European Free Alliance

The European Free Alliance (EFA) is a European political party that consists of various regionalist,[1][2][3] separatist[4] and ethnic minority[3] political parties in Europe. Member parties advocate either for full political independence and sovereignty, or some form of devolution or self-governance for their country or region.[5] The alliance has generally limited its membership to progressive parties;[6][7] therefore, only a fraction of European regionalist parties are members of the EFA.

European Free Alliance
PresidentLorena Lopez de Lacalle (EA)
Secretary-GeneralJordi Solé (ERC)
TreasurerAnke Spoorendonk (SSW)
Founded9 July 1981 (9 July 1981)
HeadquartersBoomkwekerijstraat 1,
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Think tankCoppieters Foundation
Youth wingEuropean Free Alliance Youth
IdeologyRegionalism
Separatism
Ethnic minority interests
European Parliament groupGreens/EFA (6 MEPs)
ECR (N-VA, 3 MEPs)
Colours  Purple
European Parliament
9 / 705
European Council
0 / 27
Website
www.e-f-a.org

Since 1999, the EFA and the European Green Party (EGP) have joined forces within Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) group in the European Parliament, although some EFA members have joined other groups from time to time.

The EFA's youth wing is the European Free Alliance Youth (EFAY), founded in 2000.

As of 2021, four European regions are led by EFA politicians: Scotland with Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party, Flanders with Jan Jambon of the New Flemish Alliance, Corsica with Gilles Simeoni of For Corsica, and Catalonia with Pere Aragonès of the Republican Left of Catalonia.

History

Regionalists have long been represented in the European Parliament. In the 1979 election four regionalist parties obtained seats: the Scottish National Party (SNP), the Flemish People's Union (VU), the Brussels-based Democratic Front of Francophones (FDF) and the South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP). The SNP, although being predominantly social-democratic, joined the European Progressive Democrats, a conservative group led by the French Rally for the Republic. The VU and the FDF joined the heterogeneous Technical Group of Independents, while the SVP joined the European People's Party group.[8]

In 1981 six parties (VU, the Frisian National Party, Independent Fianna Fáil, the Party of German-speaking Belgians, the Party for the Organization of a Free Brittany and the Alsace-Lorraine National Association), plus three observers (the Union of the Corsican People, UPC, the Occitan Party and the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia, CDC), joined forces to form the European Free Alliance.[9][10] Regionalist MEPs continued, however, to sit in different groups also after the 1984 election: the SNP in the Gaullist-dominated European Democratic Alliance; the VU, the Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) and Basque Solidarity (EA) in the Rainbow Group, together with Green parties; the SVP in the European People's Party group; the CDC with the Liberal Democrats; and Herri Batasuna among Non-Inscrits.[11]

Only after the 1989 European Parliament election did EFA members form a united group, called Rainbow like its green predecessor. It consisted of three Italian MEPs (two for Lega Lombarda and one for the PSd'Az), two Spanish MEPs (one each for the PNV and the Andalusian Party, PA), one Belgian MEP (for VU), one French MEP (UPC), one British MEP (SNP) and one independent MEP from Ireland. They were joined by 4 MEPs from the Danish left-wing Eurosceptic People's Movement against the EU, while the other regionalist parties, including the SVP, Batasuna and the Convergence and Union of Catalonia (CiU) declined to join.[12]

In the 1994 European Parliament election the regionalists lost many seats. Moreover, the EFA had suspended its major affiliate, Lega Nord, for having joined forces in government with the post-fascist National Alliance. Also, the PNV chose to switch to the European People's Party (EPP). The three remaining EFA MEPs (representing the SNP, the VU and the Canarian Coalition) formed a group with the French Énergie Radicale list and the Italian Pannella List: the European Radical Alliance.[13]

Following the 1999 European Parliament election, in which EFA parties did quite well, EFA elected MEPs formed a joint group with the European Green Party, under the name Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA). In the event the EFA supplied ten members: two each from the Scottish SNP, the Welsh Plaid Cymru, and the Flemish VU, and one each from the Basque PNV and EA, the Andalusian PA and the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG).[14]

In the 2004 European Parliament election, the EFA, which had formally become a European political party,[15] was reduced to four MEPs: two from the SNP (Ian Hudghton and Alyn Smith), one from Plaid Cymru (Jill Evans) and one from the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC; Bernat Joan i Marí, replaced at the mid-term by MEP Mikel Irujo of the Basque EA). They were joined by two associate members: Tatjana Ždanoka of For Human Rights in United Latvia (PCTVL) and László Tőkés, an independent MEP and former member of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UMDR). Co-operation between the EFA and the Greens continued.

