European People's Party

This article is about the European political party. For the European Parliament Group, see European People's Party (European Parliament group).

European People's Party
President	Wilfried Martens (BE)
President of the European Council	Herman Van Rompuy (President) (BE)
President of the European Commission	José Manuel Barroso (President) (PT)
Parliament Group Leader	Joseph Daul (Group Leader) (FR)
Founded	8 July 1976 (1976-07-08)
Headquarters	Rue du Commerce / Handelsstraat 10, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Youth wing	Youth of the European People's Party
Ideology	Christian democracy Conservatism Liberal conservatism European federalism
Political position	Centre-right
International affiliation	Centrist Democrat International International Democrat Union
European Parliament group	European People's Party
Colours	Blue and Gold
European Parliament	270 / 754
European Council (Heads of Government)	13 / 27
National Upper House Seats	581 / 2,273
National Lower House Seats	2,424 / 7,124
Website
http://www.epp.eu/index.asp
Politics of the European Union Political parties Elections

The European People's Party (EPP) is the major European political party of the centre-right. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.

The EPP has been the largest party in the European Parliament since 1999, the European Council since 2002 and is also by far the largest party in the current European Commission. The President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission are both from the EPP. Many of the Founding fathers of the European Union were also from parties that would later form the EPP. Outside the EU, the party also controls a majority in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The EPP has alternated with its centre-left rival the Party of European Socialists (PES) as the largest European political party.

The EPP includes major parties such as the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), French Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), Italian People of Freedom (PdL), Spanish People's Party (PP), and Polish Civic Platform (PO), but has member parties in almost all EU states. It has no member party in the United Kingdom, as the British Conservative Party do not agree with the EPP's federalist policies, and formed the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists.

Historically, the party has almost always been in a coalition with the Party of European Socialists, the major centre-left party in the European Parliament.

History

According to its website, the EPP is "the family of the political centre-right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilization of the European continent and has pioneered the European project from its inception."

The EPP was founded on 8 July 1976 in Luxembourg on the particular initiative of Jean Seitlinger and then Belgian Prime Minister Leo Tindemans, who also became the first President of the party.

Sauli Niinistö and Jyrki Katainen at an EPP summit in Helsinki

It’s to be noted though, that many political centre-right associations were already on the move since long ago and could be considered as EPP’s predecessors. For example the Nouvelles Equipes Internationales in 1946 or 1948, via the European Union of Christian Democrats founded in 1965, although it has been argued that it ultimately descends from the Secretariat International des partis démocratiques d'inspiration chrétienne founded in 1925.

An important movement came in the late 1990s, when Finnish politician Sauli Niinistö, negotiated the merger of the European Democrat Union (EDU), of which he was President, into the EPP. In October 2002, the EDU ceased its activities after being formally absorbed by the EPP at a special event in Estoril, Portugal. In recognition of his efforts, Niinistö was elected Honorary President of the EPP in the same year.

During these 35 years, the EPP has had four Presidents:

• Leo Tindemans (1976–1985)
• Piet Bukman (1985–1987)
• Jacques Santer (1987–1990)
• Wilfried Martens (1990–)

From left to right:Tindemans, Bukman and Santer; former presidents of the EPP

Platform and manifesto

Political manifesto and platform

During its Congress of Bucharest in 2012, the European People's Party updated its political platform after 20 years (EPP Congress of Athens, 1992) and it approved a political manifesto in which it summarises is main values and policies.

Among them, the manifesto highlights:

• Freedom as a central human right and coupled with responsibility
• Respect for traditions and associations
• Solidarity to help those in need, who in turn should also make an effort to improve their situation
• Ensuring solid public finances
• Preserving a healthy environment
• Subsidiarity
• Pluralist democracy and Social Market Economy

The manifesto also describes the EPP's priorities for the EU including:

• A European Political Union
• Direct election for the President of the European Commission
• Completion of the European single market
• Promote family, improve education and health
• Strengthening of the common immigration and asylum policy and integrating immigrants
• Continue the EU enlargement, enhanced the European Neighbourhood Policy and offer special relationship frameworks to countries that can't or don't want to join the EU
• Defining a true common EU energy policy
• Strengthening European political parties

