IDENTITY, TRADITION, SOVEREIGNTY

'Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty' (ITS) is a political group in the European Parliament composed of 23 members from European parties variously described by their political adversaries as far right and extremely nationalist. A common political charter for the group was signed on 9 January 2007, and the group was formally recognized by Parliamentary president Josep Borrell at the start of the EP plenary session on 15 January. Far-right group formed in European Parliament Honor Mahony ^[1]
Initially with 20 MEPs from seven nations, the group only narrowly surpassed the threshold value of 20 MEPs from six nations required for formal recognition and receipt of EU funding. Previous attempts at creating a far-right grouping had been stymied by these restrictions, which require the group to be of a minimum size and to have representation from more than 20% of all member states. With the accession of Bulgaria and Romania and the addition to the Parliament of MEPs from National Union Attack (1 MEP) and the Greater Romania Party (PRM) (5 MEP), respectively, this barrier was surmounted.
The group's founding charter has been described as "broadly anti-immigration, anti-EU constitution and anti-Turkish EU membership," while participants have emphasised that the group will function relatively loosely. Alessandra Mussolini described it as "more a technical than a political group [...] We are mainly getting together out of necessity. Survival is only possible in a political group." Plans for European far-right group intensify Honor Mahony
The Romanian PRM leader stated that he favours a strong association and eventual EU membership for Turkey provided it settles the dispute regarding Cyprus and that the common ground for the new group is based exactly on the values the group's name suggests.^[2]
Following the Bulgarian European Parliament elections, the group gained two more Ataka MEPs, Slavcho Binev and Desislav Chukolov.
The largest component of the group is France's National Front, and includes several political parties associated with Euronat, an existing unofficial grouping of far-right parties. The group's chair is Bruno Gollnisch (National Front).

Contents

Membership

Group Bureau

See also

References

External links

Articles

Membership

				'MEPs'
'Country'		'Party'		'No.'		'Members'
		National Front		7		Bruno Gollnisch, Carl Lang, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine Le Pen, Fernand Le Rachinel, Jean-Claude Martinez, Lydia Schenardi
		Greater Romania Party		5		Daniela Buruiană, Eugen Mihăescu, Viorica Moisuc, Petre Popeangă, Cristian Stănescu
		Independent		1		Mircea Coşea,
		Flemish Interest		3		Philip Claeys, Koenraad Dillen, Frank Vanhecke
		National Union Attack		3		Dimitar Stoyanov, Slavcho Binev, Desislav Chukolov
		Social Alternative Tricolour Flame		1 1		Alessandra Mussolini Luca Romagnoli
		Freedom Party		1		Andreas Mölzer
		Independent		1		Ashley Mote (expelled from UKIP for benefit fraud)

Group Bureau

★ Bruno Gollnisch, Chair (France)

★ Philip Claeys, Vice-Chair (Belgium)

★ Eugen Mihăescu, Vice-Chair (Romania)

★ Ashley Mote, Vice-Chair (United Kingdom)

★ Petre Popeangă, Treasurer (Romania)

★ Andreas Mölzer, Member at large, representing FPÖ (Austria)

★ Dimitar Stoyanov, Member at large, representing Ataka (Bulgaria)

★ Alessandra Mussolini, Member at large, representing AS (Italy)

★ Luca Romagnoli, Member at large, representing FT (Italy)

See also

★ Pan-European identity

★ Far right
other far-right groups in EP:

★ European Right (1984-89)

★ Technical Group of the European Right (1989-94)

References

1. Rechtsaußenbündnis im Europaparlament entsteht
2. Romanian ''OTV'' channel, January 10 2007

External links

★ Members of ITS on the EP website (by country and political group)

★ ''New political group: Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty'' in ''Opening of the January plenary session - Welcome of Bulgarian and Romanian MEPs / Formation of a new political group'', European Parliament News (2007-01-15)

Articles

★ Kontakt. Programm für Kunst und Zivilgesellschaft: ''Extended European right-wing extremism: new patriots, new alliances'', (2007-03-27)

★ Stephen Castle: ''Gypsy-haters, holocaust-deniers, xenophobes, homophobes, anti-semites: the EU's new political force'', ''The Independent'' (2007-01-17)

★ ''Who's who in EU's new far-right group'', BBC News (2007-01-12)

★ Matthew Tempest: ''British MEP joins far-right group'', ''The Guardian'' (2007-01-11)

★ Ian Traynor: ''Romania's first gift to the European Union - a caucus of neo-fascists and Holocaust deniers'', ''The Guardian'' (2007-01-08)