AMERSFOORT – The ChristenUnie formed a new work group in order to explore the possibilities of future group shaping in the European Parliament. The board of the ChristenUnie does not think the current group is “exceptionally perfect”. The ChristenUnie created the work group because of the continuous discussion about the current group Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM), where the ChristenUnie together with the SGP (Reformed Party) is part of.

Often there are articles published about extreme or anti-Semitic comments done by MEPs from parties which were members of, or parties which already quit the group IND/DEM. According to the director of the party office of the ChristenUnie, Henk van Rhee, the ChristenUnie already received various responses from members of the party afterwards the professor George Harinck summoned the ChristenUnie to leave the IND/DEM group. "People are wondering why we are still a member of this group."

The leader of the new work group is the current number two on the candidates list of the ChristenUnie, Peter van Dalen. He has to deliver his findings in early next year. Mainly, the work group has to investigate the possibilities of group shaping after the European elections of 2009, and in that framework the work group will analyze the cooperation with the SGP.

Van Rhee also takes part of the work group. Besides of the possible joining of the EPP-group in the European Parliament, the work group will also explore the possibility of creating a group with only explicit Christian parties.

source: Nederlands Dagblad