Electoral manifesto

As a central part of its 2009 campaign for the European elections, the EPP approved at the April Congress in Warsaw its 'Election Manifesto'. The EPP 2009 election manifesto calls for:

• Creation of new jobs. Continuing reforms and investment in education, lifelong learning and employment in order to create opportunities for everyone.
• Protectionism must be averted. Fiscal and monetary policies must be coordinated.
• Increasing transparency and surveillance on financial markets.
• Making Europe the market leader in green technology.
• Increasing the share of renewable energy to at least 20% of the energy mix by 2020.
• Family-friendly flexibility for working parents. Better childcare and housing must be provided, family-friendly fiscal policies introduced, and parental leave should be encouraged.
• Europe should find a strategy to attract skilled workers from the rest of the world to make Europe’s economy more competitive, more dynamic and more knowledge driven.

At its 2009 congress in Warsaw, the EPP endorsed Barroso for a second term as President of the Commission.

Structure

Organisation

Presidency

The Presidency is the executive body of the party. It decides on the general political guidelines of the Party and presides over the Political Assembly. The Presidency is composed of the president, ten vice-presidents, the honorary presidents, the secretary-general and the treasurer. Besides, the chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, the Presidents of the Commission, the Parliament, the Council and the High Representative (as long as they belong to a member party) are all ex officio vice-presidents.

President of the EPP Wilfried Martens

Since the EPP Congress of 2012 in Bucharest, the presidency is formed by:

• Wilfried Martens – President
• Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White – Secretary-General
• Peter Hintze – Vice-President
• Michel Barnier - Vice-President
• Antonio Tajani – Vice-President
• Johannes Hahn – Vice-President
• Mário David – Vice-President
• Jacek Saryusz-Wolski – Vice-President
• Corien Wortmann-Kool – Vice-President
• Lucinda Creighton – Vice-President

• Tobias Billström – Vice-President
• Anca Boagiu – Vice-President
• Ingo Friedrich – Treasurer
• José Manuel Barroso – Ex-officio Vice-President
• Herman Van Rompuy – Ex-officio Vice-President
• Joseph Daul – Ex-officio Vice-President
• Leo Tindemans – Honorary President
• Sauli Niinistö - Honorary President

Political Assembly

The Political Assembly defines the political positions of the party between each Congress, deciding on membership applications, political guidelines and budget. The Political Assembly is composed of designated delegates from EPP member and associated member parties, member associations and groups.

The Political Assembly meets at least three times a year.

Congress

The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the party and is composed of delegates from EPP member and associated member parties, member associations and groups.

By rule of its statutes, it must meet once every three years, but it also meets normally during the years of elections for the European Parliament (every five years) and extraordinary congresses can be (and have been) summoned. This means that, in fact, the Congress meets more frequently than the three years.

It elects the EPP Presidency (every three years), decides on the main policy documents and electoral programmes and provides a platform for the EPP Heads of Government and party leaders.

The last Congress of the EPP was the Bucharest Congress in October, 2012.

Activities

Summit

Regularly, a few hours prior to the meeting of the European Council, EPP leaders meet for the EPP Summit in order to form a common position towards the council.

Invitations are sent by the EPP President and attendants include, besides the party presidency, all Presidents and Prime Ministers that are members of the European Council and belong to the EPP; the presidents of the European Parliament, European Commission and European Council as well as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs given that they belong to the EPP; deputy Prime Ministers or other ministers in those cases where the PM of the respective country does not belong to an EPP member party (i.e. coalition governments); and in the case that no EPP member party is part of the government, the leader of the main EPP opposition party is invited.

Family Reunion Picture at 2011 Summit.

Ministerial meetings

Following the pattern of the EPP Summit, for the past years the party has organised on a regular basis EPP Ministerial meetings prior to the meetings of the Council of the European Union with ministers, deputy ministers, secretaries of State and MEPs related to the subject attending.

