Editing European Free Alliance

{{short description|Regionalist European political party}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| colorcode        = {{EUPP data|color}}
| name             = {{EUPP data|official name}}
| abbreviation     = {{EUPP data|acronym}}
| logo             = [[File:European Free Alliance.svg|200px|Logo of the European Free Alliance]]
| president        = [[Lorena López de Lacalle Arizti|Lorena Lopez de Lacalle]]
| secretary_general = [[Oriol Cases i Vilà]]
| foundation       = {{Nowrap|{{start date and age|df=y|1981|7|9}}}}
| headquarters     = Boomkwekerijstraat 1, 1000 [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]]
| think_tank       = [[Coppieters Foundation]]
| membership_year  = {{EUPP data|individual members date}}
| membership       = {{EUPP data|individual members}}
| youth_wing       = [[European Free Alliance Youth]]
| position         = [[Catch-all party|Big tent]]<ref>https://www.cidob.org/es/publicaciones/serie_de_publicacion/project_papers/open_european_dialogue/policy_paper/pan_european_parties_who_are_they_what_do_they_want_and_can_they_win_elections {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
| ideology         = {{Nowrap|[[Regionalism (politics)|Regionalism]]<br />[[Autonomism (political doctrine)|Autonomism]]<br />[[Separatism]]}}
| europarl         = [[Greens–European Free Alliance|Greens/EFA]] (3 MEPs)<br />[[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|ECR]] ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], 3 MEPs)<br />[[European People's Party Group|EPP Group]] ([[Manuela Ripa]], direct member)<br /> [[The Left in the European Parliament|The Left]] ([[Pernando Barrena]], direct member)
| colours          = {{color box|#{{wikidata|property|P465}}|border=darkgray}} Purple
<!-- Values derived from Wikidata; do not manually edit -> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q639383 -->
| seats1_title     = [[European Parliament]]
| seats1           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| seats2_title     = {{nobr|[[European Commission]]}}
| seats2           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EC}}
| seats3_title     = [[European Council]]
| seats3           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EUCO}}
| seats4_title     = [[National parliaments of the European Union|European<br/>Lower Houses]]
| seats4           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats5_title     = [[National parliaments of the European Union|European<br/>Upper Houses]]
| seats5           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|ms-upper-house}}
| website          = {{EUPP data|website}}
| country          = the European Union
}}

The '''European Free Alliance''' ('''EFA''') is a [[European political party]] that consists of various [[Regionalism (politics)|regionalist]],<ref name="Hanley2007">{{cite book|author=David Hanley|chapter=Parties, Identity and Europeanisation: An Asymmetrical Relationship?|editor=Marion Demossier|title=The European Puzzle: The Political Structuring of Cultural Identities at a Time of Transition|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NDA--EGAr40C&pg=PA152|year=2007|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-0-85745-863-6|pages=152–}}</ref><ref name="Corbett2012">{{cite book|author=Richard Corbett|chapter=Democracy in the European Union|editor1=Elizabeth Bomberg|editor2=John Peterson|editor3=Richard Corbett|title=The European Union: How Does it Work?|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rXFgGVC9b98C&pg=PA155|year=2012|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-957080-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/europeanunionhow0000unse/page/155 155–]|url=https://archive.org/details/europeanunionhow0000unse/page/155}}</ref><ref name="Nordsieck">{{cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu.html|title=European Union|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|year=2019|access-date=30 May 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608032858/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu.html|archive-date=8 June 2017}}</ref> [[Separatism|separatist]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PaperDetails/24607|title = The European Free Alliance and the International Issues|website=ecpr.eu}}</ref> and [[Minority group|minority]]<ref name="Nordsieck"/> political parties in Europe. Member parties advocate either for full political [[independence]] and [[sovereignty]], or some form of [[devolution]] or [[self-governance]] for their country or region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-f-a.org/about-us/whats-efa-and-history/|title=What's EFA and history|access-date=26 August 2015|archive-date=13 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313134616/http://www.e-f-a.org/about-us/whats-efa-and-history/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The party has generally limited its membership to [[Centre-left politics|centre-left]] and [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] parties;<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gupta|first=Devashree | title = Nationalism across borders: transnational nationalist advocacy in the European Union | journal = [[Comparative European Politics]] | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 61–80 | doi = 10.1057/palgrave.cep.6110127 | date = April 2008 |s2cid=144152782 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Y33BAgAAQBAJ&dq=efa+left-wing+nationalist&pg=PA132 | title = Beyond the Nation State: Parties in the Era of European Integration | author = David Hanley | publisher = Palgrave Macmillan | year = 2008 | page = 132 | isbn = 9781139867757 | quote = Center-left and left-wing regionalist parties are typically associated with EFA. An exception is the Nieuwe-Vlaamse Alliantie, one of the heirs of the Flemish Volksunie, which belonged to the European Popular party in the period 2004 through 2009 and later became affiliated with EFA.}}</ref> therefore, only a fraction of European regionalist parties are members of the EFA. Since 1999, the EFA and the [[European Green Party]] (EGP) have joined forces within [[Greens–European Free Alliance]] (Greens/EFA) [[Political groups of the European Parliament|group]] in the [[European Parliament]], although some EFA members have joined other groups from time to time, for example the [[New Flemish Alliance]] which sits with the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group]].

