Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty

.cite news | last =Mahony | first =Honor | title =Far-right group formed in European Parliament | publisher =EUobserver
date =2007-01-09 | url =http://euobserver.com/9/23223 | accessdate =2007-01-10 ] [cite news | title =Rechtsaußenbündnis im Europaparlament entsteht | publisher =Der Standard | date =2007-01-09 | url =http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2717104 | accessdate =2007-01-10 de icon] Following remarks made by ITS member Alessandra Mussolini that Romanian ITS members found insulting, the Greater Romania Party withdrew from the group disqualifying it as an official group. Hence, it formally ceased to exist on 14 November 2007. [ [http://euobserver.com/9/25148 MEPs welcome fall of far-right group] EU Observer]

History

To form a political group in the European Parliament there needs to be 20 MEPs from six different states. The accession of Bulgaria and Romania brought into the European Parliament a number of new far right MEPs providing sufficient numbers to form a far right group.cite web|last=Brunwasser|first=Matthew|title=Bulgaria and Romania bolster far right profile in EU Parliament|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/14/news/right.php|date=2007-01-14|publisher=International Herald Tribune|accessdate=2007-07-07] Incentives for forming a group are approximately 1 million euro in public funds and guaranteed seats on the committees of the European Parliament. There were concerns in other parties about public funds and influence going towards a group with such an ideology. Despite attempts to block the group's formation, it was formed on 15 January 2007. However other MEPs successfully blocked ITS from gaining positions on Parliamentary committees, including two vice-presidencies, despite normally being entitled to them.cite web|title = Far-Right Wing Group Sidelined in European Parliament|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2335201,00.html|publisher=Deutsche Welle|date=2007-02-02|accessdate=2007-07-07]

The largest component was France's National Front and its chairman in the Parliament, Bruno Gollnisch, was chair of the ITS group. The National Front had previous allied with other far right groups in the 1980s. British independent member, Ashley Mote, is currently in jail for benefit fraud. Following the Bulgarian European Parliament elections, the group gained two more Ataka MEPs, Slavcho Binev and Desislav Chukolov.

The PRM announced on 8 November 2007 that it would withdraw its five members from the group on 12 November 2007 over comments made by Alessandra Mussolini over the expulsion of Romanian criminals from Italy in early November 2007, thus dooming the parliamentary group to falter less than a year after its creation. [ [http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200711/9fc13651-1cb0-4a8c-977e-9529a4e94ce2.htm theparliament.com - Far-right group in EU parliament collapses ] ] Andreas Mölzer stated in an interview with "Die Presse" that the group was searching for other MEPs who might join their group to save it. [ [http://diepresse.com/home/politik/eu/342017/index.do?_vl_backlink=/home/politik/eu/index.do „Rechtsaußen-Fraktion“ nach Mussolini-Ausbruch vor Ende « DiePresse.com ] ] Other MEPs have already welcomed the prospect of the group's demise [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7086986.stm BBC NEWS | Europe | EU far-right bloc faces collapse ] ] with Alyn Smith MEP stating that it "warms the heart" to watch them arguing amongst themselves. During the previous months the group had failed to act as a coherent political fraction.cite web|last=Mahony|first=Honor|title = Far-right European parliament group on verge of collase|url=http://euobserver.com/9/25115|publisher=EU Observer|date=2007-11-08|accessdate=2007-11-09]

It was announced that the group had been dissolved on 14 November 2007 after four of the five PRM members left the group, [ [http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200711/1c49e4c7-534e-4e7a-b9e2-b2a8b356bacb.htm theparliament.com - MEPs cheer collapse of far-right ITS group ] ] .

Policies

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."cite news | last =Mahony | first =Honor | title =Plans for European far-right group intensify | publisher =EUobserver | date =2007-01-08 | url =http://euobserver.com/9/23196 | accessdate =2007-01-13 ]

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. [Romanian "OTV" channel, January 10 2007]

Membership

The membership of ITS while it existed between January and November 2007;

See also

* Euronat
* European National Front
* Group of the European Right (1984-89)
* Technical Group of the European Right (1989-94)
* Pan-European identity

References

External links

* "New political group: Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty" in " [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-1928-015-01-03-901-20070112IPR01903-15-01-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm 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: " [http://kontakt.erstebankgroup.net/report/stories/Issue01_07_euroaeischer+Rechtsextremismus_dt+en/en: Extended European right-wing extremism: new patriots, new alliances] ", (2007-03-27)
* Stephen Castle: " [http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2157360.ece Gypsy-haters, holocaust-deniers, xenophobes, homophobes, anti-semites: the EU's new political force] ", "The Independent" (2007-01-17)
* " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6249513.stm Who's who in EU's new far-right group] ", BBC News (2007-01-12)
* Matthew Tempest: " [http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329683254-103690,00.html British MEP joins far-right group] ", "The Guardian" (2007-01-11)
* Ian Traynor: " [http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329678743-106710,00.html Romania's first gift to the European Union - a caucus of neo-fascists and Holocaust deniers] ", "The Guardian" (2007-01-08)