Founding of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats

The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, usually called the S&D Group, is the center-left political group in the European Parliament. It adopted this name in 2009, when the former Socialist Group made room for members of the Italian Democratic Party, which does not describe itself as socialist. The group draws members from social democratic and socialist parties across the member states, such as the German SPD and the Spanish PSOE. Its roots go back to the Socialist Group in the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1953. It has long been the second-largest group in the Parliament after the center-right European People's Party.

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