The EFA is represented in the [[European Council]] by [[Bart De Wever]] of the New Flemish Alliance, who has served as [[Prime Minister of Belgium]] since 2025. Two EU regions are led by EFA politicians: [[Flanders]] with [[Matthias Diependaele]] of the New Flemish Alliance and [[Corsica]] with [[Gilles Simeoni]] of {{lang|co|[[Femu a Corsica]]|italic=no}}. Additionally, [[Scotland]] is led by [[John Swinney]] of the [[Scottish National Party]].

The EFA's youth wing is the [[European Free Alliance Youth]] (EFAY), established in 2000.

==History==
Regionalists have long been represented in the [[European Parliament]]. In the [[1979 European Parliament election|1979 election]] four regionalist parties obtained seats: the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP), the Flemish [[People's Union (Belgium)|People's Union]] (VU), the Brussels-based [[DéFI|Democratic Front of Francophones]] (FDF) and the [[South Tyrolean People's Party]] (SVP). The SNP, although being predominantly [[social democracy|social-democratic]], joined the [[European Progressive Democrats]], a conservative group led by the French [[Rally for the Republic]]. The VU and the FDF joined the heterogeneous [[Technical Group of Independents (1979–84)|Technical Group of Independents]], while the SVP joined the [[European People's Party group]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1979.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=10 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512230243/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1979.html |archive-date=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1981, six parties (VU, the [[Frisian National Party]], [[Independent Fianna Fáil]], the [[Party of German-speaking Belgians]], the [[Party for the Organization of a Free Brittany]] and the [[Alsace-Lorraine National Association]]), plus three observers (the [[Union of the Corsican People]], UPC, the [[Occitan Party]] and the [[Democratic Convergence of Catalonia]], CDC), joined forces to form the European Free Alliance.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.e-f-a.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/3.4.4.3_EFA-THE-INTERNATIONALISM.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=9 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194830/http://www.e-f-a.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/3.4.4.3_EFA-THE-INTERNATIONALISM.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="GouldMessina2014">{{cite book|author1=Andrew C. Gould|author2=Anthony M. Messina|title=Europe's Contending Identities: Supranationalism, Ethnoregionalism, Religion, and New Nationalism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zCVOAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA132|date=17 February 2014|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-03633-8|pages=132–}}</ref> Regionalist MEPs continued, however, to sit in different groups also after the [[1984 European Parliament election|1984 election]]: the SNP in the Gaullist-dominated [[European Democratic Alliance]]; the VU, the [[Sardinian Action Party]] (PSd'Az) and [[Eusko Alkartasuna|Basque Solidarity]] (EA) in the [[Rainbow Group (1984–89)|Rainbow Group]], together with Green parties; the SVP in the [[European People's Party group]]; the CDC with the [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group|Liberal Democrats]]; and [[Herri Batasuna]] among [[Non-Inscrits]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1984.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=20 October 2013 |archive-date=12 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712011449/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1984.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Only after the [[1989 European Parliament election]] did EFA members form a united group, called [[Rainbow Group (1989–94)|Rainbow]] like its green predecessor. It consisted of three Italian MEPs (two for [[Lega Lombarda]] and one for the PSd'Az), two Spanish MEPs (one each for the PNV and the [[Andalusian Party]], PA), one Belgian MEP (for VU), one French MEP (UPC), one British MEP (SNP) and one independent MEP from Ireland. They were joined by 4 MEPs from the Danish left-wing Eurosceptic [[People's Movement against the EU]], while the other regionalist parties, including the SVP, Batasuna and the [[Convergence and Union]] of Catalonia (CiU) declined to join.<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1989.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=20 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512230355/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1989.html |archive-date=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the [[1994 European Parliament election]], the regionalists lost many seats. Moreover, the EFA had suspended its major affiliate, [[Lega Nord]], for having joined forces in government with the post-fascist [[National Alliance (Italy)|National Alliance]]. Also, the PNV chose to switch to the [[European People's Party]] (EPP). The three remaining EFA MEPs (representing the SNP, the VU and the [[Canarian Coalition]]) formed a group with the French ''[[Radical Party of the Left|Énergie Radicale]]'' list and the Italian [[Pannella List]]: the [[European Radical Alliance]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1994.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=20 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512230251/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1994.html |archive-date=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following the [[1999 European Parliament election]], in which EFA parties did quite well, EFA elected MEPs formed a joint group with the [[European Green Party]], under the name [[Greens–European Free Alliance]] (Greens/EFA). In the event the EFA supplied ten members: two each from the Scottish SNP, the Welsh [[Plaid Cymru]], and the Flemish VU, and one each from the Basque PNV and EA, the Andalusian PA and the [[Galician Nationalist Bloc]] (BNG).<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1999.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=20 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225101/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups1999.html |archive-date=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the [[2004 European Parliament election]], the EFA, which had formally become a [[European political party]],<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups2004.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=20 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064901/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups2004.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> was reduced to four MEPs: two from the SNP ([[Ian Hudghton]] and [[Alyn Smith]]), one from [[Plaid Cymru]] ([[Jill Evans]]) and one from the [[Republican Left of Catalonia]] (ERC; [[Bernat Joan i Marí]], replaced at the mid-term by MEP [[Mikel Irujo]] of the Basque EA). They were joined by two associate members: [[Tatjana Ždanoka]] of [[Latvian Russian Union|For Human Rights in United Latvia]] (PCTVL) and [[László Tőkés]], an independent MEP and former member of the [[Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania]] (UMDR). Co-operation between the EFA and the Greens continued.

