About: political parties
Farage’s EFDD group in Parliament collapses
UKIP leader Nigel Farage's group in the European Parliament, the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD), was dissolved on Thursday (16 October) after Latvian MEP Iveta Gricule decided to leave the group.![Elizabeth Linder [Policy Exchange/Flickr]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/04/linder_facebook_credit-policy-exchange.jpeg)
Facebook specialist: Politicians still figuring out social media
People who own smartphones check their phones 150 times a day, Elisabeth Linder told EURACTIV in an interview, adding that this is a huge opportunity for politicians to reach out to people and get them engaged in politics.![[Shutterstock/Picsfive]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/04/political_press_media_shutterstock_picsfive.jpeg)
Website to fact-check EU election campaign claims
As European politicians hit the campaign trail for the May EU elections, the online project FactcheckEU documents how truthful their campaign speeches really are. InfographicPromoted content
![Europe from left to right [Infographic]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/11/infographic-member-states-governmental-parties-12022014-1.png)
Europe from left to right ahead of #EP2014
Across Europe, parties in government and opposition forces will rally support and lure voters on 22-25 May. With less than 100 days to go before the voters cast their ballot, EURACTIV presents an overview of where the balance of power lies in EU countries. Previous election results show that, when it comes to EU elections, parties in government are often punished by protest voters. Have a look at the coalition governments, single allegiance governments and where the balance lies across Europe’s map.Political elites: Does perception meet reality?
Political careers are becoming increasingly shorter and the revolving door between politics and the private sector spins ever faster. So is governance benefiting from ‘fresh ideas’? Or is the public in fact worse off in the long run?, asks Tomi Huhtanen.Shake-up of European politics is as important as saving the euro
The current debt crisis that many EU countries are struggling with had a crucial impact on their political systems as well, transforming the role of the state, argues Pawe? ?wieboda from demosEuropa. The question of how can this be handled is as important as saving the euro.The left and right wing in Bulgaria
In Bulgarian politics, the right-wing has traditionally been Western-oriented and the left pro-Russian. Yet since the country's entry into the EU the differences between left and right have decreased and more pragmatic policies are being pursued, writes Bulgarian MEP Emil Stoyanov (European People's Party) in an exclusive commentary for EURACTIV.
Estonian diplomat: E-voting can be tricky
Electronic voting (e-voting) in elections can help increase voter turnout and is technically safe. But it is also exposed to human vulnerabilities like voting pressure from political parties, Miko Haljas, Estonia's ambassador to Budapest, told EURACTIV Hungary in an interview.Is Europe heading in the ‘right’ direction?
"Hungary's turn to the right signals a broader challenge across Europe, and not the unfortunate malfunction of one of its youngest democracies," writes Joerg Forbrig, senior programme officer for Central and Eastern Europe at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, in a May paper.
MEPs bury the hatchet on new Commission
MEPs appear to have abandoned the quest for commissoners' scalps as political groups in the European Parliament are no longer asking for portfolio reshuffles, new auditions or the replacement of commissioners-designate, a roundup of opinions in Strasbourg revealed yesterday (20 January).
Extreme-right seeks European unity, again
Another attempt to establish a pan-European extreme-right party was made in Budapest last weekend (24-25 October) by extremist forces from a variety of European countries, targeting better representation in the European Parliament. EURACTIV Hungary contributed to this article.
Polish public TV promotes Libertas
Libertas, the pan-European party founded by controversial Irish millionaire Declan Ganley, appears to be wiping its election rivals from public TV stations, new air-time results show. EURACTIV Poland reports.
New party: Trans-European politics will boost EU’s world power
Only with the proliferation of trans-European parties can we build the "strong and stable democracy" needed to see the EU achieve its potential as a "world power", Bart Kruitwagen, treasurer of the 'Newropeans' party, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview ahead of the European elections.
Fresh faces for German Greens in EU elections
A mixture of new and established political figures will campaign for a 'new Green deal' in this summer's European elections, the German Greens decided at their European convention last weekend.
Stetter: ‘Stop talking about institutions, start stating values’
Ahead of next summer's European elections, politicians should adopt a different political discourse based on values to engage citizens in the European project, Ernst Stetter, secretary-general of the newly-launched Foundation for European Progressive Studies, told EURACTIV in an interview.Interview: New Socialist think tank describes EU role
Speaking to EURACTIV in an interview, Ernst Stetter, secretary-general of a newly-launched political foundation affiliated to the Socialists, urged EU politicians to adopt a different political discourse based on values to engage citizens in the European project.
Lunacek: Greens’ dream turns social ahead of EU elections
The financial and economic crisis gives the Greens an opportunity to show voters that they are not just campaigning "to save trees, but people too," said Austrian Green MP Ulrike Lunacek in an interview with EURACTIV.
Interview: Greens’ dream turns social ahead of EU elections
The financial and economic crisis gives the Greens an opportunity to show voters that they are not just campaigning "to save trees, but people too," said Austrian Green MP Ulrike Lunacek in an interview with EURACTIV.
British MEP thrown out of Parliament group over Nazi slur
British Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan yesterday caused outrage in the European Parliament after comparing its German president, Hans-Gert Pöttering, to Adolf Hitler, highlighting deeper unease between the Tories and Parliament's leading political group.
Party funding reform aims to boost turnout in 2009 EU elections
The EU institutions yesterday adopted a new regulation designed to raise the profile of European political parties, with a view to raising public awareness of European issues and improving voter turnout ahead of the next European Parliament elections in 2009.