And now they are 23 (the EU's Europlus Pact)

Last night, after the 1st day of the European Council, its President announced that
in addition to the Eurozone 17, 6 more EU member states have agreed to join the Eurozone Competitiveness Pact, now know as the Europlus Pact.

The 6 are: Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia

So the Europlus Pact participants are 23 (17+6), ie the EU 27 minus the following:

1) UK

2) Czech R.

3) Hungary and

4) Sweden

Here is a composite political map of the 4 EU member states that are not joining the Europlus Pact (Sweden, UK, Czech R., Hungary):

The 4 governments include 9 parties:

a) 2 are members of the AECR European political party

b) 4 of the EPP and

c) 3 of the ELDR

Map by country:

1) Czech Rep.: ODS (member of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR))

2) Hungary: Fidesz-KDNP (both members of EPP)

3) UK: The Conservatives (members of Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR)) & the LibDems (ELDR)


4) Sweden The Alliance ("Alliansen") hold minority gov at 2010 election. 4 parties in it, 2 EPP, 2 ELDR members

Notes:

1) Of the countries that participated in Cameron's UK-Nordics-Baltics Forum a few weeks ago, only the UK and Sweden did not join the Euro Plus Pact!

2) Of the Nine EU governments that submitted the "post-crisis growth plan" (Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland, the NL, Sweden , the UK) only 2, UK and Sweden, decided to keep their countries outside the Euro Plus Pact.