European Democratic Party

The European Democratic Party (EDP) is a centrist[1][2][3][4] European political party in favour of European integration. François Bayrou is the President of the party.

This article is about the European party. For the Czech party, see European Democratic Party (Czech Republic). For other uses, see European Democrats (disambiguation).

European Democratic Party
PresidentFrançois Bayrou
Secretary-GeneralMarielle de Sarnez
Founded9 December 2004 (2004-12-09)
Split fromEuropean People's Party
HeadquartersRue de l'Industrie 4, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Youth wingYoung Democrats for Europe (YDE)
IdeologyCentrism[1][2][3][4]
Pro-Europeanism[5]
Political positionCentre[1][2][3][4]
European Parliament groupRenew Europe (8 MEPs)
S&D (PRO Romania, 1 MEP)
ColoursOrange and blue
Political foundationInstitute of European Democrats
Website
www.democrats.eu

Almost all MEPs of the European Democratic Party currently sit in the Renew Europe group, except for two MEPs of the PRO Romania party, who sit in the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.

The youth wing of the EDP is the Young Democrats for Europe.

As of 2020, EDP member parties participate in the government of two countries : France with Democratic Movement and Slovenia with Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia, and Bavaria with Free Voters. A European Region is also led by EDP politician : Basque Country with Iñigo Urkullu of Basque Nationalist Party.

History

European Democratic Party was initiated on 16 April 2004 and formally founded on 9 December 2004 in Brussels.

François Bayrou of the French Democratic Movement (MoDem) and Francesco Rutelli, former leader of the Democracy is Freedom and Alliance for Italy parties, served as the two co-presidents until 2019. Now, François Bayrou serves as the only president.

The EDP was founded in reaction to the rising influence of Eurosceptic parties within European institutions. It drew pro-European centrist parties from the European People's Party (EPP) group to form a new centrist multinational bloc. Its co-founder François Bayrou described it as a party for people being neither conservative nor socialist."

Since the beginning of the 6th European Parliament of 2004–2009, the EDP has formed a joint European parliamentary group with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party called the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group. This parliamentary group was dissolved in 2019.

Members

Members are national and regional political parties as well as members of the European Parliament, national and regional parliaments.

Country or Region Party European MPs National MPs
 Belgium Gérard Deprez (MCC – Mouvement des Citoyens pour le Changement) - -
 Croatia People's Party - Reformists (Narodna stranka – Reformisti) -
1 / 151
 Cyprus Citizens' Alliance (Συμμαχία Πολιτών, Symmachia Politon) -
1 / 56
Citizens' Platform (Platforma Politon) - -
 Czech Republic Senator 21 (Senátor 21) -
0 / 200
3 / 81
 France Democratic Movement (Mouvement démocrate)
5 / 79
41 / 577
4 / 348
 Germany Free Voters (Freie Wähler)
2 / 96
0 / 709
2 / 69
 Greece Union of Centrists (Ένωση Κεντρώων) - -
 Hungary New Start (Új Kezdet) -
1 / 199
 Italy European Democratic Party Italy (Partito Democratico Europeo Italia) - -
 Ireland Marian Harkin (Independent)
1 / 160
 Poland Alliance of Democrats (Stronnictwo Demokratyczne) - -
 Portugal Democratic Republican Party (Partido Democrático Republicano) - -
 Romania Association of Italians of Romania – RO.AS.IT. (Asociaţia Italienilor din România – RO.AS.IT., Associazione degli Italiani di Romania – RO.AS.IT.) -
1 / 329
PRO Romania (PRO România)
1 / 33
21 / 329
[6]
 San Marino Future Republic (Repubblica Futura) Not an EU member
6 / 60
 Slovenia Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (Demokratična stranka upokojencev Slovenije) -
5 / 90
 Spain
 Basque Nationalist Party (Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea)
1 / 58
6 / 350
Canarian Coalition (Coalición Canaria) -
2 / 350
Commitment to Galicia (Compromiso por Galicia) - -
 Europe Young Democrats for Europe[7] (Jeunes Démocrates européens) - -

Former member parties

Elected representatives of Member Parties

European institutions
OrganisationInstitutionNumber of seats
 European UnionEuropean Commission
0 / 28
European Council
(Heads of Government)
0 / 28
Council of the EU
(Participation in Government)
3 / 28
European Parliament
9 / 705
 Council of EuropeParliamentary Assembly
3 / 318

References
  1. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  2. John McCormick (2015). European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-137-45340-2.
  3. Lars Pehrson (12 June 2009). How Unified Is the European Union?: European Integration Between Visions and Popular Legitimacy. Springer. p. 160. ISBN 978-3-540-95855-0.
  4. Oskar Niedermayer (1 May 2013). Handbuch Parteienforschung. Springer. p. 831. ISBN 978-3-531-18932-1.
  5. Nathalie Brack; Olivier Costa (2014). How the EU Really Works. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-4724-1465-6.
  6. "PSD pierde 4 parlamentari chiar înaintea ieșirii ALDE de la guvernare. Social-democrații nu mai au majoritate în Senat -UPDATE – Politic – HotNews.ro". hotnews.ro (in Romanian). 26 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  7. "Adoption of the EDP manifesto and new member organisation | European Democrats – European Democratic Party". www.democrats.eu. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  8. Democrats, European (30 June 2017). "Individual membership request from MP Alena #Bašistová (SK) has just been accepted by the #EDPCouncil in #Coimbra. Welcome! #EDPCoimbrapic.twitter.com/RiOAZGrfQ7". @PDE_EDP. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
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