Following the 2008 revision of the EU Regulation that governs European political parties allowing the creation of [[Political foundation at European level|European foundations]] affiliated to European political parties, the EFA established its official foundation/[[think tank]], the [[Coppieters Foundation]] (CF), in September 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ideasforeurope.eu |title=Centre Maurits Coppieters (CMC) – Ideas for Europe |publisher=Ideasforeurope.eu |access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref>

In the [[2009 European Parliament election]], six MEPs were returned for the EFA: two from the SNP (Ian Hudghton and Alyn Smith), one from Plaid Cymru (Jill Evans), one from the [[Party of the Corsican Nation]] (PNC; [[François Alfonsi]]), one from the ERC ([[Oriol Junqueras]]), and Tatjana Ždanoka, an individual member of the EFA from Latvia. After the election, the [[New Flemish Alliance]] (N-VA) also joined the EFA. The EFA subgroup thus counted seven MEPs.<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups2009.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=10 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512230142/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu-groups2009.html |archive-date=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the [[2014 European Parliament election]], EFA-affiliated parties returned twelve seats to the Parliament: four for the N-VA, two for the SNP, two for "[[The Left for the Right to Decide]]" (an electoral list primarily composed of the ERC), one for "[[The Peoples Decide]]" (an electoral list mainly comprising [[EH Bildu]], a Basque coalition including EA), one for "[[European Spring (Spanish electoral alliance)|European Spring]]" (an electoral list comprising the [[Valencian Nationalist Bloc]], BNV, and the [[Chunta Aragonesista|Aragonese Union]], ChA), one from Plaid Cymru, and one from the [[Latvian Russian Union]] (LKS). Due to ideological divergences with the Flemish [[Groen (political party)|Greens]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/will-flemish-separatists-save-tories-europe-302068|title=Will Flemish separatists save the Tories in Europe?|work=EurActiv – EU News & policy debates, across languages|access-date=26 August 2015|date=13 May 2014}}</ref> the N-VA defected to the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group]] (ECR)<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20140618_01146790|title= N-VA kiest voor ECR-fractie in Europees Parlement|first= Johan|last= Van Overtveldt|date= 18 June 2014|work= standaard.be|language= nl|trans-title= N-VA chooses ECR Group in the European Parliament|access-date= 18 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flanderstoday.eu/politics/n-va-joins-ecr-group-european-parliament|title=N-VA joins ECR group in European Parliament|access-date=26 August 2015|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804110258/http://www.flanderstoday.eu/politics/n-va-joins-ecr-group-european-parliament|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the EH Bildu MEP joined the [[European United Left–Nordic Green Left]] (GUE/NGL) group. Thus, EFA had seven members in the Greens/EFA group and four within ECR.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greens-efa.eu/up-to-date-list-of-the-meps-for-the-new-legislative-period-12490.html|title=Up-to-date list of the MEPs for the new legislative period|access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref>

In the [[2019 European Parliament election]] the EFA gained a fourth seat in the United Kingdom, due to the SNP gaining a third seat to add to Plaid's one. However, the EFA suffered the loss of these seats in January 2020 due to [[Brexit]], which meant SNP and PC MEPs had to leave.

==Ideology==
In the Brussels declaration of 2000, the EFA codified its political principles. The EFA stands for "a Europe of Free Peoples based on the principle of [[subsidiarity]], which believe in solidarity with each other and the peoples of the world."<ref name="STAT">{{cite web |url=http://www.e-f-a.org/efaactive.php?id=12 |title=European Free Alliance |publisher=E-f-a.org |access-date=10 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021070229/http://www.e-f-a.org/efaactive.php?id=12 |archive-date=21 October 2013  }}</ref> The EFA sees itself as an alliance of [[Statelessness|stateless]] peoples, striving towards recognition, autonomy, independence or wanting a proper voice in Europe. It supports European integration on basis of the subsidiarity-principle. It believes also that Europe should move away from further centralisation and works towards the formation of a "Europe of regions". It believes that regions should have more power in Europe, for instance participating in the [[Council of the European Union]], when matters within their [[Jurisdiction|competence]] are discussed. It also wants to protect the [[languages of the European Union|linguistic]] and cultural diversity within the EU.