Currently, the EPP organises a total of twelve Ministerial meetings which are:

• General affairs
• Foreign Affairs
• Economy and Finance
• Home affairs
• Justice
• Defense
• Employment and Social Affairs
• Industry
• Agriculture
• Energy
• Environment
• Transport

Other activities

The EPP also organizes working groups on different issues and on an ad hoc basis, meetings with its affiliated members of the European Commission and it also invites individual Commissioners to the EPP Summit meetings and to EPP Ministerial meetings.

Following the 2007 amendment of the EU Regulation that governs Europarties, the EPP as well as the other Europarties, are responsible for organizing the pan-European campaign for the European elections every five years. According to the Lisbon Treaty, the EPP (like all Europarties) must present, as part of the campaign for the European elections, a candidate for President of the European Commission; the EPP already did this prior to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, by endorsing for a second term Jose Manuel Barroso in April 2009.

Within European institutions

The EPP holds the Presidencies of two of the three main EU institutions: the European Commission led by President José Manuel Barroso (PSD) and the European Council led by Herman Van Rompuy (CD&V), who was nominated by EPP as its first permanent President.

Overview of the European institutions

Organisation	Institution	Number of seats
European Union	European Parliament	270 / 754
European Union	Committee of the Regions	125 / 344
European Union	European Commission	13 / 27
European Union	European Council (Heads of Government)	16 / 27

European Council

The EPP has 14 out of the 27 heads of State or Government that attend the EPP summits in preparation for the European Council:

Member State	Representative	Title	Political party	Member of the Council since	Photo
Cyprus	Anastasiades, NicosNicos Anastasiades	1 !President	DISY	02013-02-2828 February 2013
Finland	Katainen, JyrkiJyrki Katainen	1 !Prime Minister	KOK	02011-06-2222 June 2011
Germany	Merkel, AngelaAngela Merkel	1 !Chancellor	CDU	02005-11-2222 November 2005
Greece	Samaras, AntonisAntonis Samaras	1 !Prime Minister	ND	02012-06-2020 June 2012
Hungary	Orbán, ViktorViktor Orbán	1 !Minister-President	Fidesz	02010-05-2929 May 2010
Ireland	Kenny, EndaEnda Kenny	1 !Taoiseach	Fine Gael	02011-03-099 March 2011
Latvia	Dombrovskis, ValdisValdis Dombrovskis	1 !Minister-President	V	02009-03-1212 March 2009
Luxembourg	Juncker, Jean-ClaudeJean-Claude Juncker	1 !Prime Minister	CSV	01995-01-2020 January 1995
Poland	Donald Tusk	1 !President of the Council of Ministers	PO	02007-11-1616 November 2007
Portugal	Passos Coelho, PedroPedro Passos Coelho	1 !Prime Minister	PSD	02011-06-2121 June 2011
Romania	Băsescu, TraianTraian Băsescu	1 !President	PD-L	02007-05-2323 May 2007
Spain	Rajoy, MarianoMariano Rajoy	1 !President of the Government	PP	02011-12-2121 December 2011
Sweden	Reinfeldt, FredrikFredrik Reinfeldt	1 !Minister of State	Moderaterna	02006-10-066 October 2006

The EPP also has other heads of State or Government who do not normally take part in the European Council nor EPP summits since that responsibility belongs to the other leaders of their countries: Rosen Plevneliev (Bulgaria, GERB), János Áder (Hungary, Fidesz), Bronisław Komorowski (Poland, PO), Aníbal Cavaco Silva (Portugal, PSD), Sauli Niinistö (Finland, KOK).

European Commission

The EPP during its 2009 European elections campaign, re-nominated at its April 2009 Congress in Warsaw José Manuel Barroso as its candidate for re-election as Commission President if it won the elections. Because the EPP won, Barroso's nomination was endorsed by the European Council and was elected by an absolute majority in the European Parliament for a second term.

On 27 November 2009, Barroso unveiled the 'Barroso II Commission' which includes a total of 13 (out of 27) EPP Commissioners.

