End-of-term scorecard, part 3

End-of-term scorecard, part 3:
How often have Euro-sceptic/far-right parties voted together in 2009-2014?
VoteWatch Europe special policy brief 5/2014
Introduction
This special VoteWatch Europe policy brief contains a quantitative analysis of the voting
trends during the 7th European Parliament (2009-2014). It looks in particular to the voting
records of seven Eurosceptic/far-right parties, with the aim of showing how these parties’
voting records match. As the formation of a new group in the far right of the 2014-2019 EP is
very possible, this exercise is meant to show how much the Eurosceptic parties have in
common and where they could look for allies.
The first part of the policy brief analyses the overall voting match between the seven national
parties chosen, but also in key policy domains, during 2009-2014. The second part shifts the
focus to the mainstream groups in the EP, too show how the main national parties composing
them matched in voting preferences.
The analysis shows that on average, the seven Eurosceptic parties’ voting match is just over
50%. In other words, in each combination of two far-right parties, half of the time they vote
the same way and the other half they vote against each other.
There are two rather counter-intuitive findings: firstly, the French Front national (FN) and
Austrian Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) vote together quite often (86% of votes).
Secondly, the Front national and the Dutch Partij Voor de Vrijheid (PVV), possible allies in a
new far-right EP group, have voted against each other 49% of times. In fact, it turns out that
for the PVV UKIP would be a better match than FN, as PVV and UKIP voted together in 67% of
cases.
By contrasts, the matching scores between parties belonging to the EPP, S&D, ALDE,
Greens/EFA and ECR groups have been much higher.
Note: This report shows only factual information based on the roll-call votes cast in EP
plenary, and does not seek to express views on the reasons behind the MEPs’ votes. For more
information, the websites of the MEPs can offer more detailed explanations of their votes and
activities in the EP.
For detailed figures, please refer to the Annexes.
Contents
Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................................... 2
1.
Matching scores of Eurosceptic/far-right national parties ........................................................... 3
2.
Matching scores of Eurosceptic/far-right national parties in key policy areas............................ 4
Annex I: Euro-sceptic/far-right parties voting match (2009-2014)....................................................... 5
Annex II: matching scores in mainstream EP groups (2009-2014) ....................................................... 6
Abbreviations
ALDE
ECR
EFD
EP
EPP
EU
Greens/EFA
GUE-NGL
MEP(s)
NI
S&D
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
European Conservatives and Reformists Group
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group
European Parliament
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)
European Union
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left
Member(s) of the European Parliament
Non-attached Members
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European
Parliament
VoteWatch Europe is an independent organisation set up to promote better debates and greater
transparency in EU decision-making, by providing easy access to, and analysis of, the votes and other
activities of the European Parliament (EP) and the EU Council of Ministers (Council). VoteWatch uses
the EU Institutions' own attendance, voting and activity data - available through their websites - to
give a full overview of MEP and Member State activities.
VoteWatch Europe is funded by grants from Adessium Foundation, Fondation Charles Leopold
Mayer/Citizens for Europe, the Open Society Foundations and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. It
is supported by Burson-Marsteller and White and Case.
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1. Matching scores of Eurosceptic/far-right national parties
This policy brief analyses the matching voting scores between seven Eurosceptic/far right
parties represented in the European Parliament during the 2009-2014 mandate. Out of these
seven parties, three were members of the European Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group,
while the rest were non-affiliated. These parties are:
Party
United Kingdom
Independence Party
Lega Nord
Slovenská národná
strana
Front National
Partij Voor de Vrijheid
Freiheitliche Partei
Österreichs
Vlaams Belang
Abbreviation
Member State
EP Group
Affiliation
Number of MEPs
(as at 20.05.2014)
EFD
8
EFD
6
LN
United
Kingdom
Italy
SNS
Slovakia
EFD
1
FN
PVV
France
Netherlands
NI
NI
3
3
FPÖ
Austria
NI
2
VB
Belgium
NI
1
UKIP
All these parties are expected to be represented again in the future EP, some with a
significantly larger number of Members. UKIP might have 24 MEPs, and FN 23, according to
the 14 May PollWatch2014 prediction.
The non-attached parties included in this policy brief are expected to consider forming a new
EP group - the European Alliance for Freedom (EAF), from the transnational party with that
name. It takes at least 25 MEPs from 7 Member States to form a new EP group, and if the
predictions will materialise, EAF will reach that threshold.
However, an analysis of the voting matches between these seven national parties shows little
compatibility. On average, these national parties have a 51% voting match. The best match is
between the French FN and Austrian FPÖ, both non-attached parties, which agreed in a
proportion of 86%. All the other scores are significantly lower, below 70%.
It is interesting to notice that the two parties that are at the core of a right wing electoral
alliance that might materialise into the EAF group, FN and PVV, voted the same in just 51% of
the cases, a relatively small match. PVV matches better with UKIP (67% - the second highest
match overall).
Slovak Slovenská národná strana (SNS) had registered the lowest matches – 33% with UKIP
and 37% with PVV. Its best match was with Italian Lega Nord (57%).
