European People's Party parliamentary group | |
---|---|
European parliamentary group | |
Name | European People's Party parliamentary group |
English abbr. |
EPP CD (23 June 1953 to 17 July 1979) |
French abbr. | PPE (22 June 2009 to present) PPE-DE (20 July 1999 to 22 June 2009) PPE (17 July 1979 to 20 July 1999) DC (23 June 1953 to 17 July 1979) |
Formal name | Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) (22 June 2009 to present) Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (20 July 1999 to 22 June 2009) Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) (17 July 1979 to 20 July 1999) Christian Democratic Group (Group of the European People's Party) (14 March 1978 to 17 July 1979) Christian Democratic Group (23 June 1953 to 14 March 1978) |
Ideology | |
European parties | European People's Party |
From |
11 September 1952 (officially) |
To | present |
Chaired by | Manfred Weber |
MEP(s) |
217 / 751
|
Website | http://www.eppgroup.eu/ |
EPP
(22 June 2009 to present)
EPP-ED
(20 July 1999 to 22 June 2009)
EPP
(17 July 1979
11 September 1952
(unofficially)
The European People's Party group (EPP Group) is the political group in the European Parliament consisting of deputies (MEPs) from the member parties of the European People's Party (EPP). In this respect, there is a distinction between the European People's Party itself (a European-level party of centre-right national political parties from across Europe) and the EPP Group in the European Parliament. The EPP mostly comprises politicians of Christian democratic, conservative and liberal-conservative orientation.
The European People's Party was officially founded as a European political party in 1976. However, the European People's Party group in the European Parliament has existed in one form or another since June 1953, from the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community, making it one of the oldest European level political groups. Its size has given it influence in all the EU's institutions. It has been the largest political group in the European Parliament since 1999. In the European Council, 14 out of 28 Heads of State and Government belong to the EPP family and in the European Commission, 13 out of 28 Commissioners come from EPP parties.
The Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (the predecessor of the present day European Parliament) first met on 10 September 1952 and the first Christian Democratic group was unofficially formed the next day, with Maan Sassen as President. The group held 38 of the 78 seats, two short of an absolute majority. On 16 June 1953 the Common Assembly passed a resolution enabling the official formation of political groups, and on 23 June 1953 the constituent declaration of the group was published and the group was officially formed.