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Freedom and Direct Democracy 2 YOUR VOICE IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TODAY FREEDOM AND DIRECT DEMOCRACY 2 www.efddgroup.eu OUR CHARTER “The Group is open to Members that subscribe to a Europe of Freedom and Democracy and acknowledge the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and parliamentary democracy.” 1 FREEDOM AND CO-OPERATION AMONG PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT STATES Committed to the principles of democracy, freedom and co-operation among Nation States, the Group favours an open, transparent, democratic and accountable co-operation among sovereign European States and rejects the bureaucratisation of Europe and the creation of a single centralised European superstate. 2 MORE DEMOCRACY AND RESPECT OF PEOPLE’S WILL Convinced that the legitimate level for democracy lies with the Nation States, their regions and par- liaments since there is no such thing as a single European people; the Group opposes further Euro- pean integration (treaties and policies) that would exacerbate the present democratic deficit and the centralist political structure of the EU. The Group favours that any new treaties or any modification of the existing treaties are to be submitted to the peoples’ vote through free and fair national referenda in the Member States. The Group does believe that the legitimacy of any power comes from the will of its Peoples and their right to be free and democratically ruled. 3 RESPECT FOR EUROPE’S HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND CULTURAL VALUES Peoples and Nations of Europe have the right to protect their borders and strengthen their own historical, traditional, religious and cultural values. The Group rejects xenophobia, anti-Semitism and any other form of discrimination. Furthermore the group subscribes to the concept of direct democ- racy believing it to be the ultimate check on political elites. 4 RESPECT FOR NATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INTERESTS: FREEDOM OF VOTES Agreeing on embodying these principles in its proceedings, the Group respects the freedom of its delegations and Members to vote as they see fit. OUR CO-PRESIDENTS DAVID BORRELLI NIGEL FARAGE There are people who live You are very welcome to read this pro- as protagonists. They feel TOGETHER spectus on the people, parties and part of a community, a principles of the Europe of Freedom node of a network, and ex- we can become and Direct Democracy Group. Our press it in everything they the people’s voice delegations although of different na- do. They know that they no tionalities are happy to work togeth- longer have to believe the er in common cause, for you guessed television and the newspa- it – it says it on the tin. At a time with pers, they search for information big government, big banks and big and debate on the Net. They do not just business are strangling national identi- criticize unjust laws, they plan all together ties, democracies and economies, I am a better present. They do not settle for very proud that our Group will help and huckster politicians, they elect for the in- encourage each member to struggle for stitutions spokesmen of the citizens. They what is necessary or best for their country. do not resign to the crisis, they build day The EFDD Group is cemented together by after day a more just, transparent, hon- strong adherence to core political princi- est society. They do not leave the fate of ples and favours open, democratic and ac- their country to European bureaucrats, countable co-operation among sovereign they build instruments of direct democracy European States. We will do everything to regain sovereignty. We are the Group possible to reduce bureaucracy and cen- EFDD. And we bring back the sovereignty tralised state control. So come join with of citizens within the European Parliament. me and my band of democratic patriots – together we can become the peoples’ voice. David Borrelli MEP, Co-Chair EFDD Group Nigel Farage MEP, Co-Chair EFDD Group in the European Parliament in the European Parliament OUR MEPS BY MEMBERS NATIONAL DELEGATION UNITED KINGDOM Nigel Farage John Stuart Agnew Co-Chair Member Conference of Presidents e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Tim Aker Jonathan Arnott Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Gerard Batten Louise Bours Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] James Carver David Coburn Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Jane Collins William Dartmouth Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Bill Etheridge Raymond Finch Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Nathan Gill Roger Helmer Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Mike Hookem Diane James Member Member e-mail e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Paul Nuttall Patrick O’ Flynn S - Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Margot Parker Julia Reid Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Jill Seymour Steven Woolfe Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] ITALY David Borrelli Isabella Adinolfi Co-Chair Member Conference of Presidents e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Marco Affronte Laura Agea Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Daniela Aiuto Tiziana Beghin Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Fabio Massimo Castaldo Ignazio Corrao Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Rosa D’Amato Eleonora Evi Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Laura Ferrara Giulia Moi Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Piernicola Pedicini Dario Tamburrano Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Marco Valli Marco Zanni Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Marco Zullo Member e-mail: [email protected] CZECH REPUBLIC LITHUANIA Petr Mach Rolandas Paksas Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] POLAND FRANCE Robert Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz Joëlle Bergeron Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] SWEDEN Peter Lundgren Kristina Winberg Member Member e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] GERMANY Beatrix von Storch Member e-mail: [email protected] WHO WE’RE COMMITTED WE ARE The EFDD group is the only genuine opposition within the FREEDOM OF COOPERATION European Parliament. Its members were clearly elected AMONG PEOPLE OF on their rejection of the integrationist policies pursued DIFFERENT MEMBER STATES by the European Commission in Brussels. Almost all of MORE DEMOCRACY AND the other groups routinely vote “yes” to everything and RESPECT OF PEOPLE’S WILL have done so for over thirty years. The two biggest politi- cal groups also share jobs, positions and vote together RESPECT FOR EUROPE’S for 97% of all proposals. HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND CULTURAL VALUES Times have changed. A growing number of observers RESPECT FOR NATIONAL now admit that we were right, the single currency is a DIFFERENCES AND INTERESTS: dismal failure.The borderless Shengen area leaks like a FREEDOM OF VOTES sieve. The EU of pages and pages of regulations and di- rectives is an economic dwarf in the age of globalisation. Europe’s negotiations to achieve Turkey’s membership is a complete rejection of its geography, history, political values and its Christian and Humanist roots. An EU led and ran by technocrats, experts, officials, judges and bankers, is the beginning of a terrifying anti-democratic era. We believe that there is no democratic, economic, or individual freedom without real responsibility. We believe that there can be neither lasting peace nor prosperity without a Europe of sovereign nations and democracies. We believe in the urgent need to restore the sovereign power of the people as the beating heart of all politics. We believe that properly protected borders are the way for our different civiliza- tions to live together peacefully. Our group alone has the energy and the will to build a Europe of all its peoples. A Europe of the people, by the people and for the people. OUR DELEGATIONS DIRECT DEMOCRACY LET THE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR SAY! WHY DIRECT DEMOCRACY ? Only the unelected have a right to propose legislation within the European system. Not one of the European Commissioners has been directly voted for by the peoples of Europe; and no single Commissioner be removed by them; this can’t be and will never be our definition of Democracy ! The European Parliament is to a large extent just a talking THE GLORY AND shop which cannot initiate or repeal any EU law. The EFDD GENIUS OF EUROPE Group is opposed to the pernicious centralisation of power IS THE DIVERSITY OF ITS in the hands of the unelected in Brussels. We propose PEOPLES, ITS CULTURES something completely different – we want to encourage the AND ITS LANGUAGES peoples of Europe to have a direct say in the laws that gov- ern their country. We believe that major decisions can and should be legitimised by free and fair referendum - not just at the national level, but also at the regional and local level.
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