Brussels, 03/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - Fianna Fáil, the party of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, intends to join the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR). Consequently, Fianna Fáil MEPs, currently members of the Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN) group, are likely to join the Liberal group (ALDE) after the European elections in June. “We will soon advance a proposal to join, for the first time, a pan-European party, the ELDR. Following June's election, should everything progress as expected, we will then consider joining the parliamentary group ALDE in the EP,” Cowen announced at his party's congress in Ireland last week. Fianna Fáil currently has four MEPs in the UEN: Brian Crowley (deputy leader of the group), Liam Aylward, Eoin Ryan and Sean O Neachtain. The Irish Times quotes a source with in Fianna Fáil who says that the change was driven by the desire to leave the UEN, which has become too disparate and Eurosceptical (it is also home to MEPs from Lega Nord, the Italian extreme right, and the ultra-conservative League of Polish Families. “The Liberals are a much better match for Fianna Fáil than the UEN. We are a pro-European centrist party while the UEN has a mix of opinions on various topics,” the source is quoted as saying. ALDE group leader Graham Watson welcomed the announcement of the arrival of the Irish party. “I am certain that any application from Fianna Fáil to join the Liberals and Democrats will be well received. Fianna Fáil MEPs would have no difficulty integrating into our group after the forthcoming European elections,” he said. (H.B./transl.rt)