State	Commissioner	Portfolio	Political party	Photo
Portugal	BarrosoJosé Manuel Barroso	President	PSD
Luxembourg	RedingViviane Reding	Justice, Fundamental Rights and CitizenshipVice-President; Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship	CSV
Italy	TajaniAntonio Tajani	Industry and EntrepreneurshipVice-President; Industry and Entrepreneurship	PDL
Latvia	PiebalgsAndris Piebalgs	Development	None
France	BarnierMichel Barnier	Internal Market and Services	UMP
Lithuania	SemetaAlgirdas Šemeta	Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud	TS–LKD
Poland	LewandowskiJanusz Lewandowski	Financial Programming and the Budget	PO
Bulgaria	GeorgievaKristalina Georgieva	International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response	None
Germany	OettingerGünther Oettinger	Energy	CDU
Austria	HahnJohannes Hahn	Regional Policy	ÖVP
Denmark	HedegaardConnie Hedegaard	Climate Action	KFP
Romania	CioloşDacian Cioloş	Agriculture and Rural Development	None
Malta	BorgTonio Borg	Health and Consumer Policy	PN

Logo of the EPP Group

European Parliament

Main article: European People's Party (European Parliament group)

In the European Parliament the EPP has the largest parliamentary group – the EPP Group – with 270 MEPs chaired by French MEP Joseph Daul.

In every European election, candidates elected on lists of member-parties of the EPP are obliged to join the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

In the current term of the 7th European Parliament (2009-2014), the EPP is the only Europarty that has a fully corresponding parliamentary group.

After presiding over the Parliament with Polish MEP Jerzy Buzek in the first half of the 2009-2014 term, in the second half the EPP Group holds seven of the fourteen vice-presidencies of the European chamber.

National legislatures

Country	Institution	Number of seats
Austria	National Council Lower house	51 / 183
	Federal Council Upper house	28 / 62
Belgium	Chamber of Representatives Lower house	26 / 150
	Senate Upper house	11 / 40
Bulgaria	National Assembly	97 / 240
Cyprus	House of Representatives	20 / 56
Czech Republic	Chamber of Deputies Lower house	41 / 200
	Senate Upper house	6 / 81
Denmark	The Folketing	8 / 179
Estonia	Riigikogu	23 / 101
Finland	Parliament	44 / 200
France	National Assembly Lower house	194 / 577
	Senate Upper house	132 / 348
Germany	Bundestag	237 / 620
Greece	Parliament	125 / 300
Hungary	National Assembly	263 / 386
Ireland	Dáil Lower house	74 / 166
	Seanad Upper house	20 / 60
Italy	Chamber of Deputies Lower house	125 / 630
	Senate Upper house	117 / 315
Latvia	Saeima	20 / 100
Lithuania	Seimas	33 / 141
Luxembourg	Chamber of Deputies	26 / 60
Malta	House of Representatives	34 / 69
Netherlands	House of Representatives Lower house	13 / 150
	Senate Upper house	11 / 75
Poland	Sejm Lower house	235 / 460
	Senate Upper house	65 / 100
Portugal	Assembly of the Republic	132 / 230
Romania	Chamber of Deputies Lower house	52 / 412
	Senate Upper house	22 / 176
Slovakia	National Council	27 / 150
Slovenia	National Assembly	36 / 90
Spain	Congress of Deputies Lower house	185 / 350
	Senate Upper house	159 / 266
Sweden	Parliament	126 / 349

Beyond the European Union

In third countries

Through its associate and observer parties, EPP has six Heads of State and Government in European non-EU countries and one of the three members of the Bosnian Presidency, which jointly are the Head of State of the country. They are invited to attend EPP summits and meetings:

State	Representative	Title	Political party	In power since	Photo
Albania	Berisha, SaliSali Berisha	1 !Chairman of the Council of Ministers	PD	02005-09-1111 September 2005
Armenia	Sargsyan, SerzhSerzh Sargsyan	1 !President	HHK	02008-04-099 April 2008
Bosnia	Izetbegović, BakirBakir Izetbegović	1 !Bosniak Member of the Presidency	SDA	02010-11-1010 November 2010
Macedonia	Gruevski, NikolaNikola Gruevski	1 !Prime Minister	VMRO-DPMNE	02006-08-2727 August 2006
Georgia	Saakashvili, MikhailMikhail Saakashvili	0 !President	UNM	02004-01-2525 January 2004
Moldova	Filat, VladVlad Filat	1 !Prime Minister	PLDM	02009-09-2525 September 2009
Turkey	Erdogan, Recep TayyipRecep Tayyip Erdogan	1 !Prime Minister	AKP	02003-03-1414 March 2003

