The Group of European Progressive Democrats was a heterogeneous
political group with seats in the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
between 1973 and 1984. It was mostly composed of French
Gaullists and Irish
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland.
Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
.
History
The Gaullists had split from the Liberal Group on 21 January 1965,
creating a new Group called the "European Democratic Union".
The Group was renamed on 16 January 1973
as the "Group of European Progressive Democrats"
when the Gaullists were joined by the Irish
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland.
Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
until 24 July 1984
when they became the "Group of the
European Democratic Alliance".
The group was never a close alliance. In 1973, the only common platform was on the issues of regionalism, social policy and the
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Commission. It implements a system of agricultural subsidies and other programmes. It was introduced in 1962 and has since then undergone several changes to reduce ...
.
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland.
Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
, an Irish nationalist party, was reluctant to identify too closely with the Gaullists, who also had an alliance with the
Conservative Party of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
at the time.
Composition
Members following the 1979 election
Members following the 1984 election
The EPD ceased to exist once the European Parliament groupings were established following the 1984 election, as the party changed into the
European Democratic Alliance.
Sources
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftungref name="t1s2">
*"Political Data Handbook: OECD Countries", , Jan-Erik Lane, David McKay, Kenneth Newton 1997
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via
European NAvigator part of the
Danish State Archives a candidate for the
June Movement
The June Movement () was a Danish left Eurosceptic political organisation founded 23 August 1992. It took its name from the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty that took place in Denmark in June of that year. The movement was a member of the E ...
["They cast pearls... - Evidence of EU fraud and Karl Smart administration" by Hans Kloster, Copenhagen 1 October 1998](_blank)
/ref>
Website
of the Danish June Movement
The June Movement () was a Danish left Eurosceptic political organisation founded 23 August 1992. It took its name from the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty that took place in Denmark in June of that year. The movement was a member of the E ...
[Entry for the "Kænguru-gruppen"/"Kangaroo Group"](_blank)
, an association of members of the European Parliament, Commission and Council, intended to promote free movement and security.
Website
of the Danish Progress Party[ ][ ]
References
{{European Parliament groups
Former European Parliament party groups
Conservatism in Europe