The EFA broadly stands on the left wing of the political spectrum.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y33BAgAAQBAJ&q=efa+%22left-wing%22&pg=PA132 | title=Europe's Contending Identities: Supranationalism, Ethnoregionalism, Religion, and New Nationalism| isbn=9781139867757| last1=Gould| first1=Andrew C.| last2=Messina| first2=Anthony M.| date=17 February 2014| publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-parliaments-34574041 | title=European Parliament: Guide to the political groups| work=BBC News| date=21 October 2015}}</ref> EFA members are generally [[progressivism|progressive]], although there have been some notable exceptions as the conservative [[New Flemish Alliance]], [[Bavaria Party]], [[Democratic Party of Artsakh]], [[Schleswig Party]] and [[Future of Åland]], the Christian-democratic [[Slovene Union]] and the national-conservative (and often characterised as far-right)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361017961_Autonomism_as_Political_Strategy_A_comparison_between_Quebec_Corsica_and_South-Tyrol|title=160+ million publication pages organized by topic on ResearchGate}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.academia.edu/80489296 | title=Autonomism as Political Strategy. A comparison between Quebec, Corsica, and South-Tyrol | date=January 2022 | last1=Schmitt | first1=Etienne }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/editoriali/09_maggio_08/editoriale_alto_adige_ernesto_galli_della_loggia_fb5d76a4-3b8e-11de-a872-00144f02aabc.shtml |title=I separati dell'Alto Adige|work=Corriere della Sera |access-date=10 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.gelocal.it/altoadige/archivio/altoadige/2010/10/14/AZBPO_AZB03.html |title=Digos e carabinieri nella sede del partito&nbsp;— Alto Adige dal 2004.it " Ricerca |publisher=Ricerca.gelocal.it |date=14 October 2010 |access-date=10 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://altoadige.gelocal.it/cronaca/2011/10/03/news/frattini-denuncia-il-diario-della-klotz-1.4288768 |title=Frattini denuncia il "diario" della Klotz&nbsp;— Cronaca&nbsp;— Alto Adige |publisher=Altoadige.gelocal.it |date=24 July 2012 |access-date=10 May 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130813120537/http://altoadige.gelocal.it/cronaca/2011/10/03/news/frattini-denuncia-il-diario-della-klotz-1.4288768 |archive-date=13 August 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2011/10/04/italia/cronache/nel-diario-scolastico-sudtirolesei-terroristi-si-scoprono-eroi-39Rsc1svaFlvWfi53OBIBJ/pagina.html |title=La Stampa&nbsp;— Nel diario scolastico sudtirolesei terroristi si scoprono eroi |work=La Stampa |date=4 October 2011 |access-date=10 May 2014}}</ref> [[South Tyrolean Freedom]], which left over policy disagreements in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rainews.it/tgr/tagesschau/articoli/2024/10/sud-tiroler-freiheit-verlasst-die-europaische-freie-allianz-de6cf006-9aee-486f-9f63-3da2c1dabcaa.html|title=Süd-Tiroler Freiheit verlässt die „Europäische Freie Allianz“|date=18 October 2024|website=RaiNews}}</ref>

==Organisation==
The main organs of the EFA organisation are the General Assembly, the Bureau and the Secretariat.

===General Assembly===
In the General Assembly, the supreme council of the EFA, every member party has one vote.

===Bureau and Secretariat===
The Bureau takes care of daily affairs. It is chaired by [[Lorena López de Lacalle Arizti|Lorena Lopez de Lacalle]] ([[Eusko Alkartasuna]]), president of the EFA, while Oriol Cases i Vilà ([[Republican Left of Catalonia]]) is secretary-general and [[Anke Spoorendonk]] ([[South Schleswig Voters' Association]]) vice-president and treasurer.<ref name="EFA-Bureau">{{cite web |title=Members of the Bureau Archive |url=https://e-f-a.org/bureau-member |access-date=16 May 2025 |website=e-f-a.org}}</ref>

The Bureau is completed by other ten vice-presidents: [[Jill Evans]] ([[Plaid Cymru]]), Wouter Patho ([[New Flemish Alliance]]), Frank de Boer ([[Frisian National Party]]), Livia Ceccaldi-Volpei ([[Femu a Corsica|Fermu a Corsica]]), [[Zsolt Szilágyi (politician)|Zsolt Szilágyi]] ([[Hungarian People's Party of Transylvania]]), [[Roberto Visentin]] ([[Pact for Autonomy]]), Lorena López Sánchez ([[New Canaries]]), Kerem Aptourachim Oglou ([[Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace]]), [[Lydie Massard]] ([[Breton Democratic Union]]) and Maiken Poulsen Englund ([[Future of Åland]]).<ref name="EFA-Bureau"/>

