The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democratic, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. Founded by primarily Christian-democratic parties in 1976, it has since broadened its membership to include liberal-conservative parties and parties with other centre-right political perspectives. On 31 May 2022, the party elected as its President Manfred Weber, who was also EPP's Spitzenkandidat in 2019.

The EPP has been the largest party in the European Parliament since 1999 and in the European Council since 2002. It is also the largest party in the current European Commission. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola are from the EPP. Many of the founding fathers of the European Union were also from parties that later formed the EPP.

The EPP includes major centre-right parties such as the CDU/CSU of Germany, the Nationalist Party of Malta, the People's Party (PP) of Spain, Forza Italia of Italy, ÖVP of Austria, HDZ of Croatia, PNL of Romania, Fine Gael of Ireland, National Coalition Party of Finland, New Democracy of Greece, the Moderates of Sweden, the Civic Coalition of Poland, the Social Democratic Party of Portugal, and the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria.

History

According to its website, the EPP is "the family of the political centre-right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilisation of the European continent, and [which] has pioneered the European project from its inception".

The EPP was founded in Luxembourg on 8 July 1976 on the initiative of Jean Seitlinger; Leo Tindemans, then Prime Minister of Belgium, who became the first President of the EPP; and Wilfried Martens, who later became both President of the EPP and Prime Minister of Belgium. It had been preceded by the Secretariat International des partis démocratiques d'inspiration chrétienne, founded in 1925, the Nouvelles Equipes Internationales, founded in 1946 (or 1948),"On the Road Towards Transnational Party Cooperation in Europe" by Steven van Hecke in "European View", Volume 3, 2006, from the Centre for European Studies and the European Union of Christian Democrats, founded in 1965.

In the late 1990s, the Finnish politician Sauli Niinistö negotiated the merger of the European Democrat Union (EDU), of which he was president, into the EPP. In October 2002, the EDU ceased its activities after being formally absorbed by the EPP at a special event in Estoril, Portugal. In recognition of his efforts, Niinistö was elected Honorary President of the EPP the same year.

The EPP has had seven Presidents: No. Image Name Tenure Party Member state 1 Leo Tindemans 1976–1985 CVP 2 Piet Bukman 1985–1987 CDA 3 Jacques Santer 1987–1990 CSV 4 Wilfried Martens 1990–2013 CD&V 5 Joseph Daul 2013–2019 The Republicans 6 Donald Tusk 2019–2022 Civic Platform 7 Manfred Weber 2022– CSU

Platform and manifesto

Political manifesto and platform During its Congress in Bucharest in 2012, the EPP updated its political platform after 20 years (since its Congress in Athens in 1992) and approved a political manifesto in which it summarised its main values and policies.

The manifesto highlights: Freedom as a central human right, coupled with responsibility Respect for traditions and associations Solidarity to help those in need, who in turn should also make an effort to improve their situation Ensuring solid public finances Preserving a healthy environment Subsidiarity Pluralist democracy and a social market economy

The manifesto also describes the EPP's priorities for the EU, including: European Political Union Direct election of the President of the European Commission Completion of the European Single Market Promotion of the family, improvements in education and health Strengthening of the common immigration and asylum policy, and integrating immigrants Continuation of enlargement of the EU, enhancement of the European Neighbourhood Policy and special relationship frameworks for countries that cannot, or do not want to, join the EU Defining a truly common EU energy policy Strengthening European political parties

Electoral manifesto As a central part of its campaign for the European elections in 2009, the EPP approved its election manifesto at its Congress in Warsaw in April that year. The manifesto called for: Creation of new jobs, continuing reforms and investment in education, lifelong learning, and employment to create opportunities for everyone. Avoidance of protectionism, and coordination of fiscal and monetary policies. Increased transparency and surveillance in financial markets. Making Europe the market leader in green technology. Increasing the share of renewable energy to at least 20 percent of the energy mix by 2020. Family-friendly flexibility for working parents, better child care and housing, family-friendly fiscal policies, encouragement of parental leave. A new strategy to attract skilled workers from the rest of the world to make Europe's economy more competitive, more dynamic and more knowledge-driven.

The Fidesz crisis Concerns that the Hungarian ruling party Fidesz and its leader Viktor Orbán were undermining the rule of law in Hungary caused a split in the EPP in the run-up of the 2019 European Parliament election.List of European conservative parties showing defections, wavering or coming out against Viktor Orbán Retrieved 5 March 2019 On one hand, the EPP had been reluctant for years to address Fidesz's stance against the rule of law, expressed by the Article 7 proceedings of the European Parliament. On the other hand, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, a prominent EPP-member, stated "I believe his [Fidesz's] place is not in the European People's Party".Orbán vs Juncker for the EPP's future Retrieved 5 March 2019 Orbán's campaigns targeting billionaire George SorosOrbán's campaign against George Soros Retrieved 5 March 2019 and Jean-Claude JunckerJuncker: Hungary's ruling Fidesz doesn't belong in EPP Retrieved 5 March 2019 carried wide reverberations for Europe questioning the EPP's effort to install its lead candidate Manfred Weber as the next President of the European Commission.The end of Germany's Orbán affair Retrieved 5 March 2019

After years of deferring a decision about the Fidesz issue,How the EPP lost its way Retrieved 27 March 2019. the EPP was eventually compelled to address the problem two months before the 2019 European elections, as 13 outraged member parties requested the Hungarian party's exclusion from the EPP due to its billboard campaign featuring Jean-Claude Juncker. 190 of the 193 EPP delegates supported the common agreement with Fidesz on 20 March 2019 to partially suspend its membership. According to it, Fidesz was "until further notice" excluded from EPP meetings and internal elections, but remained in the European People's Party Group of the European Parliament. Fidesz did not deliver on its earlier promise to leave the EPP in case of a penalty.Fidesz MEPs remain in the EPP for now Retrieved 27 March 2019.

