European Democratic Party

The European Democratic Party (EDP) is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on 16 April 2004 and formally founded on 9 December 2004 in Brussels. François Bayrou of the French Democratic Movement (MoDem) and Francesco Rutelli, former leader of the Democracy is Freedom and Alliance for Italy parties, serve as the two co-presidents.

Contents

• Member parties
• Former member parties
• References

The EDP was founded in reaction to the rising influence of Eurosceptic parties within European institutions. It drew pro-European centrist parties from the European People's Party (EPP) group to form a new centrist multinational bloc. Its co-founder François Bayrou described it as a party for people being neither conservative nor socialist, like the United States Democratic Party.

Since the beginning of the 6th European Parliament of 2004–2009, the EDP has formed a joint European parliamentary group with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party called the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group. Although ALDE Party and EDP MEPs continue to sit together in the same parliamentary group, the two European political parties remain separate entities.

The youth wing of the EDP is the Young Democrats for Europe.