Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group
The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE Group) was the liberal–centrist[4][5] political group of the European Parliament from 2004 until 2019. It was made up of MEPs from two European political parties, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and the European Democratic Party, which collectively form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
For other uses, see Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (disambiguation) and ALDE (disambiguation).Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group
ALDE Group
ADLE Groupe
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
20 July 2004[3]
June 2019
The ALDE Group traced its unofficial origin back to September 1952 and the first meeting of the Parliament's predecessor, the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community. Founded as an explicitly liberal group, it expanded its remit to cover the different traditions of each new Member State as they acceded to the Union, progressively changing its name in the process. Its immediate predecessor was the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group (ELDR).
The ALDE Group was the fourth-largest group in the Eighth European Parliament term, and previously participated in an informal coalition with the EPP during the Sixth Parliament (2004–2009). The pro-European platform of ALDE was in support of free market economics and pushed for European integration and the European single market.[6]
On 12 June 2019, it was announced that the successor group in alliance with La République En Marche! would be named Renew Europe.[7][8]
Structure[edit]
Subgroups[edit]
ALDE was a coalition of liberal and centrist MEPs. It did not have formal subgroups, although the MEPs fell naturally into two informal subgroups, depending on whether they associated with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party or the European Democratic Party.
Organisation[edit]
The Bureau was the main decision making body of the ALDE Group and is composed of the leaders of the delegations from each member state that elects ALDE MEPs.[17] The Bureau oversaw the ALDE Group's main strategy and policies and was headed by a chair (referred to as the Leader). The day-to-day running of the Group was performed by its secretariat, led by its Secretary-General.
The senior staff of ALDE as of July 2012 were as follows:[17]
The chairs of ALDE and its predecessors from 1953 to 2019 are as follows:
Academic analysis[edit]
Along with the other political groups, ALDE has been analysed by academics on its positions regarding various issues. In short, it's a group of cohesive, gender-balanced centrist Euroneutrals that cooperate most closely with the EPP, are ambiguous on hypothetical EU taxes and supportive of eventual full Turkish accession to the European Union.