European political party
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A European political party, formally a political party at European level, sometimes informally (especially in academic circles) a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe. The European Union recognizes such organizations and provides them with funding, largely per Article 191 of the Treaty of Maastricht, which states
| “ | 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.[1] | ” |
This was also codified in the draft Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe's Article 45(4) with slightly different wording. [2]
Stemming from this provision, Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003 lays out the regulations governing 'political parties at European level' and the rules regarding their funding. [3]
By 2006 ten (10) European political parties that are eligible for EP funding have been created, based on Europe-wide party alliances. Within the European Parliament these parties often express themselves in affiliation with Groups in the European Parliament which may be alliances of more than one European political parties, or possibly alliances between parties and nominally independents.
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[edit] The parties
The below parties, listed by the order of foundation of their ancestor organisations, received official EU recognition and funding during the past financial year:
- European People's Party: christian democrats and conservatives, including the CDU of Germany and the UMP of France.
- Party of European Socialists: social democrats and democratic socialists, including the Labour Party of the United Kingdom.
- European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party: liberal democrats and centrists
- European Free Alliance: pro-devolution, independentist
- European Green Party: greens
- Alliance for Europe of the Nations: eurosceptics and nationalists
- Party of the European Left: socialists and communists
- European Democratic Party: centrists, european integrationists
- Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe: centre-right nationalist eurosceptics
- EUDemocrats: EU-critical and EU-reformists of centre and centre-left
- Euronat: Rightwing Nationalist parties, including the British National Party of the United Kingdom and the Front National of France.
[edit] Other pan-European political organisations
- European Democrat Union: Regional wing of the International Democrat Union, includes most EPP parties, all MER parties, plus several others.
- European Democrats: Loose partnership within the European Parliament of members of the EDU (see above) that are not in the EPP.
- Nordic Green Left Alliance: Scandinavian socialist greens (ineligible for party status, as it is based in too few member-states)
- European Christian Political Movement: Christian-fundamentalist parties.
- European Anticapitalist Left: Network of anticapitalist, mostly broad left-wing parties in Europe.
- European National Front: Network of far-right parties in Europe.
- Movement for European Reform: conservative and Atlanticist eurosceptics; plan to form an independent parliamentary group after the 2009 elections to replace the European Democrats.
- Platform for Transparency: loose confederation of three independent MEPs; somewhat eurosceptic.
[edit] Dedicated pan-European parties
- Europe — Democracy — Esperanto: Party advocating the introduction of Esperanto as an official language in the European Union.
- Newropeans: Party founded with the explicit goal of reforming the European democratic institutions and thereafter disbanding itself.
- Europe United: Newly founded European federalist party.
[edit] Membership of pan-European organisations
See: Table of political parties in Europe by pancontinental organisation
[edit] Controversy
There has been controversy over Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003, which provides state funding for Europe-wide political parties outside the context of the European Parliament. This has been seen by some as an attempt to put national political parties disinclined from forming pan-continental blocs on account of Eurosceptic tendencies at a financial disadvantage, although such blocs exist in the European Parliament and benefit from EU funding there. [4]. 25 Members of the European Parliament petitioned the European Court of Justice, arguing that this directive contravened the EU's stated values of pluralism and democracy. However, the case was rejected after eighteen months. [5] [6]. A more recent and closely related case being fought by the French Front National, the Italian Lega Nord, and the Belgian Vlaams Blok (now Vlaams Belang) is under appeal. [7]
[edit] See also
- Index of political parties to browse parties by name
- List of political parties to browse parties by country
- List of political parties by ideology to browse parties by ideology
- Membership of internationals to browse parties by membership of internationals
- Contact details
[edit] External links
- Video : Relations between parliamentary groups and political parties European NAvigator
