European Democratic Alliance

The European Democratic Alliance was a heterogeneous political group in the European Parliament between 1984 and 1995. It consisted mainly of deputies from the French Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR) and the Irish Fianna Fáil.^[9] The grouping had a generally centre-right outlook, and strongly defended the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy.^[10]

European Democratic Alliance
European Parliament group
Name	European Democratic Alliance[1]
English abbr.	EDA[1][2]
French abbr.	RDE[3]
Formal name	Group of the European Democratic Alliance[2][4][5]
Political position	Big tent
From	24 July 1984[3]
To	6 July 1995[3]
Preceded by	European Progressive Democrats
Succeeded by	Union for Europe
Chaired by	Jean-Claude Pasty[5] Christian de La Malène[4]
MEP(s)	29 (July 23, 1984)[6] 20 (July 25, 1989)[7] 26 (July 19, 1994)[8]

History

Following the 1984 elections, the Group of European Progressive Democrats^[4] renamed itself on 24 July 1984^[3] to the Group of the European Democratic Alliance.^[2][4] The European Democratic Alliance merged with the Forza Europa group (dominated by MEPs from Forza Italia) to become the "Group Union for Europe" on 6 July 1995.^[5][11][12]

Nomenclature

The name of the group in English is Group of the European Democratic Alliance^[2][4][5] in long form, European Democratic Alliance^[1] in short form, and the abbreviation is EDA.^[1][2] The equivalents in French are Groupe du Rassemblement des Démocrates Européens, Rassemblement des Démocrates Européens, and RDE.^[3] Those French equivalents are sometimes rendered in English as Union of European Democrats and UED.^[13]

Composition

1984–1989

Country	Name			Ideology	MEPs[6][14]	Notes
France		Rally for the Republic	RPR	Gaullism Liberal conservatism	15 / 434
Ireland		Fianna Fáil	FF	Irish republicanism Conservatism	8 / 434
France		National Centre of Independents and Peasants	CNI	Liberal conservatism Conservative liberalism	2 / 434	Magdeleine Anglade,[15] Philippe Malaud[16]
		French Christian Democracy	DCF	Christian democracy	1 / 434	Alfred Coste-Floret[17]
		Radical Party	PR	Liberalism Conservative liberalism	1 / 434	Jacqueline Thome-Patenotre[18]
		Union for French Democracy	UDF	Liberalism Christian democracy	1 / 434
United Kingdom		Scottish National Party	SNP	Scottish nationalism Social democracy	1 / 434	Winifred M. Ewing[19]
Portugal		Democratic Renewal Party (1986–1987)	PRD	Third Way Populism	1 / 434	José Medeiros Ferreira

1989–1994

Country	Name			Ideology	MEPs[7]	Notes
France		Rally for the Republic	RPR	Gaullism Liberal conservatism	12 / 518
Ireland		Fianna Fáil	FF	Irish republicanism Conservatism	6 / 518
France		National Centre of Independents and Peasants	CNI	Liberal conservatism Conservative liberalism	1 / 518	Yvon Briant[20]
Greece		Democratic Renewal	DA	Conservatism Economic liberalism	1 / 518	Dimitrios Nianias[21]

1994–1995

Country	Name			Ideology	MEPs	Notes
France		Rally for the Republic	RPR	Gaullism Liberal conservatism	14 / 567
Ireland		Fianna Fáil	FF	Irish republicanism Conservatism	7 / 567
Portugal		CDS – People's Party	CDS–PP	Christian democracy Conservatism	3 / 567	was expelled from EPP after rejection of Maastricht treaty[22]
Greece		Political Spring	PA	National conservatism Populism	2 / 567

Sources

• Europe Politique^[3][6][7][8]
• European Parliament^[11]
• European Parliament MEP Archives^{[4][5][13][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]}
• Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley^[1]
• CVCE (Previously European NAvigator)^[2]

References

1. "Democracy in the European Parliament" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-23.
2. "The development of Political Groups in the European Parliament". CVCE. 1997-10-13. Retrieved 2015-01-16.
3. "UFE on Europe Politique". Europe-politique.eu. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
4. "European Parliament profile of Christian de La Malène". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
5. "European Parliament profile of Jean-Claude Pasty". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
6. "1984 European Parliament election results at July 23, 1984". Europe-politique.eu. 2007-02-17. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
7. "1989 European Parliament election results at July 25, 1989". Europe-politique.eu. 2007-02-17. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
8. "1994 European Parliament election results at July 19, 1994". Europe-politique.eu. 2007-02-17. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
9. Smith, Julie (1999), Europe's Elected Parliament, Sheffield Academic Press, p. 89
10. Colin Pilkington (1995). Britain in the European Union Today. Manchester University Press. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7190-4562-2.
11. "Group names 1999". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
12. Jansen, Thomas; Van Hecke, Steven (2011), At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party, Springer, p. 63
13. b961115.htm on the European Parliament website
14. Boissieu, Laurent de. "Élections européennes Portugal". Europe Politique (in French). Retrieved 9 April 2014.
15. "European Parliament profile of Magdeleine Anglade". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
16. "European Parliament profile of Philippe Malaud". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
17. "Alfred COSTE-FLORET". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
18. "European Parliament profile of Jacqueline Thome-Patenotre". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
19. "European Parliament profile of Winifred M. Ewing". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
20. "European Parliament profile of Yvon Briant". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
21. "European Parliament profile of Dimitrios Nianias". Europarl.europa.eu. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
22. Johansson, Karl Magnus (2002), "European People's Party", European Political Parties between Cooperation and Integration, Nomos, p. 65