The party has also other Heads of State and Government but they don't normally attend the meetings since the other leaders of their countries are the ones that attend. They are Prime Minister Vjekoslav Bevanda (Bosnia-Herzegovina, HDZ BiH), President Gjorge Ivanov (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, VMRO-DPMNE), President Bujar Nishani (Albania, PD) and President Abdullah Gul (Turkey, AKP). The same is the case for Doris Leuthard (CVP), member of the Swiss Federal Council and Teodoro Lonfernini (PDCS), one of the two Captain Regents of San Marino.

In the Council of Europe

The Group of the EPP in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe defends freedom of expression and information, as well as freedom of movement of ideas and religious tolerance. It promotes the principle of subsidiarity and local autonomy, as well as the defence of national, social and other minorities. The EPP/CD Group is led by Italian UDC membre Luca Volontè.

The EPP/CD group comprises also members from parties that are not related to the EPP itself, including members of the Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein), the Progressive Citizens' Party (Liechtenstein), the National and Democratic Union (Monaco) or the Serbian Progressive Party.

In the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

The "EPP and like-minded Group" in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) parliamentary assembly is the most active political group of that organization. The Group meets on a regular basis and promotes the EPP positions at levels of decision-making process. The members of the EPP Group also participate in election monitoring missions of the OSCE and are committed in promoting democratic values and practices.

The Group is chaired by Walburga Habsburg Douglas (Sweden) and its Vice Presidents are: Consiglio Di Nino (Canada), Vilija Aleknaitė Abramikiene (Lithuania), Laura Allegrini (Italy) and George Tsereteli (Georgia).

This group also includes members of parties not related to the EPP, therefore the "like-minded" part of the name. Among them are members of the Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein), Union for the Principality (Monaco), the Conervative Party of the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party of Canada and the Republican Party of the United States.

In the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Following the by-laws of the Party, the EPP is also present in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly (NATO-PA) and forms the “EPP and Associated Members” Group. It is an active political group which is led by German CDU politician Karl Lamers, who is also the current President of the NATO-PA.

This group is also integrated by members of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Republican Party of the United States.

From left to right: López-Istúriz, McCain & Martens

Relations within the United States

The EPP has close relations with the International Republican Institute (IRI), an organization funded by the American government specially to promote democracy and democratization. EPP and IRI cooperate in the framework of the 'European Partnership Initiative'.

EPP President Wilfried Martens endorsed Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, in the 2008 United States election (McCain is also IRI Chairman).

In 2011, Martens and McCain have made some joint press statements expressing their concerns on the state of democracy in Ukraine and politically motivated trial against former PM Yulia Tymoshenko.

Global networks

The EPP is the European wing of two centre-right global multilateral organisations: the International Democrat Union (IDU) and the Christian Democrat International (CDI).

Centre for European Studies

Main article: Centre for European Studies (think tank)

Following the 2008 revision of the EU Regulation that governs European political parties allowing the creation of European foundations affiliated to Europarties, the EPP established in the same year its official foundation/think tank, the Centre for European Studies (CES). The CES includes as members all the major national think tanks and foundations affiliated to EPP member parties: Konrad Adenauer Foundation (CDU), Hanns Seidel Foundation (CSU), Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies (PP), Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy (ND), Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation (MOD), the Political Academy of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and others. During the 2009 European elections campaign, the CES launched a successful web-based campaign module 'tellbarroso.eu' to support Jose Manuel Barroso, the EPP candidate, for re-election as Commission President.

The Budapest-based Robert Schuman Institute and the Luxembourg-based Robert Schuman Foundation are also affiliated with the European People's Party.

EPP associations

EPP is linked to several specific associations which focus in specific groups and which many times, by their own, organise seminars, forums, publications and other activities. Those associations are:

Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Europe (SME Europe)

Main article: SME Europe

SME Europe, is the official business organization of the European People's Party and serves as a network for pro-business politicians and political organisations. Its main objective is to shape EU policy in a more SME friendly way in close cooperation with the SME Circle of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, DG Enterprise and the pro-business organizations of the national EPP member parties. The importance of the work of the SME Europe can be seen in the fact that SME are considered as the key driver for sustainable jobs, growth and prosperity.

