BRITAIN'S OPPOSITION CONSERVATIVES AND A RIGHT-WING CZECH PARTY AGREED ON THURSDAY TO LAUNCH A NEW ALLIANCE IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO PUSH FOR EUROPEAN UNION REFORM -- BUT ONLY IN 2009, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS GREETED WITH DERISION BY BRITAIN'S RULING LABOUR PARTY, WHICH SAID THE MOVE WOULD LEAVE THE CENTRE-RIGHT CONSERVATIVES ISOLATED IN EUROPE. THE LEADERS OF THE BRITISH CONSERVATIVES AND THE CZECH CIVIC DEMOCRATS SIGNED AN AGREEMENT IN LONDON TO CREATE THE NEW CENTRE-RIGHT ALLIANCE, BREAKING AWAY FROM THE EUROPEAN PEOPLE'S PARTY, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S BIGGEST POLITICAL GROUPING. CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER DAVID CAMERON SAID THE EU WAS FALLING SHORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS, PILING ON COSTLY REGULATIONS FOR BUSINESS AND HAD AGRICULTURAL POLICIES THAT HELPED LOCK THE DEVELOPING WORLD IN POVERTY. "WE HAVE NO TIME FOR THE CULTURE OF HOPELESSNESS THAT HAS PLAGUED THE WAY THE EU ADDRESSES THE BIG GLOBAL CHALLENGES WE FACE," HE TOLD A JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH MIREK TOPOLANEK, LEADER OF THE CZECH CIVIC DEMOCRATS. TOPOLANEK SAID HE HAD ASKED CAMERON TO DELAY LAUNCHING THE NEW GROUPING UNTIL 2009 BECAUSE HE WAS ENGAGED IN COMPLEX NEGOTIATIONS ON FORMING A NEW CZECH GOVERNMENT FOLLOWING LAST MONTH'S ELECTIONS. CAMERON'S POLITICAL OPPONENTS ACCUSED HIM OF BREAKING HIS PREVIOUS PLEDGE TO LAUNCH THE NEW POLITICAL ALLIANCE DURING THE CURRENT SESSION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. "TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT CONFIRMS THE TORIES (CONSERVATIVES) ARE MORE MARGINALISED AND ISOLATED IN EUROPE THAN EVER," BRITAIN'S EUROPE MINISTER GEOFF HOON SAID. THE BRITISH CONSERVATIVES, WITH 27 MEMBERS, FORM THE SECOND-BIGGEST NATIONAL GROUP IN THE EPP, AFTER GERMANY WITH 49. CONSERVATIVES SAY THE EPP, MADE UP OF CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC AND CONSERVATIVE LAWMAKERS, ARGUES FOR A FEDERAL EUROPE WHICH IS AT ODDS WITH THE BRITISH PARTY'S MORE EUROSCEPTIC STANCE. CAMERON, WHO HAS REINVIGORATED HIS TRADITIONALLY EUROSCEPTIC PARTY AFTER IT LOST THREE GENERAL ELECTIONS IN A ROW, SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT "MANY OTHER PARTIES" WOULD JOIN THE NEW PAN-EUROPEAN ALLIANCE. A CONSERVATIVE PARTY SOURCE SAID HE HOPED THE POLISH LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY MIGHT JOIN AT SOME STAGE. CAMERON AND TOPOLANEK ALSO ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF A NEW MOVEMENT FOR EUROPEAN REFORM, WHICH THE CONSERVATIVES SAID WOULD BE OPEN TO "ALL LIKE-MINDED PARTIES ACROSS EUROPE". EPP CHAIRMAN HANS-GERT POETTERING DESCRIBED CAMERON'S STATEMENT AS UNNECESSARY AND UNHELPFUL.
