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 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President | Lorena Lopez de Lacalle (EA) |
| Secretary-General | Jordi Solé (ERC) |
| Treasurer | Anke Spoorendonk (SSW) |
| Founded | 9 July 1981 |
| Headquarters | Boomkwekerijstraat 1, 1000 Brussels, Belgium |
| Think tank | Coppieters Foundation |
| Youth wing | European Free Alliance Youth |
| Ideology | Regionalism Separatism Ethnic minority interests |
| European Parliament group | Greens/EFA (6 MEPs) ECR (N-VA, 3 MEPs) |
| Colours | Purple |
| European Parliament | 9 / 705 |
| European Council | 0 / 27 |
| Website | |
| www | |
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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
| Country | Party | Region / Constituency | MPs | MEPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Azerbaijan | Democratic Party of Artsakh[31][32] |  Republic of Artsakh /  Ethnic Armenians | 2 / 33 | Not in the EU |
 Austria | Unity List |  Ethnic Slovenes | – | – |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belgium | New Flemish Alliance |  Flanders | 24 / 150 | 3 / 21 |
 Bulgaria | United Macedonian Organization Ilinden–Pirin |  Ethnic Macedonians | – | – |
 Croatia | List for Rijeka |  Rijeka | – | – |
 Czech Republic | Moravian Land Movement |  Moravia | – | – |
 Denmark | Schleswig Party |  Ethnic Germans | – | – |
 Finland | Future of Åland |  Åland | – | – |
 France | Breton Democratic Union | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Brittany | – | – |
| Catalan Unity |  Catalan Countries | – | – | |
| Let's Make Corsica |  Corsica | – | – | |
| Occitan Party | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Occitania | – | – | |
| Our Land |  Alsace | – | – | |
| Party of the Corsican Nation | Corsica | – | – | |
| Savoy Region Movement |  Savoy | – | – | |
| Germany | Bavaria Party | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Bavaria | – | – |
| Lusatian Alliance |  Lusatia / Sorbs | – | – | |
| South Schleswig Voters' Association | Ethnic Danes /  Frisians | 1 / 736 | – | |
 Greece | Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace |  Ethnic Turks | – | – |
| Rainbow | Ethnic Macedonians | – | – | |
 Italy | Pact 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 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Sicily | – | – | |
 Netherlands | Frisian National Party | Frisians /  Friesland | – | – |
 Poland | Kashubian Association[33] |  Kashubia / Kashubians | – | – |
| Silesian Autonomy Movement |  Upper Silesia / ethnic Germans | – | – | |
 Romania | Hungarian People's Party of Transylvania |  Ethnic Hungarians | – | – |
 Serbia | League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina[33] |  Vojvodina / Ethnic Hungarians | – | Not in the EU |
| Slovenia | The Olive Tree – Slovene Istria Party |  Slovene Istria | – | – |
 Slovakia | Hungarian Christian Democratic Association | Ethnic Hungarians | – | – |
 Spain | Andalusia 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 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Valencian Community | 1 / 350 | – | |
 United Kingdom | Mebyon Kernow |  Cornwall | – | Not 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] |  Yorkshire | – | Not in the EU |
- Expelled in 2007 after lack of activity in EFA structures, rejoined at the 2022 congress
Individual Members
| Country | MEPs | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Manuela Ripa | Ecological Democratic Party |
| France | François Alfonsi | Régions et Peuples Solidaires (Party of the Corsican Nation, Femu a Corsica) |
| Italy | Piernicola Pedicini | — |
Suspended Members
| Country | Party | Region / Constituency | MPs | MEPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Latvia | Latvian Russian Union |  Ethnic Russians /  Latgalians | – | 1 / 8 |
Former members
| Country | Party | Region / Constituency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Party of German-speaking Belgians |  German Community | Merged into ProDG in 2008 |
| People's Union | Flanders | Split into the New Flemish Alliance and Spirit | |
| Pro German-speaking Community | German Community | No longer a member | |
| Social Liberal Party | Flanders | Dissolved in 2009 | |
| Walloon Popular Rally |  Wallonia | Dissolved as party in 2011 | |
| Czech Republic | Moravané | Moravia | No longer a member |
| France | Alsace-Lorraine National Association | Alsace /  Lorraine | Dissolved |
| Savoyan League | Savoy | Dissolved in 2012 | |
| Party for the Organization of a Free Brittany | Brittany | Dissolved in 2000 | |
| Union of the Corsican People | Corsica | Merged into the PNC in 2002 | |
| Germany | The Frisians | Frisians /  East Frisia | No longer a member since 2018 |
| Hungary | Renewed Roma Union Party of Hungary |  Romani people | Dissolved in 2012 |
 Ireland | Independent Fianna Fáil |  United Ireland | Dissolved in 2006 |
| Italy | Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology | Aosta Valley | Merged into Valdostan Alliance in 2019 |
| Emilian Free Alliance |  Emilia | Dissolved in 2010 | |
| Friulian Homeland |  Friuli | No longer a member after 2022 congress | |
| Lombard League |  Lombardy | Joined Lega Nord in 1991 | |
