Union for Europe

{{Short description|Former conservative political group of the European Parliament}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{EngvarB|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox European Parliament group

| name = Union for Europe

| title = Union for Europe

| image = Logo_of_the_Union_for_Europe.svg

| from = 6 July 1995

| to = 20 July 1999

| precededby = Forza Europa
European Democratic Alliance

| succeededby = Union for Europe of the Nations

| englishabbr = UFE

| frenchabbr = UPE

| formalname = Group Union for Europe{{Cite web |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/election/results/legende.htm |title = INFO}}

| ideology = Conservatism{{cite web|date=13 November 1996|access-date=28 October 2022|title=In brief|publisher=Politico|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/in-brief-80/}}{{cite book |last1=FitzGibbon |first1=John |last2=Leruth |first2=Benjamin |last3=Startin |first3=Nick |title=Euroscepticism as a Transnational and Pan-European Phenomenon: The Emergence of a New Sphere of Opposition |date=2016 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781317422518 |page=48}}

| position = Centre-right

| chairs = Jean-Claude Pasty
Giancarlo Ligabue (1995–96)
Claudio Azzolini (1996–98)

| meps = 34 (5 May 1999)

|}}

The Union for Europe (UFE) was a conservative political group that operated in the European Parliament from 1995 to 1999. At its height in May 1999, it had 34 MEPs and it only existed during the European Parliament's 4th term.{{Cite web |title=European Union Basics (FAQ), Part3/8 |url=http://www.faqs.org/faqs/european-union/basics/part3/}}

UFE was formed as a merger of two political groups, the European Democratic Alliance and Forza Europa.{{cite book |author=Bernard Steunenberg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jgyCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA215 |title=Widening the European Union: Politics of Institutional Change and Reform |date=27 August 2003 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-49375-3 |page=215}}{{cite book |author1=Thomas Jansen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXEA8XGdEb8C&pg=PA63 |title=At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party |author2=Steven Van Hecke |date=19 May 2011 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3-642-19414-6 |page=63}} Its members were the Forza Italia (FI) of Silvio Berlusconi, French Rally for the Republic (RPR), Irish Fianna Fáil, Portuguese CDS – People's Party, and Greek Political Spring. After the 1999 European Parliament election, UFE expanded into the Union for Europe of the Nations group.{{cite book |author=Neill Nugent |url=https://archive.org/details/governmentpoliti00nuge_0 |title=The Government and Politics of the European Union |publisher=Duke University Press |year=2006 |isbn=0-8223-3870-X |page=[https://archive.org/details/governmentpoliti00nuge_0/page/265 265] |url-access=registration}} However, parties such as FI and RPR opted to join the European People's Party.