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By contrast, if we look at some of the matching scores of parties belonging to the mainstream
political groups, we see a very different picture:





In the EPP Group, the French Union pour un mouvement populaire (UMP) had a very
high match with the German Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU) of 95%.
In the S&D Group, the British Labour Party had a match of 85% with the French Parti
socialiste (PS) and 89% with the German Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
(SPD).
In the ALDE Group, the British Liberal Democrats had a 90% match with the German
Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP) and 85% with the French Mouvement Démocrate.
In the Greens/EFA Group, the German Bündnis 90/Die Grünen had a match with the
French Europe Ecologie Les Verts of 96%.
In the ECR Group, the British Conservatives matched with the Czech Občanská
demokratická strana (ODS) 92% and with the Polish Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS) 85%.
2. Matching scores of Eurosceptic/far-right national parties in key policy
areas
In the key policy areas, things don’t differ considerably. A look at the civil liberties, internal
market and economic and monetary affairs legislation fields proves that the matching scores
between these parties are low, with some notable exceptions.
a) Civil liberties, justice and home affairs
Again, the best matching score is between FN and FPÖ (92%). The lowest matching score is
identical to the overall one, 33%, between SNS and UKIP. On average, in the civil liberties field,
the seven national parties matched 55%, a slightly higher rate than the overall one.
b) Internal market and consumer protection
When it comes to internal market issues, the best match is again between FPÖ and FN (89%).
These two parties also had average matches with VB (77% FN-VB; 72% FPÖ -VB). A very low
match was registered between UKIP and SNS (12%). On average, the match was of 44% in the
internal market and consumer protection policy area.
c) Economic and monetary affairs
The matching scores in this policy area are identical to the overall ones. On overage, the seven
national parties had a 51% match. The best match was between FN and FPÖ (86%), while the
lowest match was between UKIP and SNS (33%). This shows that the seven national parties
included in the report voted the same only on approximately half of the votes on average.
The individual matching scores are relatively low. However, Front National and Freiheitliche
Partei Österreichs had high matching scores overall but also in different key policy domains.
Front National and the Dutch Partij Voor de Vrijheid had low matches, the latter seeming to
have a better compatibility with United Kingdom Independence Party.
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Annex I: Euro-sceptic/far-right parties voting match (2009-2014)
Overall roll-call votes
PVV
PVV
UKIP
FN
FPÖ
LN
SNS
VB
67%
51%
48%
43%
37%
55%
47%
43%
37%
33%
48%
86%
54%
45%
64%
53%
45%
62%
57%
54%
UKIP
67%
FN
51%
47%
FPÖ
48%
43%
86%
LN
43%
37%
54%
53%
SNS
37%
33%
45%
45%
57%
VB
55%
48%
64%
62%
54%
47%
47%
Average match: 51%
Roll-call votes on civil liberties, justice and home affairs
PVV
PVV
UKIP
FN
FPÖ
LN
SNS
VB
68%
63%
64%
57%
38%
68%
47%
43%
37%
33%
48%
92%
54%
48%
74%
54%
46%
74%
54%
57%
UKIP
68%
FN
63%
47%
FPÖ
64%
43%
92%
LN
57%
37%
54%
54%
SNS
38%
33%
48%
46%
54%
VB
68%
48%
74%
74%
57%
42%
42%
Average match: 55%
Roll-call votes on internal market and consumer protection
PVV
PVV
UKIP
FN
FPÖ
LN
SNS
VB
68%
43%
37%
27%
26%
36%
32%
23%
16%
12%
32%
89%
47%
36%
77%
53%
45%
72%
57%
54%
UKIP
68%
FN
43%
32%
FPÖ
37%
23%
89%
LN
27%
16%
47%
53%
SNS
26%
12%
36%
45%
57%
VB
36%
32%
77%
72%
54%
50%
50%
Average match: 44%
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Roll-call votes on economic and monetary affairs
PVV
PVV
UKIP
FN
FPÖ
LN
SNS
VB
67%
51%
48%
43%
37%
55%
47%
43%
37%
33%
48%
86%
54%
45%
64%
53%
45%
62%
57%
54%
UKIP
67%
FN
51%
47%
FPÖ
48%
43%
86%
LN
43%
37%
54%
53%
SNS
37%
33%
45%
45%
57%
VB
55%
48%
64%
62%
54%
47%
47%
Average match: 51%
Annex II: matching scores in mainstream EP groups (2009-2014)
Overall roll-call votes
EP Group
National party 1
S&D
Union pour un mouvement
populaire (France)
Labour Party (UK)
S&D
Labour Party (UK)
ALDE
Liberal Democrats (UK)
ALDE
Liberal Democrats (UK)
Greens/EFA
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
(Germany)
ECR
Conservative Party (UK)
ECR
Conservative Party (UK)
EPP
VoteWatch Europe
National party 2
Christlich Demokratische
Union (Germany)
Parti Socialiste (France)
Sozialdemokratische
Partei Deutschlands
(Germany)
Freie Demokratische
Partei (Germany)
Mouvement Démocrate
(France)
Europe Ecologie Les Verts
(France)
Prawo i Sprawiedliwość
(Poland)
Občanská demokratická
strana (Czech Republic)
Match
95%
85%
89%
90%
85%
96%
85%
92%
6