Rainbow Group (1984–1989)

Green Alternative European Link
European Free Alliance

From24 July 1984^[3]To1989^[2]^[5]Preceded byTechnical Group of IndependentsSucceeded byRainbow GroupChaired by

Else Hammerich^[4]
Jaak Vandemeulebroucke^[3]
Bram van der Lek
Paul Staes

MEP(s)20 (24 July 1984)

The Rainbow Group, officially the Rainbow Group: Federation of the Green Alternative European Links, Agalev-Ecolo, the Danish People's Movement against Membership of the European Community, and the European Free Alliance, in the European Parliament was a green and regionalist political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1984 and 1989.

History

The Rainbow Group^[5] was formed in 1984^[2] as a coalition of Greens, Regionalists and other parties of the left unaffiliated with any of the international organizations.

The German Greens and the Dutch Green Progressive Alliance were used a principle of rotation used by the Germany and Dutch parties, requiring its MEPs to sit for half their five-year term.

In 1989^[2]^[5] the Rainbow Group split. The green parties formed the Green Group, whilst the regionalist parties stayed a continuing Rainbow group, with the shorter official name of the Rainbow Group in the European Parliament.

Member parties

Country	Party	MEPs	Notes
Germany	The Greens	7	MEPs served for 2.5 years (half of a regular 5-year term)
Netherlands	Political Party of Radicals	1	Member of an electoral alliance and common delegation with PSP and CPN. MEP served between 1984 and 1987
Netherlands	Pacifist Socialist Party	1	Member of an electoral alliance and common delegation with PPR and CPN
Netherlands	Communist Party of the Netherlands	1	Member of an electoral alliance and common delegation with PSP and PPR. MEP served between 1987 and 1989
Belgium	Agalev	1	Common delegation with Ecolo
Belgium	Ecolo	1	Common delegation with Agalev
Belgium	People's Union	2	Member of the European Free Alliance
Denmark	People's Movement against the European Community	4
Italy	Proletarian Unity Party	1	Member of electoral alliance with Proletarian Democracy
Italy	Proletarian Democracy	1	Member of electoral alliance with Proletarian Unity Party
Italy	Sardinian Action Party	1	Member of the European Free Alliance

Nomenclature

The formal name of the 1984–1989 Rainbow was "Rainbow Group: Federation of the Green Alternative European Links, Agalev-Ecolo, the Danish People's Movement against Membership of the European Community, and the European Free Alliance, in the European Parliament".^[3]^[4] This is the longest name of any European Parliament Group to date.

References

^ Democracy in the European Parliament
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d G/EFA on Europe Politique
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d European Parliament profile of Jaak Vandemeulebroucke
^ ^a ^b ^c European Parliament profile of Else Hammerich
^ ^a ^b ^c Development of Political Groups in the European Parliament

Political groups of the European Parliament

European People's Party (188)
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (136)
Patriots for Europe (84)
European Conservatives and Reformists (78)
Renew Europe (77)
Greens–European Free Alliance (53)
The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL (46)
Europe of Sovereign Nations (25)
Non-Inscrits (32)

Previous groups

Nationalists / far-right	Eurodroite European Right (1984–1989) European Right (1989–1994) Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty (2007) Europe of Nations and Freedom (2015–2019) Identity and Democracy (2019–2024)
National conservatives	European Democratic Union (1965–1973) European Progressive Democrats (1973–1984) European Democratic Alliance (1984–1995) Union for Europe (1995–1999) Union for Europe of the Nations (1999–2009)
Christian democrats / conservatives	Christian Democrats (1953–1979) European People's Party (1979–1999) European Conservatives (1973–1979) European Democrats (1979–1992) Forza Europa (1994–1995) European People's Party–European Democrats (1999–2009)
Liberals / centrists	Liberals and Allies (1953–1976) Liberals and Democrats (1976–1985) Liberal and Democratic Reformist Group (1985–1994) European Radical Alliance (1994–1999) European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (1994–2004) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (2004–2019)
Social democrats	Socialists (1953–1993) Party of European Socialists (1993–2009)
Communists / far-left	Communists and Allies (1973–1989) European United Left (1989–1993) Left Unity (1989–1994) European United Left (1994–1995)
Greens / regionalists	Rainbow Group (1984–1989) Rainbow Group (1989–1994) Greens (1989–1999)
Eurosceptics	Europe of Nations (1994–1996) Independents for a Europe of Nations (1996–1999) Europe of Democracies and Diversities (1999–2004) Independence/Democracy (2004–2009) Europe of Freedom and Democracy (2009–2014) Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (2014–2019)
Heterogeneous	Technical Group of Independents (1979–1984) Technical Group of Independents (1987) Technical Group of Independents (1999–2001)