Πανεπιστήμιο Μακεδονίας Τμήμα Βαλκανικών, Σλαβικών και Ανατολικών Σπουδών « The evolution of the European People’s Party after the integration of parties from Western and Eastern Europe. Lessons to be learned for European Integration and the development of Europarties » Διδακτορική Διατριβή Μιχαήλ Β. Πεγκλή Επιβλέποντες καθηγητές ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΣ ΜΑΡΑΝΤΖΙΔΗΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ ΒΑΛΗΝΑΚΗΣ ΓΕΡΑΣΣΙΜΟΣ ΜΟΣΧΟΝΑΣ ΙΟΥΝΙΟΣ 2016 1 2 Table of Contents Εισαγωγικό σημείωμα ........................................................................................................................ 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 8 Presentation of the topic .................................................................................................................... 9 Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 1: History ................................................................................................................................... 21 The European Union of Christian Democrats ......................................................................... 35 Chapter 2: the creation of the EPP ................................................................................................... 40 The ‘linear’ approach ......................................................................................................................... 40 The working group «European Party» ...................................................................................... 45 The reaction of the Austrian and the Swiss parties ............................................................. 48 The cooperation with the Conservatives .................................................................................. 51 The British Conservatives ............................................................................................................... 55 The German Union parties .............................................................................................................. 57 Hypothesis 1: Europarty or Association of parties? ................................................................ 62 a. The high level of integration of the EUCD ........................................................................... 63 b. The discussions prior to the creation of the EPP ............................................................. 64 c. The foundations of the EPP ........................................................................................................ 66 d. The first years of operation – 1970s ...................................................................................... 69 e. The first years of operation – 1980s ...................................................................................... 71 f. The European elections: 1979 – 1984 – 1989 .................................................................... 81 Epilogue on the hypothesis 1 ......................................................................................................... 85 Chapter 3: The Enlargement of the 1980s ................................................................................... 87 Hypothesis 2: The EPP aspired not to ‘enlarge’ but to subscribe its new members to Christian Democracy .............................................................................................................................. 87 Integrating more parties in the 1980s ....................................................................................... 98 Portugal ................................................................................................................................................... 99 The integration of Spain ................................................................................................................ 101 The relations with the EUCD ....................................................................................................... 103 The Spanish Partido Popular (PP) ............................................................................................ 105 The ‘two-step’ strategy for the enlargement ....................................................................... 112 The rapprochement with the British Tories ........................................................................ 119 Chapter 4: The opening up of Eastern Europe ........................................................................ 130 Hypothesis 3: The EPP pursued a prudent policy of proliferation of Christian democracy in the new democracies that delivered results. .............................................. 133 Summary of findings on Hypothesis 3 .................................................................................... 133 The role of Complementary institutions ............................................................................... 136 Evidence in support of hypothesis 3 ....................................................................................... 143 EPP’s journey to Central and Eastern Europe ..................................................................... 147 Chapter 5: The enlargement to the conservative parties ................................................... 167 The 1995 EU enlargement ........................................................................................................... 168 3 A difficult marriage with the Scandinavians ........................................................................ 179 The evolution in Italy: Forza Italia ........................................................................................... 183 France revisited ................................................................................................................................ 190 The EPP beyond 1999......................................................................................................................... 191 Hypothesis 4: The EPP today is not more integrated than in its early days. ............. 192 Chapter 6: Merger with the EUCD and the EDU ...................................................................... 195 Chapter 7: Academic discussion and assessment on the enlargement ........................ 202 The decline of Christian Democracy ........................................................................................ 210 Understanding the EPP Enlargement ..................................................................................... 213 Reviewing the protagonists ......................................................................................................... 215 The German Union parties ........................................................................................................... 217 Chapter 8: Lessons for European integration .......................................................................... 220 Europeanisation of Eastern European parties .................................................................... 220 Europeanisation and Conditionality ........................................................................................ 225 Inhomogenous Europeanisation ............................................................................................... 228 Chapter 9: Lessons for the Europarties ...................................................................................... 231 Do we need parties in the European Union? ....................................................................... 233 Europarties and the debate on politicisation ...................................................................... 236 Europarties evolution «by statue and by practice» .......................................................... 241 Chapter 10: Summary and end remarks .................................................................................... 244 In this Thesis: ..................................................................................................................................... 244 Annexes ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 Annex 1: Press reports from the creation of the EPP ...................................................... 251 Annex 2: 1984 Speech of EPP President Tindermans ..................................................... 254 Annex 3: Membership evolution ............................................................................................... 256 Annex 4: Memorandum on the Integration of the EUCD within the EPP ............... 268 Annex 5: From the minutes of EPP Council in Vilamoura, July 6, 1998 ................... 269 Annex 6: The 1998 EPP Brussels Declaration ..................................................................... 272 Annex 7: List and Table of contents of EPP historical archive..................................... 273 Annex 8: Docs on EPP / EUCD / CDI meetings found in the archive ........................ 290 Annex 9: Interviews ........................................................................................................................ 326 Annex 10: List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................ 328 Bibliography ...........................................................................................................................................