# European political alliances

A European political alliance is an entity operating transnationally in Europe, especially across the member states of the European Union. European political alliances differ by their level of integration, their role, and their membership. European political alliances encompass European political parties, Political groups of the European Parliament, other party groups, as well as various entities informally referred to as "political organisations", "political movements", or "transnational parties", and sometimes erroneously as "European parties".

## European political parties

A European political party is a type of political party operating transnationally in Europe and within EU institutions. They are regulated and funded by EU Regulation 1141/2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations, and their operations are supervised by the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF), with which they are required to register.
European political parties – mostly consisting of national member parties, and few individual members – have the right to campaign during the European elections, for which they often adopt manifestos outlining their positions and ambitions.
European parties influence the decision-making process of the European Council through coordination meetings with their affiliated heads of state and government. They also work closely with their members in the European Commission.

### Current European political parties

As of October 2024, there are twelve European political parties registered with the APPF:
| European political party | European political party | European political party | European political party | European political party | European political party | European political party | European political party | Politics | Politics | Politics | Members in | Members in | Members in |
| Name | Name | Abbr. | President | Secretary-General | Founded | Political Group | European political foundation | Position | Ideology | European integration | Parliament | Commission | Council |
| | European People's Party | EPP | Manfred Weber (DE) | Thanasis Bakolas (GR) | 1976 | EPP Group | Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies | Centre-right | Christian democracy Conservatism Liberal conservatism | Pro-Europeanism | 182 / 720 | 11 / 27 | 11 / 27 |
| | Party of European Socialists | PES | Stefan Löfven (SE) | Achim Post (DE) | 1973 | S&D | Foundation for European Progressive Studies | Centre-left | Social democracy | Pro-Europeanism | 136 / 720 | 8 / 27 | 4 / 27 |
| | European Conservatives and Reformists Party | ECR Party | Giorgia Meloni (IT) | Antonio Giordano (IT) | 2009 | ECR | New Direction | Right-wing to far-right | Conservatism National conservatism Economic liberalism | Soft Euroscepticism | 70 / 720 | 1 / 27 | 2 / 27 |
| | Patriots.eu | Patriots | Gerolf Annemans (BE) | | 2014 | PfE | Patriots for Europe Foundation | Right-wing to far-right | National conservatism Right-wing populism | Euroscepticism | 72 / 720 | 0 / 27 | 1 / 27 |
| | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party | ALDE | Timmy Dooley (IE) and Ilhan Kyuchyuk (BG) | Didrik de Schaetzen | 1976 | Renew | European Liberal Forum | Centre to centre-right | Liberalism | Pro-Europeanism | 51 / 720 | 5 / 27 | 2 / 27 |
| | European Green Party | EGP | Mélanie Vogel (FR) and Thomas Waitz (AT) | Benedetta De Marte (IT) | 2004 | Greens/EFA | Green European Foundation | Centre-left to left-wing | Green politics | Pro-Europeanism | 44 / 720 | 1 / 27 | 0 / 27 |
| | Europe of Sovereign Nations | ESN | Alexander Sell (DE) | Alexander Jungbluth (DE) | 2024 | ESN | | Far-right | Ultranationalism Right-wing populism | Hard Euroscepticism | 25 / 720 | 0 / 27 | 0 / 27 |
| | European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet | ELA | Malin Björk (SE) Catarina Martins (PT) | Sophie Rauszer (FR) | 2024 | The Left | | Left-wing | Democratic socialism Eco-socialism | Soft Euroscepticism | 18 / 720 | 0 / 27 | 0 / 27 |
| | European Democratic Party | EDP | François Bayrou (FR) | Sandro Gozi (IT) | 2004 | Renew | Institute of European Democrats | Centre | Centrism | Pro-Europeanism | 10 / 720 | 0 / 27 | 0 / 27 |
| | European Free Alliance | EFA | Lorena López de Lacalle Arizti (ES) | Jordi Solé (ES) | 1981 | Greens/EFA | Coppieters Foundation | Big tent | Regionalism Separatism Ethnic minority interests | Pro-Europeanism | 8 / 720 | 0 / 27 | 0 / 27 |
| | Party of the European Left | EL | Walter Baier (AT) | | 2004 | The Left | Transform Europe | Left-wing to far-left | Democratic socialism Communism | Soft Euroscepticism | 16 / 720 | 0 / 27 | 0 / 27 |
| | European Christian Political Movement | ECPM | Valeriu Ghilețchi (MD, RO) | Maarten van de Fliert (NL) | 2002 | ECR, EPP Group | Sallux | Right-wing | Christian right Social conservatism | Soft Euroscepticism | 5 / 720 | 0 / 27 | 0 / 27 |

