europeanisation of political parties: the emergence of europarties

Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies / /

EUDO EUDO Observatory on Political Parties and Representation,

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Europeanisation of Political Parties: the Emergence of

Europarties

Enrico Calossi, [email protected]

Università di Pisa – European University Institute



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Europeanisation

Two directions process:1. To-Down: National Parties assume practices and

organisational frameworks to face problematics coming from the EU level or in imitation of EU level or sister parties organisations.

2. Bottom – Up : devolution of power, souvraignity or prerogatives to the EU Levels



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Strasbourg Brussels



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EP Party Groups and Parties at the European Level (Literature review)

• EP Party Groups: Attinà 1990; Bardi 1994; Bowler e Farrell 1995; Corbett, Jacobs e Shackleton 1995; Bay-Brzinski 1995; Attinà 1997; Hix e Lord 1997; Raunio 1997; Kreppel 2002; Noury 2002; Faas 2003; McElroy 2003, Bardi e Ignazi 2004

• PELs (or Transnational Federations): Bell e Lord 1996; Hix 1996; 2002b; Hix e Lord 1997; Dietz 2000; Ladrech 2000; Delwit, Külahci e van De Walle 2004; Johansson e Raunio 2005; Jansen 2006; Hanley 2008.



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• Terminological problems and confusion between: EuroParties, European Parties, Party Federation, Transnational Party.

• Normative Aspects art. 138A Maastricht (1992): “Political Parties at European Level are important to create an European awareness amongst European citizens”.



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Katz and Mair scheme for party organisation

Party in Public Office (ex: in

parliament, government)

Party in Central Office (ex: leader, national assembly,

congress)

Party on the Ground (ex: members,

basic units)



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Europarty Scheme

EP Party Groups

Party in Public Office

Political Parties at the

European LevelParty in Central

Office

National Parties

Party on the Ground



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EP Party Groups Procedures to be recognised:

a) Each political group is assumed to have a set of shared principles, and political groups that cannot demonstrate this may be disbanded

b) 25 MEPs from at least 7 countriesc) Publications of EP Party Groups and personal

budgets



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Evolution of EP Composition



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Group Sub-parties Leader(s) MEPs

European People's Party (EPP)

European People's Party (EPP) Joseph Daul 271+1 unaffiliated national party

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats

(S&D)

Party of European Socialists (PES) Hannes Swoboda 190

+2 unaffiliated national parties

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

(ALDE)

European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR)

Guy Verhofstadt 85

European Democratic Party (EDP) + 3 independent politicians

The Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens–

EFA)

European Green Party (EGP) Daniel Cohn-Bendit

58

European Free Alliance (EFA) Rebecca Harms+ 2 unaffiliated national party

+ 2 independent politicians

European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)

Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR)

Jan Zahradil

52

European Christian Political Movement (ECPM)

+ 2 independent politicians

European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE-

NGL)

Party of the European Left (PEL) Lothar Bisky 34Nordic Green Left Alliance (NGLA)

+ 9 unaffiliated national parties + 8 unaffiliated national parties Francesco Speroni Non-Inscrits (NI) 11 national parties 30

EFD



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Some relevant National Party Affiliations• EPP: PDL (Italy), UMP (France), CDU (Germany), PP (Spain),

PO (Poland)• S&D: PD (Italy), Labour Party (UK), PS (France), PSOE (Spain)• ALDE: FDP (Germany), LDs (UK)• Greens-EFA: Grunen (Germany), Verts (France), - SNP (UK),

PNV (Spaing), N-VA (Belgium)• ECR: Cons (UK), Pis (Poland), • Gue-NGL: Die Linke (Germany), Syriza (Greece), EU (Spain), • EFD: Northern League (Italy), UKIP (UK)



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Political Parties at the European LevelProcedures to be recognised (1)

Reg. (CE) n. 2004/2003: Criteria for recognisement and fundinga) 7 deputees (MEPs, Nat. or Reg.) or 3% of votes from ¼ of member countries (7

countries) ; b) Respect of fundamental values of the European Union (respect for human dignity,

freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights, including rights of persons belonging to minorities).

c) Having its seat in a Member state (ASBL in Belgium)d) Having partecipating or having declared the intention to participate European

elections.

