European Democratic Party
PresidentFrançois Bayrou
Secretary-GeneralSandro Gozi
Founded9 December 2004 (2004-12-09)
Split fromEuropean People's Party
HeadquartersRue Montoyer 25, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Think tankInstitute of European Democrats
Youth wingYoung Democrats for Europe (YDE)
IdeologyCentrism[1][2][3][4]
Pro-Europeanism[5]
Political positionCentre[1][2][3][4]
European Parliament groupRenew Europe
Colours  Blue
  Orange
European Parliament
12 / 705
European Council
0 / 27
European Commission
0 / 27
European Lower Houses
90 / 9,874
European Upper Houses
35 / 2,714
Website
www.democrats.eu

The European Democratic Party (EDP; French: Parti démocrate européen, PDE), also known as the European Democrats, is a centrist[1][2][3][4] European political party in favour of European integration. François Bayrou is the party's president.

All of the EDP's MEPs currently sit in the liberal Renew Europe group. The youth wing of the EDP is the Young Democrats for Europe (YDE).

As of 2022, one EDP member participates in the national government of an EU member state: Bayrou's Democratic Movement in France, which supports the government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. A European region is also led by an EDP politician, with Spain's Basque Country being led by Iñigo Urkullu of the Basque Nationalist Party; EDP member Free Voters participates as a junior coalition partner in the state government of Bavaria in Germany.

History

European Democratic Party was initiated on 16 April 2004 and formally founded on 9 December 2004 in Brussels.

François Bayrou of the Union for French Democracy and later the Democratic Movement (MoDem) and Francesco Rutelli, former leader of the Democracy is Freedom and Alliance for Italy parties, served as the two co-presidents until 2019. Now, François Bayrou serves as the only president.

The EDP was founded in reaction to the rising influence of Eurosceptic parties within European institutions. It drew pro-European centrist parties from the European People's Party (EPP) group to form a new centrist multinational bloc. Its co-founder François Bayrou described it as a party for people being neither conservative nor socialist."

Since the beginning of the 6th European Parliament of 2004–2009, the EDP has formed a joint European parliamentary group with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party called the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group. This parliamentary group was dissolved in 2019 and replaced by Renew Europe.

The European Democratic Party is ideologically centrist and federalist.[6] Some major members and affiliated parties like EAJ-PNV, Free Voters, MoDem, MCC, Canarian Coalition and the disbanded Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy follow a Christian democratic or liberal conservative line.

Members

Members are national and regional political parties as well as members of the European Parliament, national and regional parliaments.

Country or Region Party European MPs National MPs
 Austria Citizens' Forum Austria (Bürgerforum Österreich, FRITZ) - -
 Belgium Marie-Christine Marghem (MR and MCC; Individual member) -
1 / 150
0 / 60
 Croatia People's Party - Reformists (Narodna stranka – Reformisti) -
1 / 151
 Cyprus Citizens' Platform (Platforma Politon; Affiliated Member) - -
 Czech Republic Senator 21 (Senátor 21) -
0 / 200
4 / 81
 France Democratic Movement (Mouvement démocrate)
5 / 79
48 / 577
4 / 348
Catherine Chabaud (MoDem; Individual member) and Sandro Gozi (IV; Individual member)
2 / 79
 -
 Germany Free Voters (Freie Wähler)
2 / 96
0 / 735
(Bundestag)
2 / 69
(Bundesrat)
 Greece Union of Centrists (Ένωση Κεντρώων) - -
 Hungary New Start (Új Kezdet) -
1 / 199
 Italy Italia Viva
1 / 76
9 / 400
6 / 200
L'Italia c'è
0 / 76
0 / 400
0 / 200
New Times – Populars United[7] - -
 Ireland Marian Harkin (Independent; Individual member) -
1 / 160
 Netherlands 50PLUS
0 / 29
0 / 150
1 / 74
 Poland Alliance of Democrats (Stronnictwo Demokratyczne) - -
 Portugal Together for the People (Juntos pelo Povo) - -
 San Marino Future Republic (Repubblica Futura) Not an EU member
6 / 60
 Slovenia Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (Demokratična stranka upokojencev Slovenije) -
0 / 90
 Spain
 Basque Nationalist Party (Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea)
1 / 58
6 / 350
10 / 265
Canarian Coalition (Coalición Canaria) -
1 / 350
1 / 265
Commitment to Galicia (Compromiso por Galicia) - -
 Europe Young Democrats for Europe[8] (Jeunes Démocrates européens; Affiliated Member) - -

Former member parties

Elected representatives of member parties

European institutions

OrganisationInstitutionNumber of seats
 European UnionEuropean Commission
0 / 28
European Council
(Heads of Government)
0 / 28
Council of the EU
(Participation in Government)
3 / 28
European Parliament
12 / 705
 Council of EuropeParliamentary Assembly
4 / 318

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  2. 1 2 3 John McCormick (2015). European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-137-45340-2.
  3. 1 2 3 Lars Pehrson (12 June 2009). How Unified Is the European Union?: European Integration Between Visions and Popular Legitimacy. Springer. p. 160. ISBN 978-3-540-95855-0.
  4. 1 2 3 Oskar Niedermayer (1 May 2013). Handbuch Parteienforschung. Springer. p. 831. ISBN 978-3-531-18932-1.
  5. ↑ Nathalie Brack; Olivier Costa (2014). How the EU Really Works. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-4724-1465-6.
  6. ↑ Alberto Martinelli & Alessandro Cavalli (2020). European Society. Vol. 133. Brill. p. 237. ISBN 9789004351776. The European Democratic Party (EDP) is a centrist, social-liberal, and federalist party that stands for a more democratic, integrated EU closer to its citizens. Between 2004 and now (end of 2019) the EDP has formed a joint European parliamentary group with ALDE.
  7. ↑ Merlo, Giorgio (17 October 2023). "Tempi Nuovi ha scelto il PDE per motivi di coerenza". Il Domani d'Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Adoption of the EDP manifesto and new member organisation | European Democrats – European Democratic Party". www.democrats.eu. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  9. ↑ robin (15 October 2022). "PES Congress welcomes new PES leadership team and four new member parties". The Party of European Socialists. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Democrats, European (30 June 2017). "Individual membership request from MP Alena #Bašistová (SK) has just been accepted by the #EDPCouncil in #Coimbra. Welcome! #EDPCoimbrapic.twitter.com/RiOAZGrfQ7". @PDE_EDP. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
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