Following the 2008 revision of the EU Regulation that governs European political parties allowing the creation of European foundations affiliated to European political parties, the EFA established its official foundation/think tank, the Coppieters Foundation (CF), in September 2007.[16]

In the 2009 European Parliament election, six MEPs were returned for the EFA: two from the SNP (Ian Hudghton and Alyn Smith), one from Plaid Cymru (Jill Evans), one from the Party of the Corsican Nation (PNC; François Alfonsi), one from the ERC (Oriol Junqueras), and Tatjana Ždanoka, an individual member of the EFA from Latvia. After the election, the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) also joined the EFA. The EFA subgroup thus counted seven MEPs.[17]

In the 2014 European Parliament election, EFA-affiliated parties returned twelve seats to the Parliament: four for the N-VA, two for the SNP, two for "The Left for the Right to Decide" (an electoral list primarily composed of the ERC), one for "The Peoples Decide" (an electoral list mainly comprising EH Bildu, a Basque coalition including EA), one for "European Spring" (an electoral list comprising the Valencian Nationalist Bloc, BNV, and the Aragonese Union, ChA), one from Plaid Cymru, and one from the Latvian Russian Union (LKS). Due to ideological divergences with the Flemish Greens,[18] the N-VA defected to the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group[19][20] and the EH Bildu MEP joined the European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) group. Thus, EFA had seven members in the Greens/EFA group and four within ECR.[21]

In the 2019 European Parliament election the EFA gained a fourth seat in the United Kingdom, due to the SNP gaining a third seat to add to Plaid's one. However, the EFA suffered the loss of these seats in January 2020 due to Brexit, which meant SNP and PC MEPs had to leave.

Ideology

In the Brussels declaration of 2000 the EFA codified its political principles. The EFA stands for "a Europe of Free Peoples based on the principle of subsidiarity, which believe in solidarity with each other and the peoples of the world."[22] The EFA sees itself as an alliance of stateless peoples, striving towards recognition, autonomy, independence or wanting a proper voice in Europe. It supports European integration on basis of the subsidiarity-principle. It believes also that Europe should move away from further centralisation and works towards the formation of a "Europe of regions". It believes that regions should have more power in Europe, for instance participating in the Council of the European Union, when matters within their competence are discussed. It also wants to protect the linguistic and cultural diversity within the EU.

The EFA broadly stands on the left wing of the political spectrum.[23][24] EFA members are generally progressive, although there are some notable exceptions as the conservative New Flemish Alliance, Bavaria Party, Democratic Party of Artsakh, Schleswig Party and Future of Åland, the Christian-democratic Slovene Union, the centre-right Liga Veneta Repubblica and the far-right[25][26][27][28] South Tyrolean Freedom.

Organisation

The main organs of the EFA organisation are the General Assembly, the Bureau and the Secretariat.

General Assembly

In the General Assembly, the supreme council of the EFA, every member party has one vote.

Bureau and Secretariat

The Bureau takes care of daily affairs. It is chaired by Lorena Lopez de Lacalle (Basque Solidarity), president of the EFA, while Jordi Solé (Republican Left of Catalonia) is secretary-general and Anke Spoorendonk (South Schleswig Voters' Association) treasurer.[29]

The Bureau is completed by ten vice-presidents: Peggy Eriksson (Future of Åland), Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru), Fernando Fuente Cortina (More—Commitment), David Grosclaude (Occitan Party), Wouter Patho (New Flemish Alliance), Frank de Boer (Frisian National Party), Patrik Peroša (The Olive Tree – Slovene Istria Party) and Livia Ceccaldi-Volpei (Femu à Corsica).[29]

Member parties

Before becoming a member party, an organisation needs to have been an observer of the EFA for at least one year. Only one member party per region is allowed. If a second party from a region wants to join the EFA, the first party needs to agree, at which point these two parties will then form a common delegation with one vote. The EFA also recognises friends of the EFA, a special status for regionalist parties outside of the European Union.[22]

The following is the list of EFA members and former members.[30]