Reg (CE) 1524/2007: a) Establishment of Political Foundation at the European Level (ex. FEPS, CES, Liberal

Forum, Trasform)b) prohibition for EP groups to campaing European Elections. Only PELs can campaign



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Political Parties at the European LevelProcedures to be recognised (2)

• Factsheet Commission. Rules at 2009 (financial aspects)

publishing its revenue and expenditure annually; publishing a statement of its assets and liabilities annually; providing a list of its donors and their donations exceeding €500; not accepting anonymous donations; it must not accepting donations exceeding €12,000 per year and per donor; not accepting donations from the budgets of political groups of the European

Parliament; not accepting more than 40% of a national political party's annual budget; not accepting donations from any company over which the public authorities may

exercise a dominant influence; getting at least 15% of its budget from sources other than its European Union funding; submitting its application by the 30 September before the financial year that it wants

funding for.



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Parties at European Level• Federations: Socialists, People/Christian Democrats, Liberals (70s) Greens (1984)

• PELs in 2012: European People's Party (Christian democracy, Liberal conservatism) - 2004 Party of European Socialists (Social democracy) - 2004 European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (Liberalism) - 2004 European Green Party (Environmentalism) - 2004 Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (Conservatism, anti-federalism)- 2010 Party of the European Left (Socialism, communism) - 2004 European Democratic Party (Centrism) - 2004 European Free Alliance (Regionalism, Independentism) - 2004 European Alliance for Freedom (Euroscepticism) - 2011 EUDemocrats (Euroscepticism) €0.3m 2006 European Christian Political Movement (Social conservatism, Christian right) - 2010 Alliance of European National Movements (Nationalism, Euroscepticism) - 2012• Disbanded Parties: Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (2006 to 2008; Alliance for

Europe of the Nations (2004 to 2009)



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2009 EP Party Groups PELsEPPS&DALDEEGP-EFAGUE-NGLECREFD



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Parties and coalitions (PE elections 2004) % Seats

Civic Democratic Party 30.04 9

Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia 20.26 6

SNK European Democrats 11.02 3

Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party

9.57 2

Czech Social Democratic Party 8.78 2

Independent Democrats 8.18 2

Total 100.00 24

Turnout 28.32



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9/16/10 17:49

EP Groups and PELs in CZ Republic Seats

EPP-ED (ODS) 9

GUE-NGL (EL*) (KSCM) 6

ALDE (ELDR*) (SNK) 3

EPP-ED (KDU) 2

PES (CSSD) 2

NI (Indipendent Democrats) 2

Total 24



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Parties and coalitions (EP elections 2009) % Seats

Civic Democratic Party 31.45 9

Czech Social Democratic Party 22.38 7

Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia 14.18 4

Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party 7.64 2

Sovereignty 4.26 0

European Democratic Party 2.88 0

Public Affairs 2.40 0

Total 100.00

Turnout 28.22



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EP Groups and PELs in CZ RepublicSeats

AECR (ODS) 9

PES (CSSD) 7

GUE-NGL (EL*) (KSCM) 4

EPP (KDU) 2

Libertas (Souvraignity) 0

None 0

None 0



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European Affiliations: National Governments (February 15, 2012)



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Organisational and decisional scheme of Parties at the European Level

Member Parties

CongressCouncil (board)

President

Presidency

General Secretar

General Secretary

Leaders’ Meeting

Political Line

Treasurer

Fig. 2: L’organizzazione interna del PLE

Nomination Power

Influence and decisions

Working groups and thematic organisations

Legenda:

MEPs & Invited

Political Foudations at the European

Level



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Public Financing of Parties at European Level(Reg. 2004/2003)

Total Amount (thousands of Euros):• 2004: 3.215; 2005: 7.228; 2006: 8.127; 2010: 11.075(every year +2%)

• How they are shared:15% shared in equal parts amongst all the PELs, 85% on proportional basis how according to the received MEPs’

signatories. Matching founds:• EU funds 85% max of PELs expenditures. 15 % others



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Functions of PELs

• Articolations and aggregation of interests• Vote structuring• Political communication and socialisation• Development of organisation of political

participation• Political personnel recruitment• Public Policies Formulation

“Plainly, party government does not operate at the European Level” (Hix 2002, p. 297)



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Some observations• Europarties as quintessential of cartel party• Other functions by Europarties (EP Groups and

PELs): Legitimacy. Resource used by national party in their national domains.

• Main field of competition amongst Europarties: not elections, but national party affiliation.



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Further research

• Parties and Elections in Europe• European Parliament Research Group (LSE)• Standing Group on Political Parties (ECPR)• ParlGov (University of Bremen)• Votewatch (ULB)• EPERN (EU Parties, Elections, Referendum Network)• Observatory on Political Parties and Representation



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europeanisation of political parties: the emergence of europarties

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