==Membership==
{{More citations needed|section|date=May 2014}}
Before becoming a member party, an organisation needs to have been an observer of the EFA for at least one year. Only one member party per region is allowed. If a second party from a region wants to join the EFA, the first party needs to agree, at which point these two parties will then form a common delegation with one vote. The EFA also recognises friends of the EFA, a special status for regionalist parties outside of the European Union.<ref name="STAT"/>

The following is the list of EFA members and former members.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://e-f-a.org/parliament-member/|title=Members of the European Parliament |website=e-f-a.org |publisher=European Free Alliance |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref><ref name="members">{{cite web |url=https://e-f-a.org/member-parties/ |title=Member Parties |website=e-f-a.org |publisher=European Free Alliance |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref>

===Full members===
<!-- ORDER BY: 1) COUNTRY; 2) ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Country || Party || Region / Constituency || MPs || MEPs{{efn|The number of MEPs listed below may not match the total number of MEPs of the European party, as it does not include MEPs who join as individual members.}}
|-
| {{flag|Albania}} || [[Macedonian Alliance for European Integration]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mkd.mk/sterjovski-se-sretna-so-pretsedatelkata-na-efa-lorena-lopez-de-lakal/|title=Стерјовски се сретна со претседателката на ЕФА, Лорена Лопез де Лакал|date=9 March 2024|access-date=10 March 2024|language=mk}}</ref> || {{flagicon|North Macedonia}} [[Ethnic Macedonians in Albania|Ethnic Macedonians]] ||  - ||  {{small|Not in the EU}}
|-
| {{flag|Azerbaijan}} || [[Democratic Party of Artsakh]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-f-a.org/whos-who/member-parties/|title=Member Parties|website=e-f-a.org|publisher=European Free Alliance|access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpa.am/wp/?p=2062/|title=Democratic Party of Artsakh is the Associated Member of the European Free Alliance|website=dpa.am|date=17 April 2015 |publisher=Democratic Party of Artsakh|access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref> ||{{flag|Republic of Artsakh}} / {{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Armenians in Azerbaijan|Ethnic Armenians]] || – || {{small|Not in the EU}}
|-
| {{flag|Austria}} || [[Unity List (Austria)|Unity List]] || {{flag|Carinthia}} / {{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Carinthian Slovenes|Ethnic Slovenes]] || – || –
|-
| {{flag|Belgium}} || [[New Flemish Alliance]] || {{flag|Flanders}} || {{Composition bar|25|150|hex={{party color|New Flemish Alliance}}}} || {{Composition bar|3|21|hex={{party color|New Flemish Alliance}}}}
|-
| {{flag|Bulgaria}} || [[United Macedonian Organization Ilinden–Pirin]] || [[Blagoevgrad Province|Pirin]] / {{flagicon|North Macedonia}} [[Ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria|Ethnic Macedonians]] || – || –
|-
| {{flag|Czech Republic}} || [[Moravian Land Movement]] || {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Moravia_with_eagle.svg}} [[Moravia]] || – || –
|-
| {{flag|Denmark}} || [[Schleswig Party]] || [[South Jutland County|Schleswig]] / {{flagicon|Germany}} [[North Schleswig Germans|Ethnic Germans]] || – || –
|-
| {{flag|Finland}} || [[Future of Åland]] || {{flag|Åland}} || – || –
|-
| rowspan=7|{{flag|France}} || [[Breton Democratic Union]] || {{flag|Brittany}} || – || –
|-
| [[Catalan Unity]] || [[Northern Catalonia]] || – || –
|-
| [[Femu a Corsica|Let's Make Corsica]] || {{flag|Corsica}} || {{Composition bar|2|577|hex={{party color|Femu a Corsica}}}} || –
|-
| [[Occitan Party]] || {{flag|Occitania}} || – || –
|-
| [[Unser Land|Our Land]] || {{flag|Alsace}} || – || –
|-
| [[Party of the Corsican Nation]] || {{flag|Corsica}} || {{Composition bar|1|577|hex={{party color|Party of the Corsican Nation}}}} || –
|-
| [[Savoy Region Movement]] || {{flagicon|Savoy}} [[Savoy]] || – || –
|-
| rowspan=2|{{flag|Germany}} || [[Bavaria Party]] || {{flag|Bavaria}} || – || –
|-
| [[South Schleswig Voters' Association]] || {{flag|Schleswig-Holstein}} / {{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Danish minority of Southern Schleswig|Ethnic Danes]] / {{flagicon image|Flag of Frisia.svg}} [[Frisians]] || {{Composition bar|1|736|hex={{party color|South Schleswig Voters' Association}}}} || –
