European Progressive Democrats

The Group of European Progressive Democrats was a heterogeneous political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1973 and 1984. It was mostly composed of French Gaullists and Irish Fianna Fáil.

History

The Gaullists had split from the Liberal Group on 21 January 1965, creating a new Group called the "European Democratic Union". The Group was renamed on 16 January 1973 as the "Group of European Progressive Democrats" when the Gaullists were joined by the Irish Fianna Fáil until 24 July 1984 when they became the "Group of the European Democratic Alliance".

The group was never a close alliance. In 1973, the only common platform was on the issues of regionalism, social policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. Fianna Fáil, an Irish nationalist party, was reluctant to identify too closely with the Gaullists, who also had an alliance with the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom at the time.

Composition

Members following the 1979 election

Members following the 1984 election

The EPD ceased to exist once the European Parliament groupings were established following the 1984 election, as the party changed into the European Democratic Alliance.

Sources

• "Political Data Handbook: OECD Countries", ISBN 0-19-828053-X, Jan-Erik Lane, David McKay, Kenneth Newton 1997
• via European NAvigator
• , part of the Danish State Archives
• , a candidate for the June Movement
• of the Danish June Movement
• of the Danish Progress Party