European People's Party

European People's Party
Europäische Volkspartei Parti populaire européen Partito Popolare Europeo Partido Popular Europeo
President	Wilfried Martens
Founded	1976
Headquarters	Rue du Commerce / Handelsstraat 10, Brussels, B-1000
Political Ideology	Christian democracy, Conservatism, Centre-Right
International Affiliation	Christian Democrat International
European Parliament Group	European People's Party - European Democrats
Colours	Blue, Orange
Website	www.epp.eu
See also	Politics of the EU Political parties Elections

The European People's Party (EPP) is the largest transnational European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP includes Christian Democratic and conservative parties in Europe. The EPP has 72 member-parties from 39 countries, 10 EU and 6 non-EU heads of government, 9 European Commissioners (including the President), and the largest group in the European Parliament with 278 members. According to its website, the EPP is "the family of the political center-right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilization of the European continent and has pioneered the European project from its inception." Its current President is former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens. Martens was re-elected President at the March 2006 EPP Congress in Rome for a 3-year term. In the same Congress, French Minister Michel Barnier (UMP), Finnish Deputy Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen (KOK), former Slovenian Prime Minister Lojze Peterle (NSi), former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Fidesz), German State Secretary Peter Hintze (CSU), Irish opposition leader Enda Kenny (FG) and Chairman of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (PO) were elected as EPP Vice-Presidents. The EPP currently holds the Presidencies of two of the EU main institutions: the European Commission led by President José Manuel Barroso (PSD), and the European Parliament led by President Hans-Gert Pöttering (CDU). In the first half of 2008, it will get also the presidency of the third institution when the Presidency of the European Council will be led by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša (SDS). EPP has 10 out of the 27 heads of State or Government in the European Council: Jan Peter Balkenende (Netherlands, CDA), Lawrence Gonzi (Malta, PN), Janez Janša (Slovenia, SDS), Jean-Claude Juncker (Luxembourg, CSV), Aigars Kalvītis (Latvia, TP), Kostas Karamanlis (Greece, ND), Angela Merkel (Germany, CDU), Fredrik Reinfeldt (Sweden, MSP), Nicolas Sarkozy (France, UMP) and Donald Tusk (Poland, PO). Besides, it has 5 heads of State or Government who do not normally take part in the European Council since that responsability belongs to the other leaders of their countries: Anibal Cavaco Silva (Portugal, PSD), François Fillon (France, UMP), Horst Köhler (Germany, CDU), Edward Fenech Adami (Malta, PN) and Traian Băsescu (Romania, PD). EPP, through its associate parties, also has 6 heads of State or Government from non-EU countries: Ivo Sanader (Croatia, HDZ), Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey, AKP), Vojislav Koštunica (Serbia, DSS), Sali Berisha (Albania, DP), Nikola Gruevski (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, VMRO-DPMNE), Viktor Yushchenko (Ukraine, NSNU) and Mikheil Saakashvili (Georgia, UNM). By invitation of the EPP President, the heads of government - along with leaders of the opposition - the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament customarily meet a few hours prior to the Summit of the European Council at Brussels suburb of Meise for the EPP Summit to form common positions. EPP has 9 out of 27 members of the European Commission: President José Manuel Barroso (Portugal, PSD), Vice President Jacques Barrot (France, UMP), Vice President Franco Frattini, (Italy, FI), Joe Borg, (Malta, PN), Stavros Dimas (Greece, ND), Ján Figeľ (Slovakia, KDH), Andris Piebalgs (Latvia, TP), Viviane Reding (Luxembourg, CSV), and Benita Ferrero-Waldner (Austria, ÖVP). In the European Parliament the EPP is allied with the more eurosceptic 'European Democrats' sub-group to form the EPP-ED Group of 277 MEPs. The current Group Chairman in French UMP politician Joseph Daul, replacing Hans-Gert Pöttering who was elected as the new President of the European Parliament in January 2007. EPP also has parliamentary groups in the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe and the OSCE. In recent years, the EPP has been developing beyond Europe bilateral relations with major conservative and like-minded parties. Due its firm transatlantic orientation, North America has been a particular focus of the Party's international activities.

Contents 1 Member parties 2 Associate members 3 Observer members 4 External links

Member parties

Part of the Politics series on Christian Democracy

Parties

Christian Democratic parties Christian Democrat International Christian Dem Org of America European People's Party Euro Christian Political Movement European Democratic Party

Ideas

Social conservatism Social market economy Communitarianism Human dignity · Stewardship Sphere sovereignty · Distributism Catholic social teaching Neo-Calvinism · Neo-Thomism

Important documents

Rerum Novarum (1891) Stone Lectures (Princeton 1898) Graves de Communi Re (1901) Quadragesimo Anno (1931) Laborem Exercens (1981) Sollicitudi Rei Socialis (1987) Centesimus Annus (1991)

Important figures

Thomas Aquinas · John Calvin Pope Leo XIII · Abraham Kuyper Maritain · Adenauer · De Gasperi Pope Pius XI · Schuman Pope John Paul II · Kohl · Skillen

Politics Portal · edit

 Austria

• Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) (Austrian Peoples Party)

 Belgium

•  Flanders
  • Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) (Christian Democratic & Flemish)
  • Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) (New Flemish Alliance)
•  Wallonia
  • Centre Démocrate Humaniste (CDH) (Humanist Democratic Centre)

 Bulgaria

• Демократи за силна България (Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria)
• Съюз на Демократичните Сили (Union of the Democratic Forces)
• Демократическа партия (DP) (Democratic Party)
• Български Земеделски Народен Съюз - Народен Съюз (Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union - People's Union)

 Cyprus

• Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός (Democratic Rally)

