European Democratic Party

The European Democratic Party (EDP; French: Parti démocrate européen, PDE), also known as the European Democrats, is a centrist  European political party in favour of European integration.

Within the European Parliament, its MEPs form the Renew Europe group, together with those of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe party and the French Renaissance party. The President is François Bayrou.

The youth wing of the EDP is the Young Democrats for Europe (YDE).

As of 2024, one EDP member participates in the national government of an EU member state: Bayrou's Democratic Movement in France, which supports the government of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. Two European regions are also led by an EDP politician, with Spain's Basque Country being led by Imanol Pradales of the Basque Nationalist Party and with Spain's Canary Islands being led by Fernando Clavijo Batlle of the Canarian Coalition; EDP member Free Voters participates as a junior coalition partner in the state government of Bavaria in Germany, as does Italia Viva in Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Campania and Basilicata and Les Engagés in Wallonia and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

The European Democratic Party is also a member of the European Movement International and was a member of the World Alliance of Democrats until its dissolution in 2012.

History
European Democratic Party was initiated on 16 April 2004 and formally founded on 9 December 2004 in Brussels.

In 2005, the European Democratic Party, together with the United States Democratic Party and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, co-founded the Alliance of Democrats international.

François Bayrou of the Union for French Democracy and later the Democratic Movement (MoDem) and Francesco Rutelli, former leader of the Democracy is Freedom and Alliance for Italy parties, served as the two co-presidents until 2019. Now, François Bayrou serves as the only president.

The EDP was founded in reaction to the rising influence of Eurosceptic parties within European institutions. It drew pro-European centrist parties from the European People's Party (EPP) group to form a new centrist multinational bloc. Its co-founder François Bayrou described it as a party for people being neither conservative nor socialist." 

Since the beginning of the 6th European Parliament of 2004–2009, the EDP has formed a joint European parliamentary group with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party called the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group. This parliamentary group was dissolved in 2019 and replaced by Renew Europe.

The European Democratic Party is ideologically centrist and federalist. Some major members and affiliated parties like EAJ-PNV, Free Voters, MoDem, MCC, Canarian Coalition and the disbanded Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy follow a Christian democratic or liberal conservative line.

Membership
Members are national and regional political parties as well as members of the European Parliament, national and regional parliaments.

Former members

 * : National Forum (Nacionalni forum), joined EDP in 2014, disbanded in 2015
 * European Party
 * Citizens' Alliance
 * Party for the Open Society
 * Way to Change, founding member of EDP, disbanded in 2009
 * Union for French Democracy, founding member of EDP, disbanded in 2007, succeeded by MoDem
 * Union of Democrats and Independents joined the ALDE party on 2 December 2016
 * Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy, founding member of EDP, merged into the Democratic Party in 2007, MEPs Mario Pirillo, Silvia Costa and Vittorio Prodi stayed as individual members until 2014, now member of PES
 * Alliance for Italy, party disbanded by the end of 2016
 * European Democratic Party Italy (Partito Democratico Europeo Italia) disbanded in 2021.
 * Action, left in September 2023
 * : Labour Party, left in 2012 to join the ALDE party
 * Democratic Republican Party, joined EDP in 2015, succeeded by National Democratic Alternative in 2021
 * National Democratic Alternative, left EDP in 2022
 * PRO Romania (PRO România), left in 2022 to join Party of European Socialists
 * Association of Italians of Romania, left in 2022
 * People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, joined EDP in 2009, disbanded in 2014, succeeded by Democratic Slovakia Party
 * Democratic Slovakia Party ('Strana Demokratického Slovenska') and European Democratic Party (Europska Demokraticka Strana) in 2019
 * Alena Bašistová (Independent), not reelected in 2020
 * PRO Romania (PRO România), left in 2022 to join Party of European Socialists
 * Association of Italians of Romania, left in 2022
 * People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, joined EDP in 2009, disbanded in 2014, succeeded by Democratic Slovakia Party
 * Democratic Slovakia Party ('Strana Demokratického Slovenska') and European Democratic Party (Europska Demokraticka Strana) in 2019
 * Alena Bašistová (Independent), not reelected in 2020
 * Democratic Slovakia Party ('Strana Demokratického Slovenska') and European Democratic Party (Europska Demokraticka Strana) in 2019
 * Alena Bašistová (Independent), not reelected in 2020