POLITICAL GROUPS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The system of the political groups in the EP is very specific. Instead of being organized on a purely national basis, MEPs form supranational groups according to their common political interests. Political groups in the EP are namely these supranational formations.

The political groups in the European Parliament consist of representatives of one of the supranational European parties, alliance of European parties with identical platforms or alliance of European and national parties. The representatives of European parties may be divided into different political groups in the EP as is the case with EU Democrats.

The minimum number of deputies required to form a political group is 20 MEPs from at least 1/5 of the Member States. At present, there are 8 political groups in the EP, of which EPP-ED is the most numerous one. The number of independent MEPs is 14.

EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the EP and the only one in which all 27 EU Member States are presented. It comprises 277 MEPs. The current President of the EP Hans-Gert Pöttering is a former Chairman of the EPP-ED political group; at present, the post of EPP-ED Group chairman is occupied by Joseph Daul (Great Britain). The group covers the center-right political spectrum and takes a stand for the consolidation of the EU based on the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and efficient division of power. The Group also calls for Europe which creates opportunities and welfare for everyone within a common European market competitive at world level. The Group is better known as EPP-ED and its full name is „Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and the European Democrats". It brings together the Christian Democratic Party, the Conservative Party and the right spectrum of the political center, as well as deputies from all over Europe. This is the largest political group in the EP since 1999. It was established in 1953 as a Christian Democrat group with the Parliamentary Assembly of the former European Community for Coal and Steel - the first parliamentary institution. Germany has the largest membership in the Group - 49, followed by Great Britain with 27 members, Italy and Spain - with 24 each. Bulgaria has 4 representatives in the EPP-ED Group. Romania has 9 members. Denmark and Estonia have 1 MEP each.

Group of the Party of European Socialists (PES) is the second largest group in the European Parliament with 218 MEPs. The chairman of the PES Group is the German Social Democrat MEP Martin Schulz. The member parties of PES support the ideas of social democracy and democratic socialism. Before the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979, the socialists issued the Manifesto for European Elections, which defined the political priorities of the Group and since then they follow this tradition. Their goals include economic growth, fighting poverty, social integration, seсurity and protection of the environment. But given the globalization and increasing unemployment, the creation of jobs is the top challenge. The socialists consider unemployment as the major obstacle for social Europe. The Group of European Socialists supports the adoption of European Constitution, environmental protection, creation of jobs and calls for equality. France has the largest membership in the PES Group - 31 MEPs, followed by Spain with 24 and Germany - 23. There are 6 Bulgarian MEPs in PES. Romania has 12 representatives. The Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Slovenia have 1 representative each.

Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) is the third largest group in the EP. It comprises representatives of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, European Democratic Party and independent members. In this variant, the Group was established in 2004. The main objectives of the Group are democratization of the EU, protection of the fundamental rights of all European citizens, shortening the distance between the economic and political dimensions of the EU, protection of the environment. The Group has 105 representatives in the EP, with largest membership from Italy and Great Britain - 12 MEPs each. They are followed by France with 11 deputies, Romania - 8, and Bulgaria, Germany and Lithuania with 7 deputies each. Cyprus, Austria, Ireland and Luxembourg have 1 MEP each. Chairman of the Group is Graham Watson.

Group of the Union for Europe of the nations is situated in the right political spectrum and takes a stand for Europe of state-nations, which enables the governments and states to join their efforts for coordination and cooperation in order to establish more consolidated and stable Europe based on diversity. „The safekeeping of our cultural values, support for the nations seeking progress by defending freedom, democracy and human rights, promotion of a social policy corresponding to the economic development and solidarity with the poorest are among the goals of primary importance to us", says Christiana Muscardini, co-chairperson of the UEN Group. The Group consists of representatives of the Alliance for Europe of the Nations, part of the membership of EU Democrats and 3 non-aligned national parties. The Group was established in 1999. It has 44 MEPs, with the largest membership from Poland - 20, followed by Italy with 13 MEPs. Denmark, Ireland, Latvia and Lithuania also have their representatives in the UEN Group.

Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance consists of two separate European political parties - the European Green Party and the European Free Alliance. The European Free Alliance involves parties representing the so-called "nonstate nations". These parties present civic nationalists and regionalists, broadly of the centre, centre-left political spectrum. The aim of these political powers is to reorient EU from its economical orientatation towards the social, cultural and ecological values. The Group was established in 1999. The Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance currently has 42 representatives in the EP. The largest membership is from Germany - 13 MEPs, followed by France with 6 and Great Britain with 5 deputies. Sweden, Finland, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Latvia, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Belgium also have representatives in the Group.

Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left is a socialist and communist group in the EP involving two main organizations - European United Left and Nordic Green Left. The Group strives for economic growth and employment, solidarity and high social standards, transparency and democracy, fair-dealing in the relations with developing countries and respect to the environment. The Group was established in 1994 and has 41 MEPs in the present EP. Germany and Italy have the largest membership - 7 MEPs each, followed by the Czech Republic with 6 representatives. Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Cyprus and other Member States also have representatives there.

Independence/Democracy Group in the EP opposes the European Constitution, as well as "the centralization and bureaucratization of Europe". These are the two goals of this relatively new group in the EP. It was formed in July 2004 as an heir of the Group of Europe of democracies and differences (EDD). The Group represents approximately 3% of all MEPs having 23 members from 9 states. They define themselves as „Eurocritics, Eurosceptics and Eurorealists". Some of its members, in particular those from the United Kingdom Independence Party, follow the idea that their country should leave the EU. The Group comprises representatives of the Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe, part of the EU Democrats and 3 non-aligned national parties. The Independence/Democracy Group has 23 members from 9 countries: Czech Republic (1), Denmark (1), Greece (1), France (3), Ireland (1), the Netherlands (2), Sweden (2), UK (10), and Poland (2).

Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty Group is the newest and smallest group in the EP. Its establishment has become possible after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU on January 1, 2007. The Group is largely defined as a far-right and nationalist formation. When presenting his group, Gollnisch referred to its members as "patriots" and expressed the belief that "the national forces are the future of Europe, that of the true Europe of peoples and sovereign nations, of identities and traditions". The Group's charter sets out the recognition of national interests and sovereignty, identities and differences as the foremost political principles of the group. MEPs of the group also stated they wanted to fight against a "European Super State". The fraction was formed in January 2007 and includes 21 MEPs from 7 Member States. The Group comprises representatives of the association of far-right and nationalist European political parties - Euronat, as well as 5 non-aligned national parties. France has the largest membership - 7, followed by 6 Romanian MEPs from the „Great Romania" party. Bulgaria is presented by 1 deputy from the nationalist "Ataka" party. There are also representatives of Great Britain, Austria, Italy and Belgium.

Apart from the political groups, there are 14 independent MEPs in the present EP. Great Britain, Poland, Slovakia and Italy have 3 independent MEPs each, the Czech Republic and Austria - 1 MEP each.