The definition of genocide in the 1948 Convention prohibits the destruction of national, ethnic, racial and religious groups. During drafting of the Convention, proposals to make this an indicative list rather than an exhaustive one were rejected. The drafters included political groups within the list, only to reject this as their work was nearing completion. The four protected categories are like corner posts on a rectangular field, and it is not always clear to which category a group belongs. Some belong to more than one category. The theory that that the drafters meant to include all ’permanent and stable’ groups has not gained wide support. When national legislation incorporates the crime of genocide there are considerable departures from the limited list in the Convention.

This chapter discusses the roles of and relations between political parties, political groups and members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Domestic political parties play an important role because they are responsible for selecting the candidates for the European Parliament elections. Once elected, most of these political parties and their MEPs work together in political groups. In these political groups MEPs from like-minded parties organize their work and tend to vote as cohesive blocks. Political groups thus help to make the EP work in a much more effective manner than would be possible if the more than 200 parties that are represented there did not build coalitions. These political groups are organized along two main cleavages: a classic left–right cleavage as well as a more recent cleavage between groups that are more supportive and groups that are more critical of European integration. Finally, in addition to domestic parties, there are also European political parties. They have more limited tasks and mostly provide a platform for like-minded parties from the different member states.