares Zares – Social Liberals is a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Its president is Gregor Golobič, former Secretary General of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and former close advisor to the late Janez Drnovšek, who had previously abandoned active political involvement due to... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
- | 1 | |
| Democratic Convergence of Catalonia Democratic Convergence of Catalonia The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia, it forms part of the Convergence and Union coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 1 | |
| Basque Nationalist Party Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
EDP European Democratic Party The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels... |
1 | 1 | |
| Liberal People's Party Liberal People's Party (Sweden) The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 3 | |
| Centre Party Centre Party (Sweden) The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social... |
ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
1 | 1 | |
| Feminist Initiative Feminist Initiative (Sweden) Feminist Initiative is a feminist political party in Sweden. The party was formed in 2005 and announced on 9 September 2005 that it would put up candidates for the 2006 parliamentary elections in Sweden... |
none | 1 | - | |
| Liberal Democrats | ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe... |
11 | 12 | |
| Total ELDR | 70 | 75 | ||
| Total EDP | 26 | 10 | ||
| Total Other | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 100 | 85 | ||
Membership by country at December 2007
The document shows that ALDE does not draw its MEPs evenly from throughout the EU. Its smallest support is in the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, and Greece. Its largest support comes from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
and the non-Greek Balkans
Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was an institution aimed at strengthening peace, democracy, human rights and economy in the countries of South Eastern Europe from 1999-2008. It was replaced by the Regional Co-operation Council in February 2008...
. Only one member state (Lithuania) has more than 50% of its MEPs sitting with ALDE. Countries with no ALDE MEPs include Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Slovakia.
Membership at formation
In September 1952, the third-largest grouping in the Common Assembly was the Liberal grouping with 11 members. The Group of Liberals and Allies was officially founded on 23 June 1953. By mid-September 1953, it was again the third-largest Group with 10 members.In the news
Activities performed by ALDE in the period between 2004 and 2008 that resulted in an entry on EUObserver or theparliament.com include:- Supporting the European Constitution Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty.
- Urging caution in common European anti-terror action.
- Supporting transparency in government and business, free markets, communication with voters and greater EU involvement in globalization.
- Supporting the framework programme for competitiveness and innovation (CIP), EU patent funding and origin labeling reform of the CAP, and compromise on the Services Directive.
- Supporting the expulsion of Daniel Hannan from EPP-ED and deprecating regulatory changes designed to reduce the number of Groups.
- Supporting international recognition of Taiwan, criticising the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
for its support of MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
and handling of the 2008 Tibetan unrest2008 Tibetan unrestThe 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
, protesting Russian involvement in South Ossetia, and deprecating the proposed US antimissile shield.
- Calling for the creation of a UN parliamentary assembly, and US Congressional investigation of Libertas funding.
- Supporting common European approaches for the 2009 elections, climate change, cross-border healthcare provision, and a common European Migration Policy that observes human rights.
Parliamentary activity profile
The website shows ALDE as participating in 661 motions, making it the second most active Group during the period.
Publications
ALDE produces many publications, on its website. Its key documents cover the Treaty of LisbonTreaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
, the global financial crisis of 2008, civil liberties and its 10 priorities for the 2009 elections.
Academic analysis
Along with the other political groups, ALDE has been analysed by academics on its positions regarding various issues. Those positions are summarized in this articleAcademic studies of the political groups of the European Parliament
Academic studies of the political groups of the European Parliament refers to the studies of those groups by academics, the methods that they use and the conclusions that they reach.-Background:...
. That article characterizes ALDE as cohesive, gender-balanced centrist Euroneutrals that cooperate most closely with EPP-ED, are ambiguous on hypothetical EU taxes and supportive of eventual full Turkish accession to the European Union.