Rainbow Group (84–89) European Parliament group
RBW logo
Name	Rainbow Group (84–89)
English abbr.	RBW[1]
French abbr.	ARC[2]
Formal name	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]
Ideology	Green politics, Regionalism
Associated organisations	Green Alternative European Link European Free Alliance
From	24 July 1984[4]
To	1989[2][5]
Preceded by	Group for the Technical Coordination and Defence of Independent Groups and Members
Succeeded by	Rainbow Group in the European Parliament, The Green Group in the European Parliament
Chaired by	Else Hammerich,[3] Jaak Vandemeulebroucke,[4] Bram van der Lek, Paul Staes
MEP(s)	20 (July 24, 1984)

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 (informally the "Rainbow Group") was a Green, far left and Regionalist political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1984 and 1989.

Contents 1 History 2 Member Parties 3 Nomenclature 4 Sources 5 References

[edit] History

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 weakened by a principle of rotation used by the Germany and Dutch parties, requiring its MEPs to sit for only half their five-year term.

In 1989^[2][5] Rainbow split. The Greens went off to form the Green Group, whilst the Regionalists stayed in Rainbow. This new Rainbow had the shorter name of Rainbow Group in the European Parliament.

[edit] Member Parties

Country	Party	MEPs	Notes
Germany	The Greens	7	MEPs served for only 2.5 years
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	1	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	Valdotanian Union	1	Member of the European Free Alliance

[edit] Nomenclature

The formal name of the 84-89 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.

[edit] Sources

• Democracy in the European Parliament^[1]
• Europe Politique^[2]
• European Parliament MEP Archives^[3][4]
• Development of Political Groups in the European Parliament^[5]

[edit] References

v • d • e Political groups of the European Parliament European People's Party (265) • Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (184) • Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (84) • The Greens–European Free Alliance (55) • European Conservatives and Reformists (54) • European United Left–Nordic Green Left (35) • Europe of Freedom and Democracy (32) • Non-Inscrits (27)   Previous Far-Right Nationalists European Right (1984–1989) • European Right (1989–1994) • Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty (2007) National Conservatives European Democratic Union (1965–1973) • European Progressive Democrats (1973–1984) • European Democratic Alliance (1984–1995) • Union for Europe (1995–1999) • Union for Europe of the Nations (1999–2009) Christian Democrats/Conservatives Christian Democrats (1953–1979) • European People's Party (1979–1999) • European Conservatives (1973–1979) • European Democrats (1979–1992) • Forza Europa (1994–1995) • European People's Party–European Democrats (1999–2009) Liberals/Centrists Liberals and Allies (1953–1976) • Liberals and Democrats (1976–1985) • Liberal and Democratic Reformist Group (1985–1994) • European Radical Alliance (1994–1999) • European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (1994–2004) Social Democrats Socialists (1953–1993) • Party of European Socialists (1993–2009) Communists/Far-Left Communists and Allies (1973–1989) • European United Left (1989–1993) • Left Unity (1989–1994) • European United Left (1994–1995) Greens/Regionalists Rainbow Group (1984–1989) • Rainbow Group (1989–1994) • Greens (1989–1999) Eurosceptics Europe of Nations (1994–1996) • Independents for a Europe of Nations (1996–1999) • Europe of Democracies and Diversities (1999–2004) • Independence/Democracy (2004–2009) Heterogeneous Technical Group of Independents (1979–1984) • Technical Group of Independents (1999–2001)