Parliament reflects left-right split

The Parliament is dominated by its two largest groups, the Socialists and the EPP, reflecting broadly the great divide in European politics between social and Christian democracy.

But ever-shifting national interests, party allegiances, and the requirement often to produce much more than simple majorities give significant powers to the smaller parties.

PES - Party of European Socialists (214 members from 19 parties in 15 states) - the largest group since the 1994 election, it brings together all the parties affiliated to the Socialist International including Italy's ex-communist Party of Democratic Socialism, now leading the government. In an informal alliance with the EPP, the PES effectively runs the Parliament. Irish members: Bernie Malone and John Hume. EPP - European People's Party (201 /29 /15) - the centre-right group of strongly pro-European Christian Democrat parties in alliance with a number of Conservative parties from Spain, the UK and Denmark, some of them Eurosceptic cuckoos in the nest. Recently recruited some 20 new members from Berlusconi's Forza Italia, pinched from the UFE. Irish members: Mary Banotti, John Cushnahan, Alan Gillis, Joe McCartin.

ELDR - European Liberal, Democratic and Reformist (42 /19 /12) - economically conservative, but liberal on social issues, the group, now led by Pat Cox, has seen a shift of political power from its southern members to its northern with the accession of Finland and Sweden. One of the more disciplined groups. Irish member: Pat Cox.

UFE - Union for Europe (34 /10 /6) - A marriage of parliamentary convenience rather than ideology, dominated by the French Gaullists and Fianna Fail. This anti-federalist group would like to see itself as part of a centreright majority alliance in the Parliament that excluded the Socialists. It is to be joined after the election by Italy's newly democratic Alleanza Nazionale, which emerged from the fascist MSI. Irish members: Gerry Collins, Niall Andrews, Brian Crowley, Jim Fitzsimons, Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, Mark Killilea, Liam Hyland.

EUL/NGL - European United Left/Nordic Green Left (34 /13 /8) - the only group to the left of the PES, it brings together current and ex-Communist parties and was the home of the former Workers' Party, then Democratic Left, in the time of Proinsias de Rossa and then Des Geraghty. No Irish members.

Greens - (27 /11 /9) - Dominated by the Germans who have 12 members, the group's politics are affected by the same divisions manifested in Germany between realos, usually pragmatists close to the left, and fundis, more Eurosceptical and less willing to compromise with traditional parties, with the Irish pair in the latter camp. Irish members: Patricia McKenna, Nuala Ahern.

ERA - European Radical Alliance (21 /9 /6) - Left-of-centre alliance which supports closer federalisation of EU and brings together separatists like the Scottish SNP with France's Energie Radicale, formerly led by the nowjailed millionaire Bernard Tapie. No Irish members.

I-EN - Independents for a Europe of the Nations (16 /6 /4) - Eurosceptical alliance, largely of the right, which was once led by the late millionaire Sir James Goldsmith, elected on a French ticket. Irish member: Jim Nicholson (UUP).

Non-attached members (37 /10 /5) - Mainly groups of the far right like Belgium's Vlaams Blok, Austria's FPO and the French Front National, who find it difficult even to speak to each other. They do not function as group except for purposes of parliamentary business (speaking rights, secretarial support etc). Irish member: Ian Paisley (DUP)