EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Greens/Regionalists form new parliamentary group

The European Free Alliance is made up of two Members from Scotland (Scottish National Party), two from Wales (Plaid Cymru), two from Flanders (Volksunie) and three from Spain (Partido Andalucista, Eusko Alkartasuna, Bloque Nacionalista Gallego).

Joint Presidents of the new group will be Heidi Hautala (Greens/Finland) and Paul Lannoye (Greens/Belgium), First Vice-President of the Group will be Nelly Maes (European Free Alliance/Belgium).

“The Greens and the Members of the European Free Alliance have much in common such as working for a sustainable economy and a sound environment or defending the right of self determination,” said Heidi Hautala. “Our new group will have more clout in the European Parliament to achieve our goals.”

Paul Lannoye said: “With the birth of the new group a new political landscape is emerging in the European Parliament. There are now three middle-sized groups – Liberals, The Greens/EFA and GUE – which will play an important role in majority building in the plenary.”