|-
|{{flag|Greece}} || [[Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace]] || [[Western Thrace]] / {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Turks of Western Thrace|Ethnic Turks]] || – || –
|-
| rowspan=5|{{flag|Italy}} || [[Free Sicilians]] || {{flag|Sicily}} || – || –
|-
|[[Now Tuscany]]|| {{flag|Tuscany}}  || – || –
|-
|[[Pact for Autonomy]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.svg}} [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]] || – || –
|-
| [[Valdostan Union]]{{efn|Expelled in 2007 after lack of activity in EFA structures, rejoined at the 2022 congress}} || {{flag|Aosta Valley}} || {{Composition bar|1|600|hex={{party color|Valdostan Union}}}} || –
|-
| [[United Romagna]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of Romagna.svg}} [[Romagna]] || – || –
|-
| {{flag|Netherlands}} || [[Frisian National Party]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of Frisia.svg}} [[Frisians]] / {{flag|Friesland}} || – || –
|-
| {{flag|Romania}} || [[Hungarian Alliance of Transylvania]] || {{flag|Transylvania}} / {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungarians in Romania|Ethnic Hungarians]] || {{Composition bar|1|330|hex={{party color|Hungarian People's Party of Transylvania
}}}} || –
|-
| {{flag|Serbia}} || [[League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina]] || {{flag|1=Vojvodina|2=local}} / [[Ethnic groups in Vojvodina|Ethnic minorities]] (e.g. [[Hungarians in Serbia|Hungarians]]) || – || {{small|Not in the EU}}
|-
| {{flag|Slovenia}} || [[The Olive Tree – Slovene Istria Party]] || {{flagicon image|Coat of arms of Istria.svg}} [[Slovene Istria]] || – || –
|-
| rowspan="10" | {{flag|Spain}} || [[Andalucía por Sí|Andalusia by Herself]] || {{flag|Andalusia}} ||– || –
|-
| [[Estado Aragonés#Estau Aragonés|Aragonese State]] ||rowspan="2"| {{flagicon image|Flag of Aragon.svg}} [[Aragon]] || – || –
|-
| [[Chunta Aragonesista|Aragonese Union]]|| {{Composition bar|1|350|hex={{party color|Chunta Aragonesista}}}} || –
|-
| [[Eusko Alkartasuna|Basque Solidarity]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of the Basque Country.svg}} [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]] || – || –
|-
| [[Galician Nationalist Bloc]] || {{flag|Galicia}} || {{Composition bar|1|350|hex={{party color|Galician Nationalist Bloc}}}} || {{Composition bar|1|61|hex={{party color|Galician Nationalist Bloc}}}}
|-
| [[Més–Compromís|More–Commitment]] || {{flag|Valencian Community|name=Valencian Country}} || {{Composition bar|1|350|hex={{party color|Més–Compromís}}}} || {{Composition bar|1|61|hex={{party color|Més–Compromís}}}}
|-
| [[Més per Menorca|More for Menorca]] || {{flag|Menorca}} || – || –
|-
| [[New Canaries]] || {{flag|Canary Islands}} || – || –
|-
| [[Republican Left of Catalonia]] || {{flag|Catalonia}} / {{flagicon image|Estelada blava.svg}} [[Catalan Countries]] || {{Composition bar|7|350|hex={{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}}}} || {{Composition bar|1|61|hex={{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}}}}
|-
| [[Socialist Party of Majorca]] || {{flag|Balearic Islands}}|| – || –
|-
| rowspan=4|{{flag|United Kingdom}} || [[Mebyon Kernow]] || {{flag|Cornwall}} || – || {{small|Not in the EU}}
|-
| [[Plaid Cymru]] || {{flag|Wales}} || {{Composition bar|4|32|hex={{party color|Plaid Cymru}}}} || {{small|Not in the EU}}
|-
| [[Scottish National Party]] || {{flag|Scotland}} || {{Composition bar|9|57|hex={{party color|Scottish National Party}}}}|| {{small|Not in the EU}}
|-
| [[Yorkshire Party]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirefirst.org.uk/about/opinion/|title=Opinion &#124; Yorkshire First|access-date=11 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211024621/http://www.yorkshirefirst.org.uk/about/opinion/|archive-date=11 December 2014}}</ref> || {{flag|Yorkshire}} || – || {{small|Not in the EU}}
|}

===Individual members===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Country
! Name
! Region/constituency
! Party
|-
| {{flag|Finland}} || [[Harry Jansson (politician)|Harry Jansson]] MP || {{flag|Åland}} || [[Åland Centre]]
|-
| {{flag|Germany}} ||[[Manuela Ripa]] MEP || – || [[Ecological Democratic Party]]
|-
| {{flag|Spain}} || [[Pernando Barrena]] MEP || {{flagicon image|Flag of the Basque Country.svg}} [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]]  || [[Sortu]] / [[EH Bildu]]
|}

