European Conservatives: Difference between revisions

| chairs = [[Kent S. Kirk]],<ref name="EPKentSKirk">{{cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/802/KENT+S._KIRK/history/1 |title=European Parliament profile of Kent S. Kirk |date=26 August 1948 |publisher=Europarl.europa.eu |access-date=2023-07-18 July 2023}}</ref><ref name="AEI003730_1">[http://aei.pitt.edu/5765/01/003730_1.pdf European Parliament press release 1984] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911085807/http://aei.pitt.edu/5765/01/003730_1.pdf |date=September 11, September 2008 }}</ref><br />

| meps = 63 (July 7, July 1979)

On 1 January 1973 the Community enlarged for the first time to include [[Denmark]], [[Republic of Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. The British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] and Danish [[Conservative People's Party (Denmark)|Conservative People's Party]] formed their own group called the European Conservative Group on 16 January 1973.<ref name="t1s2">[http://www.kas.de/wf/de/71.4504/ Political Groups of the European Parliament] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517163147/http://www.kas.de/wf/de/71.4504/ |date=May 17, May 2011 }}</ref><ref name="t1s7">{{cite web|url=http://www.europe-politique.eu/groupe-des-democrates-europeens.htm |title=ED on Europe Politique |publisher=Europe-politique.eu |access-date=2016-07-31 July 2016}}</ref>

In the ensuing years, the group collected additional [[centre-right politics|centre-right]] members, and on 17 July 1979<ref name="t1s7"/> it changed its name to the "European Democratic Group".<ref name="t1s49">{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/1393/Sir_JAMES_SCOTT-HOPKINS_home.html |title=European Parliament profile of James Scott-Hopkins |publisher=Europarl.europa.eu |access-date=2016-07-31 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="t1s3">{{cite web|url=https://www.cvce.eu/de/obj/the_development_of_political_groups_of_the_european_parliament-en-35c2d1b5-1661-4c33-a65a-db49ade0c5ac.html |title=Development of Political Groups in the European Parliament|date=7 September 2016 |access-date=2023-07-18 July 2023}}</ref>

In March 2009 it was reported that the European Conservatives could be re-created as a group in the European Parliament, led by the British Conservative Party if they withdraw from the [[European People's Party Group| European People's Party–European Democrats]] (EPP-ED) group and succeed in meeting the minimum requirements for a political group in the Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sunday 31st Jul 2016 |url=http://euobserver.com/9/27762/?rk=1 |title=EUobserver / UK Tories confirm they are to leave the EPP | date=12 March 2009 |publisher=Euobserver.com |access-date=2016-07-31 July 2016}}</ref><ref>[http://www.euractiv.com/en/eu-elections/uk-tories-return-eu-socialists-power/article-180179 EurActiv.com - Will UK Tories return EU Socialists to power? | EU - European Information on EU Elections 09] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316192558/http://www.euractiv.com/en/eu-elections/uk-tories-return-eu-socialists-power/article-180179 |date=March 16, March 2009 }}</ref>

On 22 June 2009, the British Conservative Party with their colleagues launched the [[European Conservatives and Reformists]] (ECR) group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8112581.stm |title=Conservative MEPs form new group |work=BBC News |date=2009-06-22 June 2009 |access-date=2016-07-31 July 2016}}</ref>

[[Category:ConservatismPolitical parties disestablished in Europe1979]]