In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), shares his memories of the circumstances and difficulties surrounding the official establishment of the EPP on 8 July 1976 in Luxembourg City. He emphasises the different viewpoints of the parties involved in setting up the EPP.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), shares his memories of the main objectives of the EPP when it was first set up and the competition between European political parties during the 1970s and 1980s.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), shares his memories of the EPP’s manifesto when the party was first set up, particularly its Christian values, its ideology and its federalist leanings.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), shares his memories of the first elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage in 1979. He also discusses the impact of the successive enlargements of the EPP and particularly mentions the authority and political influence of Helmut Kohl, German Federal Chancellor from 1982 to 1998, within the party.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), explains his reluctance to allow the British Conservative Party to join the EPP Group in the European Parliament in 1989. He particularly mentions how, during the 1990s, Helmut Kohl, German Federal Chancellor from 1982 to 1998, and the CDU-CSU were keen for the EPP to incorporate all the conservative parties in Europe, from the centre to the fringes of the extreme right of the political spectrum.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), discusses the EPP’s role in the establishment of democratic parties in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). He particularly emphasises the decisive role played by the German Christian Democratic parties.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, PhD in Sociology from the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 (European People’s Party (EPP)), from 1999 to 2004 (Citizens’ Movement for Change (MCC)), from 2004 to 2009 and since 2014 (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)), explains how small countries, especially Belgium, have a particular vocation and role as intermediary in the European integration process and in European political parties.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), shares his memories of the tensions within the European People’s Party between Leo Tindemans, Belgian Prime Minister from 1974 to 1978, and Wilfried Martens, Belgian Prime Minister from 1979 to April 1981 and from December 1981 to 1992, over the appointment of the Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament in 1994. He also discusses the consequences of the choice of Wilfried Martens as Chairman of the EPP Group, given that Martens was also Chairman of the EPP.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, political adviser to the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) with responsibility for international relations from 1974 to 1979, leader of the PSC from 1981 to 1996 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 for the European People’s Party (EPP), discusses the role and real efficacy of the meetings of the European People’s Party held before each European Summit. He mentions Helmut Kohl, German Federal Chancellor from 1982 to 1998, who gave his views during these meetings. Finally, Deprez emphasises the importance of the recognition (by the Treaty of Maastricht, which came into force on 1 November 1993) and funding (since 2003) of European parties.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 (European People’s Party (EPP)), from 1999 to 2004 (Citizens’ Movement for Change (MCC)), from 2004 to 2009 and since 2014 (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)) and Delegate-General of the European Democratic Party (EDP) since 2004, shares his thoughts on the difference in turnout between national and European elections.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 (European People’s Party (EPP)), from 1999 to 2004 (Citizens’ Movement for Change (MCC)), from 2004 to 2009 and since 2014 (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)), discusses the work of European political parties, particularly the EPP and the Party of European Socialists (PES), and analyses the role of intergroups within the European Parliament.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 (European People’s Party (EPP)), from 1999 to 2004 (Citizens’ Movement for Change (MCC)), from 2004 to 2009 and since 2014 (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)), discusses the internal tensions within the EPP during the Austrian affair in 2000, when EPP member Wolfgang Schüssel formed a government with the far-right party (FPÖ) led by Jörg Haider. Deprez also mentions the Schuman Group set up within the EPP in 2000 by François Bayrou, Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2002.

In this interview excerpt, Gérard Deprez, leader of the Walloon Christian Social Party (PSC) from 1981 to 1996, Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1999 (European People’s Party (EPP)), from 1999 to 2004 (Citizens’ Movement for Change (MCC)), from 2004 to 2009 and since 2014 (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)) and Delegate-General of the European Democratic Party (EDP) since 2004, describes the reasons for the establishment of the European Democratic Party (EDP) by Francesco Rutelli and François Bayrou in 2004 and particularly the debates on the incorporation of conservative and reactionary European parties into the EPP. He also discusses the situation of the EDP in 2010.