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Rainbow Group (1984–1989)

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Rainbow Group (1984–1989)
European Parliament group
NameRainbow Group (1984–1989)
English abbr.RBW[1]
French abbr.ARC[2]
Formal nameRainbow 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]
IdeologyGreen politics, Regionalism
Associated organisations
From24 July 1984[3]
To1989[2][5]
Preceded byTechnical Group of Independents
Succeeded byRainbow Group
Chaired by
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

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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

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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

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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

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