Its top priority is to reform the legal framework for SMEs all over Europe and to promote and support the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises which - due to their willingness to take risks and responsibility - are the engine of the European economy.

SME Europe was founded in May 2012 by the three Members of the European Parliament, Paul Rübig, Nadezhda Neynsky and Bendt Bendtsen. It will be at the centre of the political campaign of the European People's Party for the European Parliament Election in 2014, with its clear focus on strategies to manage and overcome the economic crisis in Europe.

European Democrat Students

Main article: European Democrat Students

European Democrat Students (EDS) is the official students’ organisation of the EPP. Since it was founded in 1961, EDS brings together students and young political leaders from all over Europe to promote a political exchange.

Although being a students’ organisation, and therefore taking a special interest in topics like the Bologna Process, the organisation is especially aware of the importance of promoting values like freedom, democracy and human rights.

Led by Juraj Antal, the structure has 40 member organisations, representing nearly 1,600,000 students and young people across the continent and currently, it's represented in 31 countries, including non-EU member states like Belarus and Georgia.

EDS is not a centralised organisation, it is an “organisation of organisations”, a networking structure whose general aim is to bundle the power of the various members in order to give young people and students a strong voice.

Every year the organisation hosts Summer and Winter universities and several seminars. It also regularly publishes a magazine called “Bullseye” and campaigns, through various forms, for the interests of young people.

European Senior Citizens' Union

Founded in Madrid in 1995 and led by CDU member Bernhard Worms, the European Senior Citizens' Union (ESCU) is the largest political senior citizens’ organisation in Europe.

The ESCU is represented in 26 states with 45 organisations and about 500,000 members and it's dedicated to the advancement of rights of European senior citizens and their engagement in society. The aims of the ESCU are the promotion of the role of the elderly in ageing European societies, the fight against the discrimination of the elderly, the European pension systems, seniors and volunteering, intergenerational relationship and participation.

European Union of Christian Democratic Workers

The European Union of Christian Democratic Workers (EUCDW) is the workers' organisation of the EPP with 24 member organisations from 18 different countries.

As the officially recognized EPP association of workers, the EUCDW is led by Elmar Brok, MEP, and aims: to press for the political unification of a democratic Europe; to promote the development of the EPP on the basis of Christian-social teaching; to represent and defend worker interests in European Policy; to work for the achievement of Christian-social principles and policies in the European workers' movements; to step up co-operation with the workers and their representatives to realise step by step the European Social Model. Therefore, in the last years, the EUCDW has made a lot of effort in influencing employment policy and defending an undivided Europe of social justice.

Women of the European People’s Party

The Women of the European People’s Party (EPP Women) is recognised by the EPP as the official association of women from all like-minded political parties of Europe. EPP Women have over 40 member organisations from countries of the European Union and beyond. All member organisations are women‘s organisations from political parties which are members of the EPP.

EPP Women, led by Doris Pack, is dedicated to the advancement of women‘s political participation throughout Europe and to the promotion of important women-related issues.

Youth of the European People’s Party

Main article: Youth of the European People's Party

The Youth of the European People’s Party (YEPP), led by Csaba Dömötör, is EPP‘s official youth organisation, self-governed by its own statutes, political program and elected representatives. YEPP’s members are national partypolitical youth organisations.

The purpose of all 51 member organisations as well as for YEPP is to provide young people a channel in order to influence the shaping of their societies with democratic means and centre-right, Christian Democratic and conservative ideas. Through its member organisations YEPP brings together between one and two million young people in 38 countries of Europe. This makes YEPP the largest party-political youth organisation in Europe.

Membership

Within the EPP there are three kinds of members: full members, associate membres and observers.

Full members are all parties from EU states. They have absolute rights to vote in all the organs and on all the matters; meanwhile associate members have the same voting rights except for matters concerning EU structure or policies. These associate membres are parties from EU-candidate countries and EFTA countries.

