Editing Independence/Democracy (section)

{{Short description|Former Eurosceptic political group of the European Parliament}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox European Parliament group
| name         = Independence/Democracy
| title        = Independence/Democracy
| image        = Independence Democracy logo.svg
| imagewidth   = 130px
| from         = 20 July 2004<ref name="CWU01">{{cite web|url=http://www.cwu.org/uploads/documents/Post%20Europa%2007%20FINAL%20.pdf |title=Postal Services: Liberalisation & Privatisation in the European Union |date=January 2007 |publisher=The Communication Workers Union |access-date=17 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606154907/http://www.cwu.org/uploads/documents/Post%20Europa%2007%20FINAL%20.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2011 }}</ref>
| to           = 1 July 2009<br />(de facto)<ref name="EUO28403"/><ref name="BBCN8129312"/> 
|englishabbr  = IND/DEM<ref name="CWU01"/><ref name="IDPrague"/><ref name="IDDelphi"/><ref name="DFA2007">{{cite web|url=http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/uploads/documents/EU%20Division/reports/38336%20dfa%20eu%20ar%20inside.pdf |title=Fourth Annual Report on Developments in the European Union in 2006, DFA, 2007 |access-date=17 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716153808/http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/uploads/documents/EU%20Division/reports/38336%20dfa%20eu%20ar%20inside.pdf |archive-date=16 July 2011 }}</ref>
| frenchabbr   = IND/DEM
| formalname   = Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament<ref name="IDPrague"/><ref name="IDDelphi"/>
| precededby   = [[Europe of Democracies and Diversities]]
| succeededby  = [[Europe of Freedom and Democracy]]
| europarties  = [[EUDemocrats]]
| ideology     = [[Euroscepticism]]
| position      = [[Right-wing politics|Right-wing]]{{refn|<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Manners |first1=Ian |title=Denmark and the European Union |journal=EU Som et Politisk System - Uviklinger og Udfordringer |date=2011 |volume=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Brexit and Right-Wing Euroscepticism in the European Parliament |url=https://www.qmul.ac.uk/nexteuk/publications/blog/items/brexit-and-right-wing-euroscepticism-in-the-european-parliament.html |website=www.qmul.ac.uk |language=en |date=25 April 2022}}</ref>}}
| chairs       = [[Nigel Farage]]<br />[[Hanne Dahl]]
| meps         = 37<ref name="EP20040720">{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+PRESS+TW-20040720-S+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN |title=The Week, 20 July 2004 |publisher=Europarl.europa.eu |access-date=17 June 2010}}</ref><ref name="EuropePolitique2004Results"/> (20–23 July 2004)<br />28<ref name="CWU01"/> (January 2007)<br />22<ref name="EPINDDEM">[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do? European Parliament directory listing for Independence/Democracy Group] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020002923/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry/search.do? |date=20 October 2006 }}</ref> (24 June 2008)<br />18<ref name="EU2009EU27"/> (11 June 2009, de facto)
|website =http://indemgroup.org/
}}

'''Independence/Democracy''' ('''IND/DEM''') was a [[Euroscepticism|Eurosceptic]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mesežnikov |first1=Grigorij |last2=Gyárfášová |first2=Oľga |last3=Smilov |first3=Daniel |title=Populist Politics and Liberal Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe |date=2008 |publisher=Institute for Public Affairs |location=Bratislava |isbn=978-80-89345-06-9 |page=90}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ruzza |first1=Carlo |title=Populism and euroscepticism: Towards uncivil society? |journal=Policy and Society |date=2009 |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=87–98 |doi=10.1016/j.polsoc.2009.02.007 |quote=As a second type of dividing nationalism, (3) euroscepticism is different and particularly prominent in that its main theme allows for more international collaboration than is the case with radical nation-state nationalism. Thus its associations can more easily span national boundaries and constitute international alliances based on international fora. These include European Parliament parties such as the Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament, and a civil society organization such as the transnational Research Centre Free Europe}}</ref><ref name="PhinnemoreMcGowan2013">{{cite book|author1=David Phinnemore|author2=Lee McGowan|title=A Dictionary of the European Union|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m9EB7e8pgywC&pg=PA276|access-date=7 August 2013|year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-08127-0|page=276}}</ref><ref name="Thorlakson2013">{{cite book|author=Lori Thorlakson|chapter=Federalism and the European party system|editor=Alexander H. Trechsel|title=Towards a Federal Europe|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTndAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT72|year=2013|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-99818-1|page=72}}</ref> [[Political groups of the European Parliament|political group]] that operated in the [[European Parliament]] between 2004 and 2009. At its height in 2004, it had 37 [[MEPs]] and it only existed during the [[Sixth European Parliament|European Parliament's 6th term]]. It was affiliated with the Eurosceptic [[Europeans United for Democracy]] party.

Ideologically, IND/DEM was strongly opposed to the European Union and positioned on the [[Radical right (Europe)|radical right]] within the [[right-wing]] spectrum.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pankowski |first=Rafal |title=The Populist Radical Right in Poland: The Patriots |publisher=Routledge |year=2010 |isbn=9781135150976 |pages=129}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dočekalová |first=Pavla |date=2006 |title=Radical Right-Wing Parties in Central Europe: Mutual Contacts and Cooperation |journal=Politics in Central Europe |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mudde |first=Cas |title=Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-511-34143-4 |location=Cambridge |pages=179}}</ref> It was a very heterogeneous grouping;<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gora |first1=Magdalena |title=Contestation of EU Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy |last2=Styczynska |first2=Natasza |last3=Zubek |first3=Marcin |publisher=Djof Forlag |year=2020 |isbn=9788771983234 |pages=187}}</ref> it also included parties such as the [[UK Independence Party]], Greek [[Popular Orthodox Rally]], French [[Movement for France]], [[League of Polish Families]], and [[Lega Nord]]. After the [[2009 European Parliament election]], IND/DEM lost many of its MPs and was dissolved in favour of the [[Europe of Freedom and Democracy]] (EFD). In comparison, EFD was far-right<ref name=":1">Roy H. Ginsberg, ''Demystifying the European Union: The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration'', p. 170, [[Rowman & Littlefield]], 2010, {{ISBN|0742566927}}</ref><ref name=":2">Rob Ford, Matthew J. Goodwin, ''Voting for Extremists'', passim, [[Taylor & Francis]], {{ISBN|041569051X}}</ref> group that was nationalist and more strongly opposed immigration than IND/DEM.<ref name="PhinnemoreMcGowan20132">{{cite book |author1=David Phinnemore |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m9EB7e8pgywC&pg=PA189 |title=A Dictionary of the European Union |author2=Lee McGowan |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-135-08127-0 |page=189}}</ref>