### Former European political parties

The entities below were formerly registered with the APPF.
| European political party | European political party | European political party | Timeline | Timeline | Politics | Politics | Politics | Politics |
| Name | Name | Abbr. | Founded | Removed from register | Position | Ideology | European integration | Political Group |
| | Alliance of European National Movements | AENM | 2009 | 2018 | Far-right | Ultranationalism Right-wing populism | Hard Euroscepticism | NI |
| | Alliance for Peace and Freedom | APF | 2015 | 2018 | Far-right | Ultranationalism, Neo-fascism | Hard Euroscepticism | NI |
The entities below qualified at some point for European public funding; however, they were never registered with the APPF.
| European political party | European political party | European political party | Timeline | Timeline | Timeline | Politics | Politics | Politics |
| Name | Name | Abbr. | Founded | Dissolved | Received European public funding | Ideology | European integration | Political Group |
| | Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe | ADDE | 2014 | 2017 | 2015, qualified in 2016-17 but did not receive funding | Direct democracy National conservatism Right-wing populism | Euroscepticism | Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy |
| | Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe | ADIE | 2005 | 2008 | 2006–2008 | Right-wing populism National conservatism | Hard Euroscepticism | Independence and Democracy |
| | Alliance for Europe of the Nations | AEN | 2002 | 2009 | 2004–2009 | Conservatism National conservatism | Hard Euroscepticism | Union for Europe of the Nations |
| | Coalition for Life and Family | CVF | 2016 | | Qualified in 2017 but did not receive funding | Social conservatism Political Catholicism Nationalism Reactionarism | | |
| | European Alliance for Freedom | EAF | 2010 | 2016 | 2011–2016 | Souverainism Right-wing populism Nationalism | Euroscepticism | Europe of Nations and Freedom |
| | Europeans United for Democracy | EUD | 2005 | 2017 | 2006–2016, qualified in 2017 but did not receive funding | Soft Euroscepticism | Euroscepticism | Independence and Democracy European Conservatives and Reformists Party The Left |
| | Libertas | | 2008 | 2010 | Qualified in 2009 but did not receive funding | Anti-Lisbon Treaty | Euroscepticism | Europe of Freedom and Democracy |
| | Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy | MELD | 2011 | 2015 | 2012–2015 | National conservatism Right-wing populism | Euroscepticism | Europe of Freedom and Democracy |

## Political groups of the European Parliament

The political groups of the European Parliament are the officially recognised parliamentary groups consisting of legislators of aligned ideologies in the European Parliament. Each political group is assumed to have a set of core principles, and political groups that cannot demonstrate this may be disbanded.
A political group of the EP usually constitutes the formal parliamentary representation of one or two of the European political parties, sometimes supplemented by members from other national political parties or independent politicians. It is strictly forbidden for political groups to organise or finance political campaigns during European elections, since this is the exclusive responsibility of the parties.
| Political groups and affiliated European political parties | Political groups and affiliated European political parties | MEPs |
| EPP Group | Group of the European People's Party European People's Party | 188 / 720 (26%) |
| S&D | Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Party of European Socialists | 136 / 720 (19%) |
| PfE | Patriots for Europe Patriots.eu European Christian Political Movement | 86 / 720 (12%) |
| ECR | European Conservatives and Reformists Group European Conservatives and Reformists Party European Christian Political Movement | 78 / 720 (11%) |
| Renew | Renew Europe Group Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party European Democratic Party | 77 / 720 (11%) |
| Greens/EFA | Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance European Green Party European Free Alliance | 53 / 720 (7%) |
| The Left | The Left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL Party of the European Left | 46 / 720 (6%) |
| ESN | Europe of Sovereign Nations Group Europe of Sovereign Nations | 25 / 720 (3%) |
| NI | Non-attached Members | 30 / 720 (4%) |
| Vacant | Vacant | 1 / 720 |

## Political groups of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The Assembly has six political groups.
331539114110471 :
| Group | Chairman | Seats |
| Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group (SOC) | Frank Schwabe (Germany) | 153 / 612 |
| European People's Party (EPP/CD) | Davor Ivo Stier (Croatia) | 141 / 612 |
| European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance (EC/DA) | Ian Liddell-Grainger (United Kingdom) | 104 / 612 |
| Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) | Iulian Bulai (Romania) | 91 / 612 |
| Unified European Left Group (UEL) | Andrej Hunko (Germany) Anne Stambach-Terrenoir (France) | 33 / 612 |
| Members not belonging to any group | | 71 / 612 |

