At Europe's Service : The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party

The European People's Party, the largest political party in Europe, has roots that run deep in history. Founded in 1976 as a Christian Democratic federation, the European People's Party is now a strong centre-right movement and a leading European political family. It has member parties in almost all European countries, and it is very well represented in the institutions of the European Union. This book tells the story of the European People's Party: why it was founded, how it is currently organised and what its guiding ideas, values and principles are. It gives an up-to-date account of the party's contribution to European integration, its work with its member parties and its central role in organising the centre-right in Europe. Above all, this book is for everyone who wants to know what a European-level political party looks like, how it is structured and how it acts. Front Matter....Pages I-XIX Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Chapter One: Paving the Way: The SIPDIC, NEI and EUCD....Pages 3-28 Chapter Two: The Founding of the EPP....Pages 29-48 Chapter Three: Rapprochement Towards Conservative and Other Like-minded Parties....Pages 49-66 Chapter Four: Eastward Enlargement....Pages 67-83 Chapter Five: Merger with the EUCD and EDU....Pages 85-106 Front Matter....Pages 107-107 Chapter Six: The Congress....Pages 109-136 Chapter Seven: The Political Assembly and the Presidency....Pages 137-147 Chapter Eight: The Summit....Pages 149-163 Chapter Nine: The General Secretariat....Pages 165-172 Chapter Ten: Working Groups and Member Associations....Pages 173-185 Chapter Eleven: Statute and Financing....Pages 187-203 Chapter Twelve: The Centre for European Studies....Pages 205-217 Chapter Thirteen: The EPP’s Relationship to the Group in the European Parliament....Pages 219-234 Front Matter....Pages 235-235 Chapter Fourteen: Programmatic Profile....Pages 237-252 Annex 1: Political Programme, Adopted by the First EPP Congress in Brussels on 6–7 March 1978....Pages 253-281 Annex 2: Basic Programme, Adopted by the Ninth EPP Congress in Athens on 12–14 November 1992....Pages 283-317 Annex 3: ‘A Union of Values’, Basic Document Adopted by the Fourteenth EPP Congress in Berlin on 11–13 January 2001....Pages 319-352 Back Matter....Pages 353-385