===Former members===
<!-- ORDER BY: 1) COUNTRY; 2) ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Country || Party || Region / Constituency || Notes
|-
| rowspan=5|{{flag|Belgium}} || [[Party of German-speaking Belgians]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of the German Community in Belgium.svg}} [[German-speaking Community of Belgium|German Community]] || {{small|Merged into [[ProDG (Belgium)|ProDG]] in 2008}}
|-
| [[People's Union (Belgium)|People's Union]] || {{flag|Flanders}} || {{small|Split into the [[New Flemish Alliance]] and [[Sociaal-Liberale Partij|Spirit]]}}
|-
| [[ProDG (Belgium)|Pro German-speaking Community]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of the German Community in Belgium.svg}} [[German-speaking Community of Belgium|German Community]] || {{small|No longer a member since 2018}}
|-
| [[Sociaal-Liberale Partij|Social Liberal Party]] || {{flag|Flanders}} || {{small|Dissolved in 2009}}
|-
| [[Walloon Popular Rally]] || {{flag|Wallonia}} || {{small|Dissolved as party in 2011}}
|-
| {{flag|Croatia}} || [[Lista za Rijeku – Lista per Fiume|List for Rijeka]] || {{Flagicon image|Flag of Rijeka.svg}} [[Rijeka]] || {{small|No longer a member since 2023}} 
|-
| {{flag|Czech Republic}} || [[Moravané]] || {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Moravia_with_eagle.svg}} [[Moravia]] || {{small|No longer a member since 2018}}
|-
| rowspan=4|{{flag|France}} || [[Alsace-Lorraine National Association]] || {{flag|Alsace}} / {{flag|Lorraine}} || {{small|Dissolved}}
|-
| [[Savoyan League]] || {{flagicon|Savoy}} [[Savoy]] || {{small|Dissolved in 2012}}
|-
| [[Party for the Organization of a Free Brittany]] || {{flag|Brittany}} || {{small|Dissolved in 2000}}
|-
| [[Union of the Corsican People]] || {{flag|Corsica}} || {{small|Merged into the [[Party of the Corsican Nation|PNC]] in 2002}}
|-
| rowspan=2|{{flag|Germany}} || [[Die Friesen|The Frisians]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of Frisia.svg}} [[Frisians]] / {{flagicon image|Ostfriesland Flagge mit Wappen.0.2.svg}} [[East Frisia]] || {{small|No longer a member since 2018}}
|-
| [[Lusatian Alliance]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of Sorbs.svg}} [[Lusatia]] / [[Sorbs]] || {{small|No longer a member since 2023}} 
|-
| {{flag|Greece}} || [[Rainbow (Greece)|Rainbow]] || {{flagicon|North Macedonia}} [[Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia|Ethnic Macedonians]] || {{small|No longer a member since 2023}} 
|-
| {{flag|Hungary}} || {{ill|Renewed Roma Union Party of Hungary|hu|Magyarországi Cigányszervezetek Fóruma Roma Összefogás Párt}} || {{flagicon image|Flag of the Romani people.svg}} [[Romani people in Hungary|Romani people]] || {{small|Dissolved in 2012}}
|-
| {{flag|Ireland}} || [[Independent Fianna Fáil]] || {{flagicon|Ireland|4prov}} [[United Ireland]] || {{small|Dissolved in 2006}}
|-
| rowspan=16|{{flag|Italy}} || [[Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology]] || {{flag|Aosta Valley}} || {{small|Merged into [[Valdostan Alliance]] in 2019}}
|-
| [[Citizens' Union for South Tyrol]] || {{flag|South Tyrol}} || {{small|Expelled in 2008 for opposition to the Bilbao declaration}}
|-
| [[Emilian Free Alliance]] || {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Emilia.svg}} [[Emilia (region of Italy)|Emilia]] || {{small|Dissolved in 2010}}
|-
| [[Friulian Homeland]] || {{flagicon image|Bandiere dal Friûl.svg}} [[Friuli]] || {{small|No longer a member after 2022 congress}}
|-
| [[Lega Lombarda|Lombard League]] || {{flagicon image|Bandiera Lombardia.jpg}} [[Lombardy]] || {{small|Joined [[Lega Nord]] in 1991}}
|-
| [[Movement for the Independence of Sicily (2004)|Movement for the Independence of Sicily]] || {{flag|Sicily}} || {{small|No longer a member after 2022 congress}}
|-
| [[Lega Nord|Northern League]] || {{flag|Padania}} || {{small|Suspended in 1994, left in 1996 and joined [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group|ELDR]]}}
|-
| [[Pro Lombardy Independence]] || {{flagicon image|Bandiera Lombardia.jpg}} [[Lombardy]] ||  {{small|No longer a member after 2022 congress}}
|-
| [[Sardinian Action Party]] || {{flag|Sardinia}} || {{small|Expelled in 2020 for allying with the [[Lega Nord]]}}
|-
| [[Slovene Union]] || {{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Slovene minority in Italy|Ethnic Slovenes]] || {{small|No longer a member since 2023}} 
|-
| [[The Other South]] || {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Southern Italy]] || {{small|No longer a member after 2022 congress}}
|-
| [[Tuscany Freedom Committee]] || {{flagicon|Tuscany}} [[Tuscany]] || {{small|No longer a member in 2024}}
|-
| [[South Tyrolean Freedom]] || {{flag|South Tyrol}} || {{small|Left in 2024}}
|-
| [[Valdostan Alliance]] || {{flag|Aosta Valley}} || {{small|Merged into [[Valdostan Union]] in 2024}}
|-
| [[Liga Veneta|Venetian League]] || {{flag|Veneto}} || {{small|Joined [[Lega Nord]] in 1991}}
|-
| [[Liga Veneta Repubblica|Venetian Republic League]] || {{flag|Veneto}} || {{small|No longer a member after 2022 congress}}
|-
| {{flag|Latvia}} || [[Latvian Russian Union]] || {{flagicon image|Flag of Latvian Russians.svg}} [[Russians in Latvia|Ethnic Russians]] || {{Small|Expelled in 2022}}
|-
| {{flag|Lithuania}} || {{ill|Lithuanian Polish People's Party|lt|Respublikonų lyga}} || {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Poles in Lithuania|Ethnic Poles]]|| {{small|Dissolved in 2010}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Poland}} || [[Kashubian Association]] || {{flag|Kashubia}} / [[Kashubians]]|| {{small|No longer a member since 2023}} 
|-
| [[Silesian Autonomy Movement]]|| {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Upper_Silesia.png}} [[Upper Silesia]] / [[Silesians]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statut – Ruch Autonomii Śląska |date=16 November 2023 |url=https://autonomia.pl/statut/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |language=pl-PL |archive-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216065220/https://autonomia.pl/statut/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>|| {{small|No longer a member since 2023}}
|-
| {{flag|Romania}} || [[Transylvania–Banat League]]|| {{flagicon image|Flag of Transylvania before 1918.svg}} [[Transylvania]] (incl. [[Banat]]) || {{small|Dissolved}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Slovakia}} || {{ill|Hungarian Christian Democratic Association|hu|Magyar Kereszténydemokrata Szövetség}} || {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungarians in Slovakia|Ethnic Hungarians]]|| {{small|Merged into [[Most–Híd|Most–Híd 2023]] in 2023}} 
|-
| [[Hungarian Federalist Party]]|| {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungarians in Slovakia|Ethnic Hungarians]]|| {{small|De-registered in 2005}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |{{flag|Spain}} || [[Andalusian Party]]|| {{flag|Andalusia}} || {{small|Dissolved in 2015}}
|-
| [[Aralar (Basque political party)|Aralar Party]]|| {{flagicon image|Flag of the Basque Country.svg}} [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]]|| {{small|Dissolved in 2017}}
|-
| [[Basque Nationalist Party]]|| {{flagicon image|Flag of the Basque Country.svg}} [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]]|| {{small|Left in 2004 and joined the [[European Democratic Party|EDP]]}}
|-
| [[Canarian Coalition]]|| {{flag|Canary Islands}} || {{small|Left in 1999 and joined the [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group|ELDR Group]]}}
|-
| [[Democratic Convergence of Catalonia]] || {{flag|Catalonia}} / {{flagicon image|Estelada blava.svg}} [[Catalan Countries]] || {{small|Joined the [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group|LDR Group]] in 1987}}
|}