## Party Groups in the Nordic Council

The Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as well as from the autonomous areas of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. The representatives are members of parliament in their respective countries or areas and are elected by those parliaments.
The Nordic Council comprises the following party groups:
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Ideology | Political Group | Nordic Council |
| Centre Group | MG | 1983 | Liberalism Christian democracy Green politics (Nordic) Agrarianism | Renew, Greens/EFA, EPP Group | 24 / 87 |
| Conservative Group | | | Conservatism Liberal conservatism Economic liberalism | EPP Group | 13 / 87 |
| Nordic Freedom | NF | 2012 | Right-wing populism National conservatism Euroscepticism | ECR, ID | 8 / 87 |
| Nordic Green Left Alliance | NGLA | 2004 | Democratic socialism Eco-socialism Popular socialism Socialism Environmentalism Feminism Progressivism | GUE/NGL, Greens/EFA | 11 / 87 |
| The Social Democratic Group | S-Norden | | Social democracy | S&D | 26 / 87 |

## Party Groups in the Benelux Parliament

The Benelux Parliament (officially known as the Benelux Interparliamentary Assembly) is one of the institutions of the Benelux economic union. The Parliament was established by an agreement signed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1955, and provides the governments with advice on economic and cross-frontier cooperation.
The Benelux Parliament comprises the following party groups:
| Name | Ideology | Political Group | Benelux Parliament |
| Christian Group | Christian democracy Liberal conservatism Conservatism Centrism | EPP Group, ECR | 14 / 49 |
| Liberal Group | Liberalism Conservative liberalism Classical liberalism Social liberalism | Renew | 11 / 49 |
| Socialists, Greens and Democrats | Social democracy Green politics Democratic socialism | GUE/NGL, Greens/EFA, S&D | 13 / 49 |

## Other political entities

The entities below are alliances or networks of national entities and operate across borders. Some of them refer to themselves as European parties, but they are not European political parties in the sense of Regulation 1141/2014 and never qualified for European public funding.

### Alliances with Members in the European Parliament

| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Ideology | Political Group | Seats | Notes |
| Animal Politics EU | APEU | 2014 | Animal rights Animal welfare | The Left | 2 / 720 | Electoral platform of animal rights parties |
| European Communist Action | ECA | 2023 | Communism Marxism–Leninism Anti-capitalism Euroscepticism Anti-imperialism | Non-Inscrits | 2 / 720 | Alliance of Marxist–Leninist parties, successor to the Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties |
| European Pirate Party | PPEU | 2014 | Pirate politics Freedom of information Participatory democracy Pro-Europeanism | Greens/EFA | 1 / 720 | Organisation of Pirate Parties |
| Volt Europa | Volt | 2017 | European federalism Social liberalism Progressivism Pro-Europeanism | Greens/EFA | 5 / 720 | Organisation of pro-European and European federalist political organisations and parties using the same name and branding in all EU member states and several non-EU states |

### Other currently active transnational alliances

| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Ideology | Political Group | Notes |
| Central-Eastern European Green Left Alliance | CEEGLA | 2024 | Democratic socialism Social democracy Progressivism Green politics Anti-Putinism | GUE/NGL, S&D, Greens/EFA | Alliance of left-wing and green organizations and political parties in Central and Eastern Europe |
| Cooperation Committee of the Nordic Worker's Movement | SAMAK | 1886 | Social democracy | S&D | Alliance of social democratic parties and labour councils in the Nordic countries |
| Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 | DiEM25 | 2016 | Pan-Europeanism Post-capitalism Progressivism Democratic socialism Environmentalism Ecofeminism Alter-globalization | | Left-wing movement advocating alter-globalisation, social ecology, ecofeminism, post-growth and post-capitalism |
| Europe–Democracy–Esperanto | EDE | 2003 | Linguistic rights Esperantism | | Organisation advocating for the use of Esperanto as an official EU language |
| Free Palestine Party | FPP | 2024 | Anti-Zionism Muslim minority interests Anti-imperialism | | Alliance of Muslim minority political parties for the 2024 European election |
| Liberal South East European Network | LIBSEEN | 2008 | Liberalism | Renew | Alliance of liberal parties and think tanks in South East Europe |
| Now the People | NTP | 2018 | Democratic socialism Eco-socialism Left-wing populism | GUE/NGL | Alliance of left-wing political parties |

### Defunct alliances

* EuroNat (1997–2009): an alliance of far-right, ultranationalist political parties; involved in establishing the Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty group in the European parliament in 2007;
* The European Alliance of EU-critical Movements (TEAM, 1992–2013): an alliance of Eurosceptic or EU-critical associations, including NGOs and political parties;
* European Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (2020–2023): populist alliance; its application for registration as a European political party in 2020 was not approved.
* European Anti-Capitalist Left (EACL, 2000–2012): Alliance of left-wing and anti-capitalist political parties;
* European National Front [de; it] (ENF, 2004–2009): an alliance of far-right, ultranationalist political parties;
* Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties (INITIATIVE, 2013–2023): an alliance of Marxist–Leninist parties;
* Movement for European Reform: an alliance of conservative, pro-free market and Eurosceptic parties;
* Newropeans (2005–2009): a movement of citizens running on a platform of European federalism and reform.