Full members

CountryPartyRegion / ConstituencyMPsMEPs
 AzerbaijanDemocratic Party of Artsakh[31][32] Republic of Artsakh / Ethnic Armenians
2 / 33
Not in the EU
 AustriaUnity List Ethnic Slovenes
 BelgiumNew Flemish Alliance Flanders
24 / 150
3 / 21
 BulgariaUnited Macedonian Organization Ilinden–Pirin Ethnic Macedonians
 CroatiaList for Rijeka Rijeka
 Czech RepublicMoravian Land Movement Moravia
 DenmarkSchleswig Party Ethnic Germans
 FinlandFuture of Åland Åland
 FranceBreton Democratic Union Brittany
Catalan Unity Catalan Countries
Let's Make Corsica Corsica
Occitan Party Occitania
Our Land Alsace
Party of the Corsican Nation Corsica
Savoy Region Movement Savoy
 GermanyBavaria Party Bavaria
Lusatian Alliance Lusatia / Sorbs
South Schleswig Voters' Association Ethnic Danes / Frisians
1 / 736
 GreeceParty of Friendship, Equality and Peace Ethnic Turks
Rainbow Ethnic Macedonians
 ItalyPact for Autonomy Friuli Venezia Giulia
Slovene Union Ethnic Slovenes
South Tyrolean Freedom South Tyrol
Tuscany Freedom Committee Tuscany
Valdostan Alliance Aosta Valley
Valdostan Union[lower-alpha 1] Aosta Valley
Free Sicilians Sicily
 NetherlandsFrisian National Party Frisians /  Friesland
 PolandKashubian Association[33] Kashubia / Kashubians
Silesian Autonomy Movement Upper Silesia / ethnic Germans
 RomaniaHungarian People's Party of Transylvania Ethnic Hungarians
 SerbiaLeague of Social Democrats of Vojvodina[33] Vojvodina / Ethnic HungariansNot in the EU
 SloveniaThe Olive Tree – Slovene Istria Party Slovene Istria
 SlovakiaHungarian Christian Democratic Association Ethnic Hungarians
 SpainAndalusia by Herself Andalusia
Basque Solidarity Basque Country
Galician Nationalist Bloc Galicia
1 / 350
1 / 54
New Canaries Canary Islands
1 / 350
Republican Left of Catalonia Catalonia / Catalan Countries
13 / 350
2 / 54
Socialist Party of Majorca Balearic Islands / Catalan Countries
More—Commitment Valencian Community
1 / 350
 United KingdomMebyon Kernow CornwallNot in the EU
Plaid Cymru Wales
3 / 650
Not in the EU
Scottish National Party Scotland
45 / 650
Not in the EU
Yorkshire Party[34] YorkshireNot in the EU
  1. Expelled in 2007 after lack of activity in EFA structures, rejoined at the 2022 congress

Individual Members

Country MEPs Party
 GermanyManuela RipaEcological Democratic Party
 FranceFrançois AlfonsiRégions et Peuples Solidaires
(Party of the Corsican Nation,
Femu a Corsica)
 ItalyPiernicola Pedicini

Suspended Members

CountryPartyRegion / ConstituencyMPsMEPs
 LatviaLatvian Russian Union Ethnic Russians / Latgalians
1 / 8