On the other hand, observer parties can participate in all the activities of the EPP and attend the Congresses and Political Assemblies, but do not have any voting rights.

Finally, there’s a special membership status which are the “supporting members”, which is granted by the Presidency to individuals and associations. Although they do not have voting rights, they can be invited by the President to attend meetings of certain organs of the party.

It´s worth noting that commissioners Dacian Ciolos, Kristalina Georgieva and Andris Piebalgs are members of the EPP though they do not belong to any national party in their countries.

Full member parties

European Union

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the European Union

Parliament President Martin Schulz Largest groups; Joseph Daul: EPP María Badía (Interim): S&D 7th session MEPs (736) 2009-14 term Bureau Vice Presidents Quaestor Conference Legislative procedure

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy Parties List of meetings

Council Presidency Ireland Configurations General Foreign Economic Euro Legislative procedure Voting Secretariat Secretary-General Uwe Corsepius COREPER

Commission Barroso Comm. President José M. Barroso Vice Presidents Catherine Ashton Viviane Reding Joaquín Almunia Siim Kallas Neelie Kroes Antonio Tajani Maroš Šefčovič Commissioners Civil Service Secretary-General Catherine Day

Court of Justice Court of Justice General Court Civil Service Tribunal Members Rulings

Central Bank Central Bank President ESCB Euro EMU Eurozone

Court of Auditors Court of Auditors Budget OLAF]

Agencies

Other bodies Investment Bank CoR EESC Ombudsman National parliaments

Policies and issues Budget Four Freedoms Economic area Single market Area of FS&J Schengen Policies Agricultural Energy Fisheries Regional Citizenship Identity Pro-Europeanism Euroscepticism Integration Supranationalism Federalism U.S.E. Multi-speed Opt-outs Enhanced co-op Withdrawal

Foreign relations High Representative Catherine Ashton Ext. Action Service Foreign Policy Defence Policy Enlargement

Elections 1979, 1984, 1989 1994, 1999, 2004 2009 (last election) 2014 (next election) Political parties Constituencies Referendums

Law Acquis Primacy Subsidiarity Treaties Fundamental Rights Membership

Part of a series on
Christian democracy
Parties List of Christian Democratic parties Centrist Democrat International Christian Democratic Organization of America European People's Party European Christian Political Movement European Democratic Party
Ideas Social conservatism Social market economy Communitarianism Human dignity Solidarity (in Catholicism) Cultural conservatism Subsidiarity Sphere sovereignty Stewardship Distributism Christian corporatism Catholic social teaching Neo-Calvinism Neo-Thomism
Documents Rerum Novarum Kuyper Lectures on Calvinism Graves de Communi Re Quadragesimo Anno Laborem Exercens Sollicitudo Rei Socialis Centesimus Annus
People Thomas Aquinas John Calvin Pope Leo XIII Abraham Kuyper Jacques Maritain Konrad Adenauer Alcide De Gasperi Pope Pius XI Robert Schuman Eduardo Frei Pope John Paul II Helmut Kohl Angela Merkel Herman Van Rompuy
Politics portal

Part of a series on
Conservatism
Schools Compassionate Cultural Fiscal Green Liberal Libertarian National New Right One-nation Progressive Religious Social Southern Agrarians Traditionalist
Concepts Tradition Social norm Natural law Family values Social order Social hierarchy Private property
People Edmund Burke John Adams Fisher Ames John Marshall Joseph de Maistre Louis de Bonald François Guizot Walter Scott Samuel Taylor Coleridge John Randolph of Roanoke John C. Calhoun Fenimore Cooper Alexis de Tocqueville Adam Müller John Quincy Adams Nathaniel Hawthorne François de Chateaubriand Leopold von Ranke Juan Donoso Cortés Benjamin Disraeli Hippolyte Taine John Henry Newman Orestes Brownson James Fitzjames Stephen Henry Adams James Russell Lowell Brooks Adams Gustave Le Bon George Gissing William Edward Hartpole Lecky W. H. Mallock George Santayana Othmar Spann Joseph Conrad Robert Taft, Jr. Winston Churchill Peter Viereck Donald Davidson (poet) Allen Tate Paul Elmer More Milton Friedman Irving Babbitt Robert Frost T. S. Eliot Leo Strauss Eric Voegelin Wilhelm Röpke Richard M. Weaver Malcolm Muggeridge Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Russell Kirk Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn Robert Nisbet William F. Buckley, Jr. Michael Oakeshott Ronald Reagan Olavo de Carvalho Roger Scruton
Organizations International Democrat Union International Young Democrat Union Asia Pacific Democrat Union European People's Party European Democrats Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) List of conservative parties
Religious Conservative Christianity Traditionalist Catholics Christian right Low Church Anglicanism Jewish right Islamism Hindu nationalism
Related topics Agrarianism Aristocracy Capitalism Carlism Center-right Corporatism Conservative Revolution Counter-revolutionary Monarchism Neo-liberalism New Right Radical centrism Reactionary Right-wing politics Toryism
Conservatism portal Politics portal

