European People’s Party (EPP)
The EPP is a centre-right political group of the European Parliament. It was founded as a Christian democratic group that declined at first but reversed its tendency by an enlargement to other centre-right non-Christian democratic parties. Its manifesto calls for: the creation of new jobs; the coordination of fiscal and monetary policies as well as the renouncement of protectionism; the increase of transparency and surveillance on financial markets and family-friendly flexibility for working parents.
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)
The S&D group is a newly created group stemming from the will of the PSE (European Socialist Party) to team up with the Italian Democratic Party to avoid its splitting into the ALDE or the PSE as was the case during the 2004-2009 legislature. The S&D is a gathering of all progressive forces which work for a Europe of solidarity, social justice, equality, social development and sustainable environment, by guaranteeing basic labour rights for all workers, human rights and gender equality, civil liberties, lifelong learning, sport, cultural diversity, data protection, the fight against cross-border crime and measures to strengthen EU democracy.
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
The ALDE is a trans-national alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. Founded as an explicitly Liberal Group, it has expanded its remit to cover the different centrist traditions of each new Member State as they acceded to the Union, upholding their values on a liberal, an open and a green society.
The Greens – European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)
The Greens EFA is a group that consists in two European Political Parties: The European Green Party and the European Free Alliance. It is constituted of progressive parties only. The Greens/EFA project is to: ensure fundamental rights and environmental justice; to increase freedom within the world; to deepen democracy by decentralisation and direct democracy and re-orientate Europe towards social, cultural and ecological values, by increasing the solidarity between the people of Europe.
European United Left – Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)
The GUE/NGL is a left-wing European political group, which exists since 1995. The group is opposed to the actual political structure of the EU but is committed to integration. Their aim is to seek “another Union” that would abolish the Maastricht Treaty by following three aims: the total change of the European institutions to make them fully democratic; getting rid of “neo-liberal monetarist policies”; and start a policy of co-development and equitable cooperation. Moreover, the group is in favour of disbanding NATO and “strengthen the OSCE.”
European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
The ECR is a centre-right to reight-wing European political group. It is more eurosceptic than the three largest groups but less than the EFD. Their founding principles have been clarified in the Prague Declaration and consist in: free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition with minimal regulation and lower taxation; freedom of the individual; the importance of family as the bedrock of society; sovereign integrity of the nation state; sustainable and clean energy supply coupled with energy security and effectively controlled immigration.
Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD)
The EFD is the hardest eurosceptical political group in the European Parliament. It relies on euroscepticism, national conservatism, nationalism and conservatism. Their aims are as follows: freedom and co-operationamong people of the different states; more democracy and respect of people’s will; respect for Europe’s history, traditions and cultural values and respect for national differences and interests (freedom of votes).