Former members

CountryPartyRegion / ConstituencyNotes
 BelgiumParty of German-speaking Belgians German CommunityMerged into ProDG in 2008
People's Union FlandersSplit into the New Flemish Alliance and Spirit
Pro German-speaking Community German CommunityNo longer a member
Social Liberal Party FlandersDissolved in 2009
Walloon Popular Rally WalloniaDissolved as party in 2011
 Czech RepublicMoravané MoraviaNo longer a member
 FranceAlsace-Lorraine National Association Alsace /  LorraineDissolved
Savoyan League SavoyDissolved in 2012
Party for the Organization of a Free Brittany BrittanyDissolved in 2000
Union of the Corsican People CorsicaMerged into the PNC in 2002
 GermanyThe Frisians Frisians / East FrisiaNo longer a member since 2018
 HungaryRenewed Roma Union Party of Hungary Romani peopleDissolved in 2012
 IrelandIndependent Fianna Fáil United IrelandDissolved in 2006
 ItalyAutonomy Liberty Participation Ecology Aosta ValleyMerged into Valdostan Alliance in 2019
Emilian Free Alliance EmiliaDissolved in 2010
Friulian Homeland FriuliNo longer a member after 2022 congress
Lombard League LombardyJoined Lega Nord in 1991
Pro Lombardy Independence LombardyNo longer a member after 2022 congress
Northern League PadaniaSuspended in 1994, left in 1996 and joined ELDR
Sardinian Action Party SardiniaExpelled in 2020 for allying with the Lega Nord
Movement for the Independence of Sicily SicilyNo longer a member after 2022 congress
Union for South Tyrol South TyrolExpelled in 2008 for opposition to the Bilbao declaration
The Other South Southern ItalyNo longer a member after 2022 congress
Venetian League VenetoJoined Lega Nord in 1991
Venetian Republic League VenetoNo longer a member after 2022 congress
 LithuaniaLithuanian Polish People's Party Ethnic PolesDissolved in 2010
 RomaniaTransilvania–Banat League Transylvania / BanatDissolved
 SlovakiaHungarian Federalist Party Ethnic HungariansBanned in 2005[35]
 SpainAndalusian Party AndalusiaDissolved in 2015
Aragonese Union AragonNo longer a member since 2018
Aralar Party Basque CountryDissolved in 2017
Basque Nationalist Party Basque CountryLeft in 2004 and joined the EDP
Canarian Coalition Canary IslandsLeft in 1999 and joined the ELDR Group
Democratic Convergence of Catalonia Catalonia / Catalan CountriesJoined the LDR Group in 1987

See also

  • List of regional and minority parties in Europe
  • List of active separatist movements in Europe
  • Political parties of minorities
  • Regionalism (politics)

References

  1. David Hanley (2007). "Parties, Identity and Europeanisation: An Asymmetrical Relationship?". In Marion Demossier (ed.). The European Puzzle: The Political Structuring of Cultural Identities at a Time of Transition. Berghahn Books. pp. 152–. ISBN 978-0-85745-863-6.
  2. Richard Corbett (2012). "Democracy in the European Union". In Elizabeth Bomberg; John Peterson; Richard Corbett (eds.). The European Union: How Does it Work?. Oxford University Press. pp. 155–. ISBN 978-0-19-957080-5.
  3. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  4. "The European Free Alliance and the International Issues".
  5. "What's EFA and history". Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  6. Gupta, Devashree (April 2008). "Nationalism across borders: transnational nationalist advocacy in the European Union". Comparative European Politics. 6 (1): 61–80. doi:10.1057/palgrave.cep.6110127. S2CID 144152782.
  7. David Hanley (2008). Beyond the Nation State: Parties in the Era of European Integration. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 132. ISBN 9781139867757. Center-left and left-wing regionalist parties are typically associated with EFA. An exception is the Nieuwe-Vlaamse Alliantie, one of the heirs of the Flemish Volksunie, which belonged to the European Popular party in the period 2004 through 2009 and later became affiliated with EFA.
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  19. Van Overtveldt, Johan (18 June 2014). "N-VA kiest voor ECR-fractie in Europees Parlement" [N-VA chooses ECR Group in the European Parliament]. standaard.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  20. "N-VA joins ECR group in European Parliament". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  21. "Up-to-date list of the MEPs for the new legislative period". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  22. "European Free Alliance". E-f-a.org. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  23. Gould, Andrew C.; Messina, Anthony M. (17 February 2014). Europe's Contending Identities: Supranationalism, Ethnoregionalism, Religion, and New Nationalism. ISBN 9781139867757.
  24. "European Parliament: Guide to the political groups". BBC News. 21 October 2015.
  25. "I separati dell'Alto Adige". Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
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  27. "Frattini denuncia il "diario" della Klotz — Cronaca — Alto Adige". Altoadige.gelocal.it. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  28. "La Stampa — Nel diario scolastico sudtirolesei terroristi si scoprono eroi". La Stampa. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  29. "Members of the Bureau Archive".
  30. "Member Parties". e-f-a.org. European Free Alliance. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  31. "Member Parties". e-f-a.org. European Free Alliance. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  32. "Democratic Party of Artsakh is the Associated Member of the European Free Alliance". dpa.am. Democratic Party of Artsakh. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  33. "Corsica joins 12 other stateless nations and governments, building #AnotherEurope with EFA". e-f-a.org. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  34. "Opinion | Yorkshire First". Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  35. "EFA PARTY IN SLOVAK REPUBLIC BANNED". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
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