The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECRG) - corrected and updated

The "European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECRG)", isn't that the most ridiculous combination one could imagine? Mixing those who want to conserve and those who want to reform?

But it has become a truth:

The British Tories, the Polish PiS and the Czech ODS form a joint eurosceptic group in the European Parliament. This brings together three of the most important not-so-European anti-good-things parties, those who want to conserve the bad sides (like nationalism) in the European Union and reform the good ones (like working together, liberalising interpersonal relations, etc).

But since nobody really wanted to play with them (who wants to play with such a strange trio), they needed to find a bunch of individual MEPs who seem to be so unpopular among their peers that they were ready to form the appendix of their three big brothers.

And they found five six of them, from Finland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, Latvia, and Lithuania. The theatre group is formed.

Well, this ridicules the idea of a parliamentary group, but since together they combine 56 MEPs from 9 countries [see update on figures at the end!] - more than the Greens - they do have the right to form an official faction in the European Parliament.

Will they hold together? - Probably yes, because it doesn't really hurt them to stick together and the financial and political advantages are probably higher than the losses. But still, according to the new Rules of Procedure (PDF) of the European Parliament (Article 30), they will have to keep up MEPs from at least one fourth of the EU's member countries.

However, if one of the partners says something stupid - and seeing this group it is more than probable that this will happen - the other can easily ignore it, since the national media won't notice it anyway. Being in that group will thus most likely not have any negative influence on the image of the parties. So the reasons to quit might remain lower than the incentives to stay in.

And, to be honest, I think the Union and the Parliament deserve such a strange group, which is the result of a rule made by the majority against the minority short before the elections - but a rule that is easily to circumvent by those who have the will to do it if it serves their individual advantage.

Doesn't that sound like most of the EU's regulations?

PS: Jon Worth has some more substance on this matter. Nosemonkey as well.

Correction (23 June 2009): One more MEP from Lithuania has to be included as I've learned at EurActiv.

Update (23 June 2009): Besides Grahnlaw and La Oreja de Europa who are backlinked below, Jon, Nosemonkey and The European Citizen have followed-up on the story. One of the news passing around today was that the Finnish Centre Party MEP will remain with his colleagues in the ALDE group, thus reducing the ECRG down to 55 MEPs from 8 member countries.

Short remark: Border controls

Last week I was passing the Dutch-German border by train. At the border station, the German Federal Police went through the train and selectively controlled passengers' IDs, asking where they were heading to.

I wasn't controlled, and felt guilty towards those who were...

Border controls within the EU make me angry!

(What is so difficult at the concept of NOT having borders - not making them felt - within the European Union, and the Schengen area in particular?!)

European Parliament election 2009 (119): On the early release of results in the Netherlands

Just if anyone asks: I don't mind that the Dutch have released their results on Thursday evening.

I agree with the argumentation that if the counting process is public - and this is a good thing - you can and should not hide the results. The Commission starting legal steps against it would be nothing but ridiculous.

In particular, since the publishing of results for the Netherlands allowed at least a little discussion on concrete issues connected to the European Parliament elections, about actual politics, the idea of winners and losers, and the impact on the European level. The discussion was small like anything we see in this campaign, but there was at least something.

In addition, I don't think that the publishing of results in one country affects the results in another country. Anyone following these elections under a transnational perspective will have noticed that there is hardly any reference to other countries in the campaigning or media coverage. If the social democrats lose in the Netherlands, this is no good or bad sign for social democrats in any other country.

The European Parliament elections are fought on the national scene, and although some European parties like the European Socialists have managed to construct the idea of a pan-European political campaign, their efforts remained in vain without an own candidate for the European Commission presidency.

Consequently, national parties belonging to a European family have not managed to explain to their voters that it is important to win not just in one country but across all countries. Very few voters of an EPP member party in their country will get exited about the victory of an EPP member in another country.

Transnational joy has not made it into the heads of most European citizens, and this applies to politics as to any socio-economic development taking place outside those borders that should have seized to be borders in a common Union.

So I don't mind any country releasing early results. This has no effect, and if it has, then it is only for the better for these commonly ignored elections!

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Since July 2008, I have been following up national and European activities on the path to the EP elections under the category "European parliament elections 2009".

