European Parliament Political Groups

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The Members of the European Parliament sit in political groups – they are not organised by nationality, but by political affiliation. There are currently 7 Political Groups in the European Parliament. The figures under each Group below are current.

Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED)

287 Members

The EPP-ED unites Christian Democrat, Conservative and other mainstream centre and centre-right political forces in the EU. The EPP-ED Group is the largest Political Group in the European Parliament and contains MEPs from all 27 Member States.

Chairman: Joseph Daul (FR)

Vice-Chairmen/women: Vito Bonsignore (IT); Gunnar Hokmark (SE); Othmar Karas (AT); Jaime Oreja Mayor (ES); Marian-Jean Marinescu (RO); Hartmut Nassauer (DE); Joao de Deus Pinhiero (PT); Struan Stevenson (UK); József Szájer (HU); Mariann Thyssen (DE)

Irish Members: Avril Doyle (FG - East); Gay Mitchell (FG - Dublin); Mairead McGuinness (FG - East); Jim Higgins (FG - North West); Colm Burke (FG - South)

Socialist Group in the European Parliament (PES)

217 Members

The Party of European Socialists (PES) brings together the Socialist, Social Democratic and Labour Parties in the EU.

Chairman: Martin Schulz (DE)

Vice-Chairmen/women: Harlem Désir (FR); Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop (ES); Robert Goebbels (NL); Linda McAvan (UK); Pasqualina Napoletano (IT); Hannes Swoboda (AT); Kristian Vigenin (BG); Jan Marinus Wiersma (NL)

Irish Member: Proinsias De Rossa (Labour - Dublin)

Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)

100 Members

ALDE brings together MEPs from liberal and democratic parties in the EU.

Chairman: Graham Watson (UK)

Vice-Chairmen/women: Silvana Koch-Mehrin (DE); Adina-Ioana Valean (RO); Karin Riis- Jorgensen (DK); Marielle de Sarnez (FR); Gianluca Susta (IT)

Irish Member: Marian Harkin (Ind. - North West)

Union for Europe of the Nations (UEN)

44 Members

The political parties in the UEN are united by 'the values that derive from the respect for the individual which form the basis of European civilisation and determined to defend the principles of liberty, solidarity and equality between individuals'.

Co-Presidents: Brian Crowley (FF - South); Cristiana Muscardini (IT)

Vice-Chairmen/women: Adam Bielan (PL); Roberts Zïle (LV); Mogens Camre (DK); Gintaras Didziokas (LT)

Irish Members: Brian Crowley (FF - South); Eoin Ryan (FF - Dublin); Liam Aylward (FF - East); Sean Ó Neachtain (FF - North West)

Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)

43 Members

The Greens/European Free Alliance is made up of Greens and 'regionalists'.

Co-Presidents: Monica Frassoni (IT); Daniel Kohn- Bendit (DE)

Vice-Chairmen/women: Ian Hudghton (UK); Marie Hélène Aubert (FR); Rebecca Harms (DE); Eva Lichtenberger (AT); Pierre Jonckheer (DE); Claude Turmes (LU)

Confederal Group of European United Left - Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)

41 Members

As the name indicates, it is a confederal group, where each component party retains its own identity and policies while pooling their efforts in pursuit of common political objectives.

Chairman: Francis Wurtz (FR)

Vice-Chairmen/women: Eva-Britt Svensson (SE); Miloslav Ransdorf (CZ); Ilda Figueiredo (PT); Kartika Tamara Leotard (NL)

Irish Members: Mary Lou McDonald (SF - Dublin); Bairbre De Brún (SF - Northern Ireland)

Independence/ Democracy Group (ID)

22 Members

The Independence/Democracy Group incorporates EU-critics, eurosceptics and eurorealists.

Co-Presidents: Hanne Dahl (DK); Nigel Farage (UK)

Chairman: Johannes Blokland (NL)

Irish Members: Kathy Sinnott (Ind. - South)

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