5 things UK Conservatives need to learn about European Parliament

This is inspired by yet another post on ConHome where they get things wrong. Not sure if this would qualify as one off Joe's Five Things?! would it Joe?

Number 1: They are not members of the EPP.

Number 2: They are members of the ED - European Democrats, who are seperate to the the EPP.

Number 3: Because of this distinction they do not take the EPP whip.

Number 4: They sit as part of the EPP-ED Group in the Parliament which is completely seperate to the EPP apartus as a political party.

Number 5: They can leave quite easily and the EPP wont miss them that much, I would say.

This as also been posted on thinkaboutit.eu. Please rate it over there! Thanks

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• Will 2009 see the End of the UEN? (stephenspillane.blogspot.com)

Will 2009 see the End of the UEN?

Image via WikipediaThe Union for Europe of the Nations is a political grouping in the European Union. Fianna Fail is one of the members of this grouping and in fact Brian Crowley is one of the leaders of the group.

The UEN currently consists of 44 MEPs from the following parties:
# Danish People's Party (1 MEP) - Denmark
# Fianna Fáil (4 MEPs) - Ireland
# National Alliance (8 MEPs) - Italy
# Lega Nord (4 MEPs) - Italy
# The Right (1 MEP) - Italy
# For Fatherland and Freedom - Latvia
# Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union (1 MEP) -Lithuania
# Order and Justice (1 MEP) - Lithuania
# Law and Justice (7 MEPs) - Poland
# League of Polish Families (5 MEPs) - Poland
# Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland (5 MEPs) - Poland
# Polish Peasant Party "Piast" (3 MEPs) - Poland

So where is the issue?

Italy's National Alliance is the largest party within the grouping and will be merging with Silvia Burlesconi's Forza Italia, which means its MEP's will be moved to the EPP-ED Group. Fianna Fail also looks likely to try and leave the group (again). The last time it was rebuffed by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, as the Progressive Democrats were members of this group.

Poland's Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland and League of Polish Families look like they will do badly in the polls. Neither of these parties won representation to the Polish Parliament in 2007.

The other members are also being tempted away. Poland's Law and Justice party is one such party that is being tempted into a new grouping by current members of the European Democrats.

2009 will be an interesting year for the European Parliament. There is also movements to end the European Democrats which will be a slight loss to the EPP-ED grouping, but not that much as ED members do not take the whip!

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• More EU "web streaming services"