For an overview over all articles in this category have a look at the overview article.

European Parliament elections 2009 (117): EUX.TV on the UK's and the Netherlands' eurosceptic voices

Below a short film on yesterday's elections in the UK and the Netherlands by EUX.TV, but you can also read more at The European Citizen.



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Since July 2008, I have been following up national and European activities on the path to the EP elections under the category "European parliament elections 2009".

For an overview over all articles in this category have a look at the overview article.

European Parliament elections 2009 (93): Why running for the EP? - An interview with Wim van de Camp (Dutch EP candidate)

An interesting interview by New Europe TV with the head of the Dutch Christian Democratic list for the EP elections 2009, Wim van de Camp, at the EPP Congress in Warsaw.

Mr van de Camp explains what he thinks should be to role of the European Union compared to the tasks of the nation state and tell why he decides to run for the European Parliament after a long career in the Dutch national parliament:



(via NEurope on Twitter)

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Under the category "European parliament elections 2009" I am following up national and European activities on the path to the European Parliament elections 2009.

For an overview over all articles in this category have a look at the overview article.

For the five newest post see also the sidebar.

European Parliament elections 2009 (82): Eurotopics' press review on the Eurobarometer results

Eurotopics has a nice little press review with translated article extracts from Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland on the recent Eurobarometer results that project a low participation rate for the EP elections.

That's worth reading!

Let me also use this opportunity to praise the work of the people from Eurotopics (background information) who provide me and other Europeans with an excellent English language multinational press review (which also exists in German, French and Spanish) every day.

It's taxpayers money involved here, but it is spent for a very good purpose, and it is done in a very pleasant way, so I can only applaud for this initiative!

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Under the category "European Parliament elections 2009" I am following up national and European activities on the path to the European Parliament elections 2009.

For an overview over all articles in this category have a look at the overview article.

For the five newest post see also the sidebar.

Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes Rotterdam's first Muslim mayor

Very positive developments are reported from the Netherlands:

The Morocco-born Ahmed Aboutaleb has been elected the first Muslim mayor of a major Dutch city: Amsterdam Rotterdam (corrected).

This is not the only story of a citizen of Muslim religion taking over important political posts in the European Union: Earlier this year, Cem Özdemir (a son of Turkish immigrants) has been elected the first Muslim leader of a major German party (the Greens).

Both are examples of the political and real-life recognition of the cultural and religious diversity in Europe, the European Union, and its member states, a diversity that includes Christians, Muslims, Jews, other religious groups as well as atheist busses - a fact that is much appreciated by the humble author of this blog!

(Update) Read also: "Europe's first immigrant mayor is not welcome"

Dutch make EU reject Serbia

The Netherlands have blocked an EU trade deal with Serbia during the EU Council meeting yesterday.

A Serbian colleague of mine is furious, and I should not quote him because it wouldn't make things better. He's seeing yesterday's result from the side of Serbian citizens, and the rejected deal leaves them behind due to EU internal problems (which is the case if just one country opposes), something hardly understandable outside the Union's borders.

Tracking: EP elections (XI) - supplemented

In Estonia, several high political figures are planning to run for the European elections in 2009 (or at least they are considering it). The names mentioned are Edgar Savisaar, former Prime Minister and controversial Center Party leader, Andrus Ansip, current Prime Minister of Estonia, and Siim Kallas, current EU Commissioner.

In Poland, political parties also get ready for next year's elections.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister and member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has participated in the PES (Party of European Socialists) manifesto discussion.

An Irish businessman and Labour member launched a pro-European group to inform about the EU's work ahead of the upcoming elections.

And the Greek opposition leader Papandreou confirms that the stupidities of the past will be continued in the future saying "the Euroelections will not only be a vote on the course of Europe, but they will have the character of a referendum for the government and its policies to which an end must be put".

Supplement: Dutch right-wing liberals from VVD will rally against Turkish EU membership during the 2009 EU parliament election campaign, demanding a 10-year moratorium on the issue

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Under the category "Tracking: EP elections 2009" I am following up national and European activities on the path to the European Parliament elections 2009. So far: (10), (9), (8), (7), (6), (5), (4), (3), (2), (1).