Strasbourg, 11/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - While speaking to journalists, the French Christian Democrat Jean-Louis Bourlanges announced the regrouping, following the Austrian affair, of a part of the Christ8ian Democrat members of the EPP/DE group (this group, as we know, gathers today MEPs belonging to parties inspired by Christian Democracy with Conservatives and ultra-Liberals).
This new Christian democrat core, within the EPP/DE group will be made up of those who are particularly attached to traditional values of the centre right. Baptised "Schuman study group" it should be formed this Thursday, with a clear federal orientation, the open will to fight the extreme right and the desire for "more relaxed cooperation with other groups." Other than the French from the UDF and some Gaullists, it will contain Dutch EPP members, the traditional Italian Christian democrats, some Spaniards lead by the former President of the EP Jose Maria Gil-Robles and very few Germans from the CDU including Elmar Brok. With 30 to 50 members this group in the long run should be able to put pressure on the direction of the whole EPP/DE group, felt Mr. Boulanges who did not hide that the forming of this group "does not please" the German President of the EPP/DE group, Hans-Gert Pöttering who says that "its management of the Austrian crisis was a continuous series of provocations." Mr. Boulanges also said, "the EPP/DE group is characterised by organised indicipline."