Austria

• Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)

Belgium

• Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V)
• Humanist Democratic Centre (cdH)

Bulgaria

• Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB)
• Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria
• Union of the Democratic Forces
• Democratic Party
• Agrarian People's Union

Croatia

• Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
• Croatian Peasant Party (HSS)

Cyprus

• Democratic Rally (DISY)

Czech Republic

• TOP 09
• Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU–ČSL)

Denmark

• Conservative People's Party
• Christian Democrats

Estonia

• Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL)

Finland

• National Coalition Party

France

• Union for a Popular Movement (UMP)

Germany

• Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
• Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU)

Greece

• New Democracy

Hungary

• Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union
• Christian Democratic People's Party

Ireland

• Fine Gael

Italy

• The People of Freedom (PDL)
• Union of the Centre (UDC)
• UDEUR Populars

Latvia

• Unity

Lithuania

• Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD)

Luxembourg

• Christian Social People's Party (CSV/PSC)

Malta

• Nationalist Party

Netherlands

• Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA)

Poland

• Civic Platform (PO)
• Polish People's Party (PSL)

Portugal

• Social Democratic Party (PSD)
• Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party (CDS–PP)

Romania

• Democratic Liberal Party (PD-L)
• Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNŢ-CD)
• Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR)

Slovakia

• Christian Democratic Movement (KDH)
• Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party (SDKÚ-DS)
• Party of the Hungarian Coalition (MKP)

Slovenia

• Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS)
• Slovenian People's Party (SLS)
• New Slovenia (NSi)

Spain

• People's Party (PP)
• Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC)

Sweden

• Moderate Party
• Christian Democrats

Associate members

Macedonia

• Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO–DPMNE)

Norway

• Conservative Party (H)

Serbia

• G17 Plus

Switzerland

• Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP)

Observer members

Albania

• Democratic Party of Albania (PD)

Armenia

• Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
• Rule of Law (OEK)
• Heritage Party

Belarus

• Belarusian Popular Front (BNF)
• United Civil Party of Belarus (AHP)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Party of Democratic Action (SDA)
• Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZBiH)
• Party of Democratic Progress (PDP)

Finland

• Christian Democrats (KD)

Georgia

• United National Movement (UNM)

Italy

• South Tyrolese People's Party (SVP)

Moldova

• Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM)

Norway

• Christian People's Party (KrF)

San Marino

• Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party (PDCS)

Serbia

• Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ)
• Kosovo *
  • Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)

Turkey

• Justice and Development Party (AK PARTİ)

Ukraine

• People's Union "Our Ukraine" (NSNU)
• People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)
• All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland"

Bibliography

• Jansen, Thomas (1998), The European People's Party: Origins and Development, MacMillans 
• Jansen, Thomas; Van Hecke, Steven (2011), At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party, Springer 

External links

• European People's Party EPP portal site
• EPP YouTube page
• myEPP.eu private social network
• myEPP.tv webtv
• CES the EPP think-tank
• tellBarroso.eu – a 2009 EPP campaign initiative by its think-tank, CES
• EPP Group in the European Parliament
• EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions
• EPP Group in the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly
• EPP Youth (YEPP)
• EPP Students (EDS)
• EPP Women
• EPP Seniors (ESU)
• EPP SME Union
• EPP Workers (EUCDW)