 Czech Republic

• Křesťanská a demokratická unie - Československá strana lidová (KDU-CSL) (Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party)

 Denmark

• Det Konservative Folkeparti (KF) (Conservative People's Party)
• Kristendemokraterne (Christian Democrats)

 Estonia

• Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit (Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica)

 Finland

• Kansallinen Kokoomus (KOK) (National Coalition Party)

 France

• Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) (Union for a Popular Movement)

 Germany

• Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU) (Christian Democratic Union),
• Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (CSU) (Christian Social Union of Bavaria)

 Greece

• Νέα Δημοκρατία (ND) (New Democracy)

 Hungary

• Fidesz – Magyar Polgári Szövetség (Hungarian Civic Union),
• Magyar Demokrata Fórum (MDF) (Hungarian Democratic Forum)
• Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt (KDNP) (Christian Democratic People's Party)

 Ireland

• Fine Gael (FG) (The United Ireland Party)

 Italy

• Forza Italia (FI) (Go on Italy),
• Popolari-UDEUR (UDEUR) (Democratic Union for Europe),
• Unione Democratici Cristiani di Centro (UDC) (Union of Christian Democratic and Democratics of Centre)

 Latvia

• Tautas Partija (TP) (People's Party),
• Jaunais Laiks (JL) (New Era)

 Lithuania

• Lietuvos Krikšcionys Demokratai (LKD) (Lithuanian Christian Democrats),
• Tėvynės sąjunga - Lietuvos konservatoriai (TS-LK) (Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservative Party)

 Luxembourg

• Chrëschtlech Sozial Vollekspartei (CSV) (Christian-Social People's Party)

 Malta

• Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) (Nationalist Party)

 Netherlands

• Christen-Democratisch Appèl (CDA) (Christian Democratic Appeal)

 Poland

• Platforma Obywatelska (PO) (Civic Platform)
• Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (PSL) (Polish Peasant Party)

 Portugal

• Democratic and Social Center / People's Party (CDS/PP)
• Partido Social Democrata (PSD)(Social Democratic Party)

 Romania

• Partidul Naţional Ţărănesc Creştin şi Democrat (PNŢCD) (Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party)
• Partidul Democrat (PD) (Democratic Party)
• Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség/Uniunea Democrată Maghiară din România (UDMR) (Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania)

 Slovakia

• Slovenská demokratická a kresťanská únia - Demokratická strana (SDKÚ-DS) (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union - Democratic Party),
• Magyar Koalíció Pártja/Strana maďarskej koalície (SMK) (Party of Hungarian Coalition),
• Krestanskodemokraticke hnutie (KDH) (Christian Democratic Movement of Slovakia)

 Slovenia

• Slovenska demokratska stranka (SDS) (Slovenian Democratic Party),
• Nova Slovenija Krščanska ljudska stranka (NSi) (New Slovenia)
• Slovenska ljudska stranka (SLS) (Slovenian People's Party)

 Spain

• Partido Popular (PP) (People's Party)
• Unió Democràtica de Catalunya (Democratic Union of Catalonia)

 Sweden

• Moderata samlingspartiet (M or MSP) (Moderate Party),
• Kristdemokraterna (KD) (Christian Democrats)

Associate members

 Croatia

• Hrvatska demokratska zajednica (HDZ) (Croatian Democratic Union)
• Hrvatska seljačka stranka (HSS) (Croatian Peasant Party)

 Norway

• Høyre (H) (Conservatives)

 Serbia

• Демократска Странка Србије (DSS) (Democratic Party of Serbia)
• Г17+ (G17 Plus)

 Switzerland

• Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei (CVP) (Christian Democratic People's Party)
• Evangelische Volkspartei (EVP) (Evangelical People's Party)

Observer members

 Albania

• Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë (Democratic Party of Albania)
• Partia Demokrate e Re (New Democratic Party)

 Belarus

• Biełaruski Narodny Front (BNF) (Belarusian Popular Front)
• Abjadnanaja Hramadzianskaja Partyja Biełarusi (AHP) (United Civil Party of Belarus)

 Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Stranka demokratske akcije (SDA) (Party of Democratic Action)
• Hrvatska demokratska zajednica Bosne i Hercegovine (HDZBiH) (The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Partija demokratskog progresa RS (PDP) (Party of Democratic Progress)

 Croatia

• Demokratski centar (DC) (Democratic Center)

 Finland

• Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit (Christian Democrats)

 Georgia

• United National Movement (UNM)

 Republic of Macedonia - FYROM

• VMRO-DPMNE

 Italy

• Südtiroler Volkspartei (South Tyrolese People's Party)

 Moldova

• Christian-Democratic People's Party (PPCD)

 Norway

• Kristelig Folkeparti(KrF) (Christian People's Party)

 San Marino

• Partito Democratico Cristiano Sammarinese (PDCS) (San Marinese Christian Democratic Party)

 Turkey

• Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) (Justice and Development Party)

 Ukraine

• People's Union "Our Ukraine" (NSNU)
• People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)
• All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland"

External links

• European People's Party official site
• EPP-ED Group official site

•  • e Political organisations at European Union level
European Parliament	parties Democratic Party · EUDemocrats · Free Alliance · Green Party · Independent Democrats · European Left · Liberal Democrat and Reform Party · Europe of the Nations · People's Party · Socialists party groups EPP–ED · PES · ALDE · UEN · Greens–EFA · EUL–NGL · IND/DEM
Other confederations of national parties	European Anticapitalist Left · European Christian Political Movement · Euronat · European National Front · Nordic Green Left Alliance · Movement for European Reform · Platform for Transparency
Dedicated EU parties	Europe – Democracy – Esperanto
Politics Portal  · National parties by European group  · European Parliamentary Election  · Party composition of the Council