European Alliance for Freedom

The European Alliance for Freedom (EAF) was a pan- European political party of right-wing Eurosceptics. It was founded in late 2010, the party was recognised by the European Parliament in 2011. It did not seek registration as a political party with the new ''Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations'' in 2016 and was dissolved in the following.

Unlike most other pan-European parties, the members of the Alliance were not national parties but individuals.
The head office of the Alliance was in Brussels, Belgium, and its registered office was in Birkirkara, Malta. Franz Obermayr from Austria has been the president of the organisation since November 2012, succeeding founding chairman Godfrey Bloom. His vice presidents are the Belgian Philip Claeys and the French Marine Le Pen. The secretary-general is Sharon Ellul-Bonici from Malta.

The EAF was awarded a grant by European Parliament for 2011 of, at most, €372,753. In 2012 the EP's maximal grant dropped to €360,455.Grants from the European Parliament to political parties at European level 2004-2012
March 2012, European Parliament. Retrieved 12 September 2012. The party's affiliated political foundation is the European Foundation for Freedom.

2014 European Parliament election

Ahead of the 2014 European Parliament election, it was suggested that EAF members might form a parliamentary group of their own after the elections. The group was reported to have the support of the French National Front (FN), the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), the Flemish Vlaams Belang (VB), the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), the Sweden Democrats (SD), the Slovak National Party and the Italian Northern League (LN). The Danish People's Party, UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Alternative for Germany refused to join the new alliance, while the more radical and anti-Semitic European nationalist parties such as National Democratic Party of Germany, the British National Party, Greek Golden Dawn and Hungarian Jobbik were not permitted to. Some media reports referred to the proposed group as the " Le Pen– Wilders alliance". In the election, the French FN performed very strongly, winning 24 seats, while the Slovak National Party failed to win a seat and the Sweden Democrats abstained from the alliance (instead joining Europe of Freedom and Democracy), leaving the FN, PVV, LN, FPÖ and VB as the only EAF member parties.

On 28 May, three days after the end of the elections, Le Pen, Wilders, Matteo Salvini (LN), Harald Vilimsky (FPÖ) and Gerolf Annemans (VB) appeared at a press conference in Brussels, claiming to be confident to find enough allies for forming a new group soon. News media reported about a competition between the proposed EAF group led by Le Pen and the existing Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group led by Nigel Farage of UKIP, both trying to win over support from newly represented Eurosceptic, right-wing and populist parties from different countries. While the FN and Wilders preferred to form one large group, including UKIP, the British Eurosceptics decidedly rejected the idea, branding Le Pen's party as too extreme. Eventually, with MEPs from only five different member states, the proposed EAF group fell short of the parliament's requirement of seven member states to be represented in each group. Instead, their MEPs have continued to sit as ''Non-Inscrits''.

Structure

President

*2010–2012 – Godfrey Bloom ( UK)
*2012–present – Franz Obermayr (Austria)

Vice president

*2010–present – Philip Claeys (Belgium); Marine Le Pen (France)

General Secretary

*2010–present – Sharon Ellul-Bonici (Malta)

Former members

Former members of the European Parliament

* – Georg Mayer (FPÖ)³,
* – Andreas Mölzer (FPÖ),
* – Harald Vilimsky, (FPÖ)
* – Gerolf Annemans (MEP) (Vlaams Belang)
* – Dimitar Kinow Stojanow (MEP, NDP, formerly Attack)
* – Jean-Marie Le Pen ( National Front)
* – Marine Le PenMarine Le Pen en Autriche
, Front National, 27 January 2012 ( National Front)³
* – Janusz Korwin-Mikke (MEP)
* – Robert Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (MEP)
* – Michał Marusik (MEP)
* – Stanisław Żółtek (MEP)
* – Godfrey Bloom (MEP, Independent, formerly UKIP)
* – Jane Collins (MEP, UKIP)
* – Mike Hookem (MEP, UKIP)

Former board members and other members

* – Martin Lank (Dawn – National Coalition)
* – Torsten GroßAbout EAF
/ref> (Citizens in Rage)
* – Jan Timke (Citizens in Rage)
* – Krisztina Morvai (Independent, associated with Jobbik)Krisztina Morvai is quitting the European Alliance for Freedom Party
, Hungarian Ambiance, 26 July 2011
* – Serzants Karlis (Union of Greens and Farmers, Member of Saeima)
* – Rolandas Paksas, Juozas Imbrasas (Order and Justice)²
* – Anthony Agius Decelis (Labour Party (Malta))
* – Sharon Ellul-Bonici
* – Przemysław Wipler
* – Kent Ekeroth (Sweden Democrats)

¹ Morvai is associated with Jobbik while not being a formal member. She quit in July 2011, citing differences with the FPÖ.

² Paksas and Imbrasas later joined the Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy (MELD)

³ Left to form Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENL)

References

Further reading

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External links

Official website

European Foundation for Freedom

{{DEFAULTSORT:European Alliance for Freedom
Far-right politics in Europe
Pan-European political parties
Eurosceptic parties
Right-wing populism in Europe
Political parties established in 2010
2010 establishments in the European Union