EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A new European Parliament group that is pro-free market and anti-EU integration on Thursday (22 June) unveiled its membership list, bringing together 55 MEPs from eight EU states. Calling itself the "European Conservatives and Reformists Group," the new faction lists "free enterprise," the "sovereign integrity of the nation state" and "probity in the EU institutions" among its principles. David Cameron (c) at Oxfam meeting - the image-conscious politician risks being labelled a friend of "racists and homophobes" The British Conservative party dominates membership with 26 MEPs, followed by Poland's Law and Justice with 15 deputies and the Czech Republic's ODS party with nine members. The other five MEPs come from the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Latvia.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A new European Parliament group that is pro-free market and anti-EU integration on Thursday (22 June) unveiled its membership list, bringing together 55 MEPs from eight EU states.
Calling itself the "European Conservatives and Reformists Group," the new faction lists "free enterprise," the "sovereign integrity of the nation state" and "probity in the EU institutions" among its principles.
David Cameron (c) at Oxfam meeting - the image-conscious politician risks being labelled a friend of "racists and homophobes"
The British Conservative party dominates membership with 26 MEPs, followed by Poland's Law and Justice with 15 deputies and the Czech Republic's ODS party with nine members.
The other five MEPs come from the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Latvia.
The Conservatives have been attacked by their own former MEPs for leaving the main centre right group of 264 MEPs in Strasbourg, causing a rift with the parties of Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel. They face a loss of influence in the European Parliament as well as criticism for joining up with 15 MEPs from the staunchly Catholic Law and Justice Party from Poland, which, like the Latvian party, has banned gay pride marches.
They face a loss of influence in the European Parliament as well as criticism for joining up with 15 MEPs from the staunchly Catholic Law and Justice Party from Poland, which, like the Latvian party, has banned gay pride marches.
