Groupings In Europe

mistermouse

How or what forms the political groupings in Europe. I know that political parties align with groups in Europe, what I am more interested in is how they decided who went with who and whether it works for us.

Enda made great headlines in the election campaign meeting Merkel proclaiming that he had her ear as he was in the same grouping. Surely there isn't that many fundemental differences between FG and FF.

Should, as things seem to be so reliant on Europe these days, we not be voting by who is in with who in Europe, rather than who'll coalise with whom in the Dail.

Would it be possible to say that Enda for example, will be less likely to stand up against Merkel at the minute in Europe because he shares her political grouping

Obviously perhaps he may have more clout in a counter argument, but should we be looking more at the European Political alignments from here on out at elections

Boskowski

Christian democratic conservative right of centre with a social touch. One may argue they share that. Not sure it counts for a lot though.

OS119

Boskowski wrote: »

...Not sure it counts for a lot though.

i dunno. i had heard that one of the things that caused (or helped cause) the UK treaty veto this week was that the proposals were cooked up in the main centre-right grouping by France and Germany, while sadly that nice Mr Cameron was off talking to wingnuts, creeps and the certifiable - so had he been in the main group, either the proposals would have been watered down or a solution arrived at, or kicked into the long grass until a mutually acceptable compromise was achieved.

i'm not suggesting that when we're talking about a little country like Ireland being in the main group its going to make all the issues of being in the same ring as the big beasts go away, but its certainly going to do no harm, and it may allow the personal relationships to soften the purely rational, strategic forces that might otherwise give you a raw deal.

FreudianSlippers

Both FG and the CDU are part of the European People's Party. FF is part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.

nesf

Thread moved.

Benny_Cake

Fianna Fail originally wanted to join the European People's Party afaik but FG beat them to it! So they've been flitting around between other groupings since - the idea of them being liberals now is quite funny.

nesf

Benny_Cake wrote: »

Fianna Fail originally wanted to join the European People's Party afaik but FG beat them to it! So they've been flitting around between other groupings since - the idea of them being liberals now is quite funny.

Heaven forbid that they could be part of the same grouping...

Cardinal Richelieu

FF were in with the Gaulists at one time before the Liberal grouping.

European Parliament

The Members of the European Parliament sit in political groups – they are not organised by nationality, but by political affiliation. There are currently 7 political groups in the European Parliament.

• Each takes care of its own internal organisation by appointing a chair (or two co-chairs in the case of some groups), a bureau and a secretariat.
• The places assigned to Members in the Chamber are decided by political affiliation, from left to right, by agreement with the group chairmen.
• 25 Members are needed to form a political group, and at least one-quarter of the Member States must be represented within the group. Members may not belong to more than one political group.
• Some Members do not belong to any political group and are known as non-attached Members.
• Before every vote in plenary the political groups scrutinise the reports drawn up by the parliamentary committees and table amendments to them.
• The position adopted by the political group is arrived at by discussion within the group. No Member can be forced to vote in a particular way.

FG
European People's Party (Christian Democrats)

Labour
Party of European Socialists

FF
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party

"Marian Harkin also a member

SF
European United Left/Nordic Green Left


Socialist Party
European United Left/Nordic Green Left

RandomName2

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Both FG and the CDU are part of the European People's Party. FF is part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.

IT would sit far better with FF for it to be a member of the EPP. Presumably it doesn't do so due to FG's membership of it.