Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe | |
---|---|
European parliamentary group | |
Name | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
English abbr. | ALDE |
French abbr. | ADLE |
Formal name | Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
Ideology |
Liberalism Centrism Pro-Europeanism |
European parties |
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, European Democratic Party |
Associated organisations |
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Liberal International |
From | 20 July 2004 |
Preceded by | ELDR Group |
Chaired by | Guy Verhofstadt |
MEP(s) |
68 / 751
|
Website | http://www.alde.eu/ |
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group (ALDE) is the liberal–centristpolitical group of the European Parliament. It is made up of MEPs from two European political parties, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (formerly the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party) and the European Democratic Party, which collectively form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
ALDE is one of the three oldest Groups, dating its unofficial origin back to September 1952 and the first meeting of the Parliament's predecessor, the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community. 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, progressively changing its name in the process.
It is the fourth-largest Group in the Parliament and did participate in the Grand Coalition (the coalition designed to provide a majority) for the Sixth Parliament (2004–2009).
The pro-European platform of ALDE espouses neoliberal economics and support for European integration and the European single market.
The ALDE Group can trace its unofficial ancestry back to the Liberal members present at the first meeting of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (the Parliament's predecessor) on 10 September 1952, but the Group was officially founded as the Group of Liberals and Allies on 23 June 1953.