| Pro Lombardy Independence | Lombardy | No longer a member after 2022 congress | |
| Northern League |  Padania | Suspended in 1994, left in 1996 and joined ELDR | |
| Sardinian Action Party |  Sardinia | Expelled in 2020 for allying with the Lega Nord | |
| Movement for the Independence of Sicily | Sicily | No longer a member after 2022 congress | |
| Union for South Tyrol | South Tyrol | Expelled in 2008 for opposition to the Bilbao declaration | |
| The Other South | Southern Italy | No longer a member after 2022 congress | |
| Venetian League |  Veneto | Joined Lega Nord in 1991 | |
| Venetian Republic League | Veneto | No longer a member after 2022 congress | |
 Lithuania | Lithuanian Polish People's Party | Ethnic Poles | Dissolved in 2010 |
| Romania | Transilvania–Banat League |  Transylvania / Banat | Dissolved |
| Slovakia | Hungarian Federalist Party | Ethnic Hungarians | Banned in 2005[35] |
| Spain | Andalusian Party | Andalusia | Dissolved in 2015 |
| Aragonese Union |  Aragon | No longer a member since 2018 | |
| Aralar Party | Basque Country | Dissolved in 2017 | |
| Basque Nationalist Party | Basque Country | Left in 2004 and joined the EDP | |
| Canarian Coalition | Canary Islands | Left in 1999 and joined the ELDR Group | |
| Democratic Convergence of Catalonia | Catalonia / Catalan Countries | Joined 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- "The European Free Alliance and the International Issues".
- "What's EFA and history". Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Parties-and-elections.eu. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Andrew C. Gould; Anthony M. Messina (17 February 2014). Europe's Contending Identities: Supranationalism, Ethnoregionalism, Religion, and New Nationalism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 132–. ISBN 978-1-107-03633-8.
- Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Parties-and-elections.eu. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Parties-and-elections.eu. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Parties-and-elections.eu. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Parties-and-elections.eu. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Parties-and-elections.eu. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- "Centre Maurits Coppieters (CMC) – Ideas for Europe". Ideasforeurope.eu. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Parties-and-elections.eu. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- "Will Flemish separatists save the Tories in Europe?". EurActiv – EU News & policy debates, across languages. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- 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.
- "N-VA joins ECR group in European Parliament". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- "Up-to-date list of the MEPs for the new legislative period". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- "European Free Alliance". E-f-a.org. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- Gould, Andrew C.; Messina, Anthony M. (17 February 2014). Europe's Contending Identities: Supranationalism, Ethnoregionalism, Religion, and New Nationalism. ISBN 9781139867757.
- "European Parliament: Guide to the political groups". BBC News. 21 October 2015.
- "I separati dell'Alto Adige". Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- "Digos e carabinieri nella sede del partito — Alto Adige dal 2004.it " Ricerca". Ricerca.gelocal.it. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- "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.
- "La Stampa — Nel diario scolastico sudtirolesei terroristi si scoprono eroi". La Stampa. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- "Members of the Bureau Archive".
- "Member Parties". e-f-a.org. European Free Alliance. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- "Member Parties". e-f-a.org. European Free Alliance. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- "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.
- "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.
- "Opinion | Yorkshire First". Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- "EFA PARTY IN SLOVAK REPUBLIC BANNED". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
External links
- Official website
- The Greens/EFA official website
- EFA in the European Parliament
- European Free Alliance Youth
- Declaration of Brussels of 9 November 2000
- Toward a Europe of diversity – Manifesto for the 2004 EP election
- Vision for a People's Europe – Manifesto for the 2009 EP election
- It's time for self-determination for all the peoples of Europe – Manifesto for the 2014 EP election
- Eric Defoort (editor), The European Free Alliance: The voice of nations and peoples of Europe. 30 years EFA, 2011
- Tudi Kernalegenn, The internationalism of the EFA, European Free Alliance, 2011
- Peter Lynch, Organising for a Europe of the Regions: The European Free Alliance-DPPE and Political Representation in the European Union, 2007
Members of the European Free Alliance | |
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| Other members |
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| Observers |
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 EU portal | |