==Representation in European institutions==
{| class="wikitable"
<!-- Values derived from Wikidata; do not manually edit -> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q639383 -->
|-
! Organisation !! Institution !! Number of seats 
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{EU}} || [[European Parliament]] || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EP|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| [[European Commission]] || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EC|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| [[European Council]]<br /><small>(Heads of Government)</small> || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EUCO|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| [[Council of the European Union]]<br /><small>(Participation in Government)</small> ||
|-
| [[Committee of the Regions]] || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|COR|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| {{flag|Council of Europe}} || [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe|Parliamentary Assembly]] || <!-- {{Composition bar|{{wikidata|property|QXXX|P1410|P194=Q939743}}|{{wikidata|property|Q939743|P1342}}|hex=#{{wikidata|property|P465}}}} ({{wikidata|property|QXXX|P1813}}){{wikidata|references|QXXX|P1410|P194=Q939743}} -->
|}

==See also==
*[[List of regional and minority parties in Europe]]
*[[List of active separatist movements in Europe]]
*[[Political parties of minorities]]
*[[Regionalism (politics)]]
*[[Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum]]
*[[European political party]]
*[[Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations]]
*[[European political foundation]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|European Free Alliance}}
* {{official website}}

{{Members of the European Free Alliance}}
{{European political parties}}
{{Political organisations at European Union level}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:European Free Alliance| ]]
[[Category:European political alliances]]
[[Category:European political parties]]
[[Category:Politics of Europe]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in Belgium]]