Portal:Politics/Selected article/2007, week 19

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The European People's Party (EPP) is the largest transnational European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP includes Christian Democratic and conservative parties in Europe. The EPP has 69 member-parties from 37 countries, 16 heads of government (11 EU + 5 non-EU), 9 European Commissioners (including the President), and the largest group in the European Parliament with 277 members. According to its website, the EPP is "the family of the political center-right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilization of the European continent and has pioneered the European project from its inception." It's current President is former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens. Martens was re-elected President at the March 2006 EPP Congress in Rome for a 3-year term. The EPP currently holds the Presidencies of the 3 main EU institutions: the European Council led by Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), the European Commission led by President José Manuel Durão Barroso (PSD), and the European Parliament led by President Hans-Gert Pöttering (CDU). This will again be repeated in the first half of 2008, when the Presidency of the European Council will be led by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša (SDS).