New pan-European alliance of center right parties
LISBETH KIRK
25.06.2002 @ 19:02 CET
A pan-European alliance of centre-right parties has been created to defend a new right agenda of non-federalist parties, in favour of a Europe of nation states. The Alliance for Europe of the Nations is composed of 16 parties from across EU and candidate countries, and has support from Russian President Vladimir Putin's party and The Likud party of Ariel Sharon in Israel.
The Italian deputy Prime Minister, Gianfranco Fini stressed on Tuesday, when he presented the launch of the new alliance, that the people of Europe have elected centre-right governments as alternative to a long period of the Socialists building Europe. Europe's future is a federation of national states, and not a super state, Mr Fini told journalists in Brussels.
Centre-right, non-federalist and in favour of a Europe of Nations
Five parties composing the new alliance are already in the Union for a Europe of the Nations group in the European Parliament; Italian Alleanza nazionale, Irish Fianna Fáil Party, Danish Peoples Party, Portugese Partido Popular and the party of Mr Pasqua, Rassemblement pour la France.
The President and vice-presidents also follow the structure of UEN. The President will be Charles Pasqua and the four vice-presidents being Cristiana Muscardini, Luis Queiró, Mogens Camre and Gerard Collins. New elections are foreseen after the next EU enlargement and after the European Parliamentary elections in June 2004, as the new EU countries would be changing the structure of the alliance.
The new alliance defines itself as centre-right, non-federalist and in favour of a Europe of Nations. The leader of the UEN Charles Pasqua criticised the EU for never having made a clear choice between the three possible models of political co-operation in Europe: confederation of states, federal superstate or a free-trade area. Instead, the EU has became a hybrid, and evolved into a bureaucratic technocracy lacking democracy and people's involvement. He called for referenda on a future EU Constitution as a way to get citizens better involved in the process. However, Mr Pasqua told EUobserver it was not completely clear yet what would happen to countries that say no in a referendum. But he pointed out that as there are countries that are not members of the Euro, some EU member states could choose not to be ruled by the Constitution.
Alternative to existing pan-European parties
The new Alliance is composed by parties from across EU and candidate countries as full members, while parties outside such as the Russian Democratic Party and Israeli Likud Party will have observer status. Five of the parties in the Alliance are participating in governments.
Mr. Pasqua said the new group should be seen as an alternative to the already existing pan-European parties, the Socialists, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals.
Italian deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini explained the new alliance was following the political necessities of European citizens. Mr Fini explained the swing to the right in Europe by the fact that the left has never understood that individual security was central to people's concerns, and the welfare system, which has always been a priority for the European left, cannot compensate the security need, exacerbated after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Mr Fini insisted the new alliance was selective, and some right wing parties like the Austrian Freedom Party of Jörg Haider will not be a member of the alliance.
