Editing European Parliament (section)

===Coalitions===
Given that the Parliament does not form the government in the traditional sense of many parliamentary systems, majorities are built issue by issue. Generally, this is along broadly [[consensus democracy|consensual]] lines with dynamic coalitions<ref>[http://aei.pitt.edu/97364/1/wp75_marie.pdf European Parliament: Is the grand coalition really a thing of the past?, Awenig Marié, 2019]</ref> rather than [[majority rule]] of competing parties and coalitions.

These coalitions usually involve the [[European People's Party]] and the Socialist and Democrat Group of the [[Party of European Socialists]] who tend to co-operate to find compromises between them and then bring in others. Their relationship has been described as a [[grand coalition]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Settembri |first=Pierpaolo |title=Is the European Parliament competitive or consensual&nbsp;... "and why bother"? |url=http://www.fedtrust.co.uk/admin/uploads/FedT_workshop_Settembri.pdf |publisher=Federal Trust |date=2 February 2007 |access-date=7 October 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026181653/http://www.fedtrust.co.uk/admin/uploads/FedT_workshop_Settembri.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref> However, this does not always produce agreement, and each may instead try to build other alliances, the EPP normally with other centre-right or right wing Groups and the PES with centre-left or left wing groups. Sometimes, the Liberal (Renew Europe) Group is then in the pivotal position.

There are also occasions where very sharp party political divisions have emerged, for example over the [[Santer Commission#Budget controversy|resignation of the Santer Commission]].<ref name="Ringe"/> When the initial allegations against the Commission emerged, they were directed primarily against [[Édith Cresson]] and [[Manuel Marín]], both socialist members. When the parliament was considering refusing to discharge the [[Budget of the European Union|Community budget]], President [[Jacques Santer]] stated that a no vote would be tantamount to a [[vote of no confidence]]. The Socialist Group initially supported the Commission and saw the issue as an attempt by the EPP to discredit their party ahead of the 1999 elections. Socialist leader, [[Pauline Green]] MEP, attempted a vote of confidence and the EPP put forward counter motions. During this period the two parties took on similar roles to a government-[[Opposition (parliamentary)|opposition]] dynamic, with the Socialists supporting the executive and EPP renouncing its previous coalition support and voting it down.<ref name="Ringe"/> Politicisation such as this has been increasing, in 2007 Simon Hix of the [[London School of Economics]] noted that:<ref name="Farrell Powerful"/>
{{blockquote|Our work also shows that politics in the European Parliament is becoming increasingly based around party and ideology. Voting is increasingly split along left-right lines, and the cohesion of the party groups has risen dramatically, particularly in the fourth and fifth parliaments. So there are likely to be policy implications here too.}}

During the fifth term, 1999 to 2004, there was a break in the grand coalition resulting in a centre-right coalition between the Liberal and People's parties.<ref name="Watson interview">{{cite web|title=Interview: Graham Watson, leader of group of Liberal Democrat MEPs |url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/elections/interview-graham-watson-leader-group-liberal-democrat-meps/article-128543 |publisher=Euractiv |date=15 June 2004 |access-date=1 November 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814000107/http://www.euractiv.com/en/elections/interview-graham-watson-leader-group-liberal-democrat-meps/article-128543 |archive-date=14 August 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref> This was reflected in the Presidency of the Parliament with the terms being shared between the EPP and the Liberals (then called ELDR), rather than the EPP and Socialists.<ref>{{cite news|title=European Parliament elects new president |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/398892.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=20 July 1999|access-date=1 November 2007}}</ref> In the following term the liberal group grew to hold 88 seats, the largest number of seats held by any third party in Parliament.<ref name="ALDE formed">{{cite web|title=The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is born |date=14 July 2004 |publisher=Graham Watson MEP website |url=http://www.grahamwatsonmep.org/news/000017/the_alliance_of_liberals_and_democrats_for_europe_is_born.html |access-date=7 October 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205090940/http://www.grahamwatsonmep.org/news/000017/the_alliance_of_liberals_and_democrats_for_europe_is_born.html |archive-date=5 December 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref> The EPP-S&D coalition lost their majority after the [[2019 European Parliament election]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-05-27 |title=European elections 2019: Power blocs lose grip on parliament |language=en-GB |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48417744 |access-date=2022-10-19}}</ref> requiring support by at least one other political group for a majority, most frequently the liberal Renew Group or the Greens.