The Union for Europe (UFE) was a conservative political group that operated in the European Parliament from 1995 to 1999. At its height in May 1999, it had 34 MEPs and it only existed during the European Parliament's 4th term.[4]
| Union for Europe | |
|---|---|
| European Parliament group | |
 | |
| Name | Union for Europe |
| English abbr. | UFE |
| French abbr. | UPE |
| Formal name | Group Union for Europe[1] |
| Ideology | Conservatism[2][3] |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| From | 6 July 1995 |
| To | 20 July 1999 |
| Preceded by | Forza Europa European Democratic Alliance |
| Succeeded by | Union for Europe of the Nations |
| Chaired by | Jean-Claude Pasty Giancarlo Ligabue (1995–96) Claudio Azzolini (1996–98) |
| MEP(s) | 34 (5 May 1999) |
UFE was formed as a merger of two political groups, the European Democratic Alliance and Forza Europa.[5][6] Its members were the Forza Italia (FI) of Silvio Berlusconi, French Rally for the Republic (RPR), Irish Fianna Fáil, Portuguese CDS – People's Party, and Greek Political Spring. After the 1999 European Parliament election, UFE expanded into the Union for Europe of the Nations group.[7] However, parties such as FI and RPR opted to join the European People's Party.[5]
Members
edit| Country | Name | Ideology | MEPs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Italy
|
Forza Italia | FI | Liberal conservatism Populism |
25 / 87
| |
 France
|
Rally for the Republic | RPR | Gaullism Liberal conservatism |
14 / 87
| |
 Ireland
|
Fianna Fáil | FF | Irish republicanism Conservatism |
7 / 15
| |
 Portugal
|
CDS – People's Party | CDS–PP | Christian democracy Right-wing populism |
3 / 25
| |
 Greece
|
Political Spring | PA | National conservatism Populism |
2 / 25
| |
References
edit- ^ "INFO".
- ^ "In brief". Politico. 13 November 1996. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ FitzGibbon, John; Leruth, Benjamin; Startin, Nick (2016). Euroscepticism as a Transnational and Pan-European Phenomenon: The Emergence of a New Sphere of Opposition. Taylor & Francis. p. 48. ISBN 9781317422518.
- ^ "European Union Basics (FAQ), Part3/8".
- ^ a b Bernard Steunenberg (27 August 2003). Widening the European Union: Politics of Institutional Change and Reform. Routledge. p. 215. ISBN 978-1-134-49375-3.
- ^ Thomas Jansen; Steven Van Hecke (19 May 2011). At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 63. ISBN 978-3-642-19414-6.
- ^ Neill Nugent (2006). The Government and Politics of the European Union. Duke University Press. p. 265. ISBN 0-8223-3870-X.