Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty

Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty (French: Identité, tradition, souveraineté, ITS, stylized its) was a far-right[2][3] political group in the European Parliament which was composed of 23 MEPs from European parties during the 6th term. A common political charter for the group was signed on 9 January 2007, and the group was formally recognized by Parliamentary president Josep Borrell at the start of the EP plenary session on 15 January.[4][5] Following remarks made by ITS member Alessandra Mussolini that Romanian ITS members found insulting, the Greater Romania Party (PRM) withdrew from the group, thus disqualifying it as an official group. Hence, it formally ceased to exist on 14 November 2007.[6][7]

Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
European Parliament group
Name	Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
English abbr.	ITS
French abbr.	ITS
Formal name	Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty Group
Ideology	Nationalism[1]
Political position	Far-right
From	15 January 2007
To	14 November 2007
Chaired by	Bruno Gollnisch

History

To form a political group in the European Parliament, there needed to be 20 MEPs from six different states (subsequently increased to 25 MEPs from seven states, for the 2009 session[8]). The accession of Bulgaria and Romania brought into the European Parliament a number of new far-right MEPs providing sufficient numbers to form a far right group.[9] Incentives for forming a group are approximately €1 million in public funds and guaranteed seats on the committees of the European Parliament. There were concerns in other parties about public funds and influence going towards a group with such an ideology.[9] Despite attempts to block the group's formation, it was formed on 15 January 2007.[4] However other MEPs successfully blocked ITS from gaining positions on Parliamentary committees, including two vice-presidencies, despite normally being entitled to them.[10]

The largest component was France's National Front and its chairman in the Parliament, Bruno Gollnisch, was chair of the ITS group. The National Front had previous allied with other far right groups in the 1980s.[9] Following the Bulgarian European Parliament elections, the group gained two more Ataka MEPs, Slavcho Binev and Desislav Chukolov.

The PRM announced on 8 November 2007 that it would withdraw its five members from the group on 12 November 2007 over comments made by Alessandra Mussolini over the expulsion of Romanian criminals from Italy in early November 2007, thus dooming the parliamentary group to falter less than a year after its creation.[11] Andreas Mölzer stated in an interview with Die Presse that the group was searching for other MEPs who might join their group to save it.[12] Other MEPs had already welcomed the prospect of the group's demise[13] with Alyn Smith MEP stating that it "warms the heart" to watch them arguing amongst themselves. During the previous months, the group had failed to act as a coherent political faction.[14]

It was announced that the group had been dissolved on 14 November 2007 after four of the five PRM members left the group.[15]

Policies

The group's founding charter has been described as "broadly anti-immigration, anti-EU constitution and anti-Turkish EU membership,"[2][4] while participants emphasised that the group would function relatively loosely. Alessandra Mussolini described it as "more a technical than a political group [...] We are mainly getting together out of necessity. Survival is only possible in a political group."[16]

The Romanian PRM leader stated that he favoured a strong association and eventual EU membership for Turkey provided it settles the dispute regarding Cyprus and that the common ground for the new group is based exactly on the values the group's name suggests.[17]

Membership

Bruno Gollnisch, chair of the ITS group

The membership of ITS while it existed between January and November 2007;

Party and State	Seats	MEP	Bureau position
National Front  France	7	Bruno Gollnisch	Chairman
		Carl Lang
		Jean-Marie Le Pen
		Marine Le Pen
		Fernand Le Rachinel
		Jean-Claude Martinez
		Lydia Schenardi
Greater Romania Party  Romania	5	Daniela Buruiană
		Eugen Mihăescu	Vice-chairman
		Viorica Moisuc
		Petre Popeangă	Treasurer
		Cristian Stănescu
Independent  Romania		Mircea Coşea
Flemish Interest  Belgium	3	Philip Claeys	Vice-chairman
		Koenraad Dillen
		Frank Vanhecke
National Union Attack  Bulgaria	3	Dimitar Stoyanov	Member at large, representing Ataka
		Slavcho Binev
		Desislav Chukolov
Social Alternative  Italy	1	Alessandra Mussolini	Member at large, representing AS
Tricolour Flame  Italy	1	Luca Romagnoli	Member at large, representing FT
Freedom Party  Austria	1	Andreas Mölzer	Member at large, representing FPÖ

See also

• Euronat
• European National Front (2004–2009)
• Group of the European Right (1984–89)
• Technical Group of the European Right (1989–94)
• Pan-European identity

References

1. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2007). "European Union". Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
2. Duncan Watts (2008). The European Union. Edinburgh University Press. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-7486-3298-5.
3. Senem Aydin-Düzgit (2012). Constructions of European Identity: Debates and Discourses on Turkey and the EU. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-137-16085-0.
4. Mahony, Honor (2007-01-09). "Far-right group formed in European Parliament". EUobserver. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
5. "Rechtsaußenbündnis im Europaparlament entsteht" (in German). Der Standard. 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
6. MEPs welcome fall of far-right group EU Observer
7. "End of the Identity , Tradition and Sovereignty political group as Romanian MEPs leave".
8. Times OnLine "No shortage of European bedfellows for BNP," by David Charter (June 8th, 2009 - retrieved on June 10th, 2009).
9. Brunwasser, Matthew (2007-01-14). "Bulgaria and Romania bolster far right profile in EU Parliament". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
10. "Far-Right Wing Group Sidelined in European Parliament". Deutsche Welle. 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
11. theparliament.com - Far-right group in EU parliament collapses
12. ""Rechtsaußen-Fraktion" nach Mussolini-Ausbruch vor Ende «". Diepresse.com. 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
13. "EU far-right bloc faces collapse". BBC News. 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
14. Mahony, Honor (2007-11-08). "Far-right European parliament group on verge of collapse". EU Observer. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
15. theparliament.com - MEPs cheer collapse of far-right ITS group
16. Mahony, Honor (2007-01-08). "Plans for European far-right group intensify". EUobserver. Retrieved 2007-01-13.
17. Romanian OTV channel, January 10, 2007

Further reading

• Duerr, Glen M. E. (2015). Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty: The Transnational Linkages of Radical Nationalist Political Parties in the European Union. Digital Media Strategies of the Far Right in Europe and the United States. Lexington Books. pp. 105–122.

External links

• New political group: Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty in Opening of the January plenary session - Welcome of Bulgarian and Romanian MEPs / Formation of a new political group, European Parliament News (2007-01-15)
• Kontakt. Programm für Kunst und Zivilgesellschaft: Extended European right-wing extremism: new patriots, new alliances, (2007-03-27)
• Who's who in EU's new far-right group, BBC News (2007-01-12)
• Matthew Tempest: British MEP joins far-right group, The Guardian (2007-01-11)
• Ian Traynor: Romania's first gift to the European Union - a caucus of neo-fascists and Holocaust deniers, The Guardian (2007-01-08)