In February 2020, the EPP extended the suspension of Fidesz indefinitely.EPP prolongs suspension of Hungary's Fidesz indefinitely Retrieved 7 February 2020.

On 2 April 2020, thirteen parties within the EPP issued a joint statement aimed at Donald Tusk, asking him to expunge Fidesz from the party.A Fidesz kizárását kéri a Néppárt 13 tagpártja Retrieved 2 April 2020. Three days before this, the Hungarian Parliament had passed a law, declaring a state of emergency within Hungary, granting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán the right to rule by decree.Hungary passes law allowing Viktor Orban to rule by decree Retrieved 2 April 2020.

On 3 March 2021, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Fidesz would leave the EPP group after it changed its internal rules (to allow suspension and expulsion of multiple deputies and their groups), although Fidesz remained a suspended member of the EPP itself. On 18 March 2021, Fidesz decided to leave the European People's Party.

In June 2024, The Hungarian Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), who serve in government with Fidesz, left the European People's Party. That same month, members of the newly elected Hungarian Tisza Party led by Peter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider, applied to join EPP.

German investigation In April 2023, Belgian police and German investigators carried out a raid at the EPP headquarters in Brussels as part of an investigation in Germany.Philip Blenkinsop and Joern Poltz (4 April 2023), Police raid EPP party's Brussels office in German investigation Reuters.

Membership Within the EPP there are three kinds of member organisations: full members, associate members and observers. Full members are parties from EU states. They have absolute rights to vote in all the EPP's organs and on all matters. Associate members have the same voting rights as full members except for matters concerning the EU's structure or policies. These associate members are parties from EU candidate countries and EFTA countries. Observer parties can participate in all the activities of the EPP, and attend the Congresses and Political Assemblies, but they do not have any voting rights.

Special status of "supporting member" is granted by the Presidency to individuals and associations. Although they do not have voting rights, they can be invited by the President to attend meetings of certain organs of the party.

Full members CountryPartyAbbr.Lower house seatsUpper house SeatsStatusAustrian People's PartyÖVP Christian Democratic and FlemishCD&VCitizens for the European Development of BulgariaGERBDemocratic Bulgaria DBUnion of Democratic ForcesSDSBulgaria for Citizens MovementBCMCroatian Democratic UnionHDZ Croatian Demochristian PartyHDS Democratic RallyDISYChristian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's PartyKDU-ČSLTOP 09TOP 09Conservative People's PartyCChristian DemocratsKDIsamaaINational Coalition PartyKOK Christian DemocratsKDThe RepublicansLR Christian Democratic Union of GermanyCDUChristian Social Union in BavariaCSUNew DemocracyNDFine GaelFGForza ItaliaFIUs ModeratesNMSouth Tyrolean People's PartySVPUnion of the CentreUdCTrentino Tyrolean Autonomist PartyPATTPopular AlternativeAPPopular BaseBPUnityVHomeland Union – Lithuanian Christian DemocratsTS-LKDChristian Social People's PartyCSV/PCSNationalist PartyPNChristian Democratic AppealCDACivic CoalitionKOPolish People's PartyPSLSocial Democratic PartyPPD/PSDDemocratic and Social Centre – People's PartyCDS-PPNational Liberal PartyPNLDemocratic Alliance of Hungarians in RomaniaUDMRPeople's Movement PartyPMPChristian Democratic MovementKDH DemocratsDemokrati Hungarian AllianceSzövetség–Aliancia SlovakiaSlovensko Slovenian Democratic PartySDSSlovenian People's PartySLSNew Slovenia–Christian DemocratsNSiPeople's PartyPPModerate Party Christian Democrats

Associate members

Democratic Party of Albania (PD)

Party of Democratic Action (SDA) Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH) Party of Democratic Progress (PDP)

United National Movement (UNM)

Independence Party (XD)

Europe Now! (PES) Bosniak Party (BS)

Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO–DPMNE)

Conservative Party (H)

Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ/SVM)

The Centre (DM/LC)

European Solidarity

Observer members

Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) Heritage

Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCD) United Civic Party of Belarus (AHP) (The Movement for Freedom; MFF)The MFF is admitted to the EPP . http://pyx.by . Retrieved on 15 January 2019.

Croatian Democratic Union 1990 (HDZ 1990)

European Georgia

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)

Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) Dignity and Truth Platform Party (PPDA) Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS)

Christian Democratic Party (KrF)