European Conservatives and Reformists
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The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) is a
soft Eurosceptic Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek refor ...
, anti- federalist
political group of the European Parliament The political groups of the European Parliament are the officially recognised political groups consisting of legislators of aligned ideologies in the European Parliament. The European Parliament is unique among supranational assemblies in tha ...
. The ECR is the parliamentary group of the
European Conservatives and Reformists Party The European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party), formerly known as Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) (2009–2016) and Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) (2016–2019), is a conservativ ...
(ECR Party) European political party (formerly known as the ''Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe'' (2016–2019) or ''Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists'' (2009–2016), but also includes MEPs from four other European parties and thirteen MEPs without European party affiliation. Ideologically, the group is broadly eurosceptic, anti-federalist and right-wing. The main objective of the ECR is to oppose unchecked European integration, enlargement and potential evolution of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
(EU) into a Federal European Superstate on the basis of ''Eurorealism,'' and to ensure the EU does not heavily encroach on matters of state and domestic and regional decision making within EU member countries. It also advocates for
free market In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any ot ...
policies and stricter controls on immigration. The ECR contains factions of
socially conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institution ...
,
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establ ...
,
liberal conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by li ...
,
Christian democrat Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism. It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...
, and
national conservative National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity. National conservatives usually combine nationalism with conservative stances promoting traditional cultural values, f ...
parties who all subscribe to an anti-federalist and eurorealist or euro-critical stance. Within the ECR, some parties and MEPs promote
soft euroscepticism Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek reform ...
, (as opposed to a total rejection of the existence of the EU characterized by anti-EU-ism or
hard euroscepticism Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek refor ...
), by calling for democratic reform of the EU, more transparency, changes to the
Eurozone The euro area, commonly called eurozone (EZ), is a currency union of 19 member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro ( €) as their primary currency and sole legal tender, and have thus fully implemented EMU polici ...
and EU migration/asylum policies, and the curbing some of the EU's powers and bureaucracy whilst maintaining unrestricted free trade and cooperation between nations. Other parties and individual MEPs within the group support complete withdrawal from the block, referendums on EU membership and opposition to the Eurozone. The ECR was founded around the
Movement for European Reform The Movement for European Reform, abbreviated to MER, was a pan-European alliance of national centre-right political parties with conservative, pro-free market and Eurosceptic inclinations. It consisted of the Conservative Party of the United Ki ...
after the 2009 European elections at the behest of
British Conservative Party The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party and also known colloquially as the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party. It is the current governing party, ...
leader David Cameron. Currently it is the sixth-largest group in the European Parliament with 62 MEPs from 16 countries. Presently, the largest party in the group by number of MEPs is the Law and Justice (PiS) of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
.


Founding principles and ideology

The genesis of the ECR dates back to 2005, and possibly earlier. A political group in the European Parliament cannot be officially recognised if it contains MEPs from only a single member state. Instead, it must meet the minimum threshold required by the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure. Any party seeking to create a group must therefore seek partners. The last mixed group in the European Parliament was forcibly dissolved. Since then, groups have been required to demonstrate ideological coherence. This is usually done by publishing a document (sometimes called a ''constituent declaration'') stating the principles to which each group member is expected to adhere. The constituent declaration of the ECR has become known as the
Prague Declaration The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism was a declaration which was initiated by the Czech government and signed on 3 June 2008 by prominent European politicians, former political prisoners and historians, among them former ...
. That document outlines the following principles: # Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and
small government Libertarian conservatism, also referred to as conservative libertarianism and conservatarianism, is a political and social philosophy that combines conservatism and libertarianism, representing the libertarian wing of conservatism and vice ver ...
as the ultimate catalysts for
individual freedom Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-reli ...
and personal and national prosperity. # Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability. # Sustainable, clean energy supply with an emphasis on
energy security Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to (relatively) cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven d ...
. # The importance of the family as the bedrock of society. # The sovereign integrity of the
nation state A nation state is a political unit where the state and nation are congruent. It is a more precise concept than "country", since a country does not need to have a predominant ethnic group. A nation, in the sense of a common ethnicity, may i ...
, opposition to EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity. # The over-riding value of the transatlantic security relationship in a revitalised
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
, and support for young democracies across Europe. # Effectively controlled
immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...
and an end to abuse of asylum procedures # Efficient and modern
public services A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...
and sensitivity to the needs of both rural and urban communities. # An end to waste and excessive bureaucracy and a commitment to greater transparency and probity in the EU institutions and use of EU funds. # Respect and equitable treatment for all EU countries, new and old, large and small. Ideologically, the founder members of the ECR traditionally sat on the centre-right to right-wing of the political spectrum with an
economically liberal Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberalis ...
and anti-federalist outlook and an initial reluctance from the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
to include hardline anti-immigration and ultra-nationalist parties. Like the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the founding members of the ECR mostly support pro-free market ideas with some of its MEPs maintaining ties to think-tanks such as the Cobden Centre and
Open Europe Open Europe was a British centre-right eurosceptic policy think tank with offices in London and Brussels, merging with the Policy Exchange think tank in 2020. Its stated mission was to "conduct rigorous analysis and produce recommendation ...
, as opposed to the more
economic nationalist Economic nationalism, also called economic patriotism and economic populism, is an ideology that favors state interventionism over other market mechanisms, with policies such as domestic control of the economy, labor, and capital formation, incl ...
and anti-globalization approach of other euro-critical groups such as the EFDD and
Identity and Democracy Identity and Democracy (french: link=no, Identité et démocratie, ID) is a right-wing to far-right political group of the European Parliament, launched on 13 June 2019 for the Ninth European Parliament term. It is composed of nationalist, ri ...
. However, the EPP generally favours EU integration and enlargement whereas the ECR opposes it. In recent years the group has come to contain a growing faction of
nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
,
anti-immigration Opposition to immigration, also known as anti-immigration, has become a significant political ideology in many countries. In the modern sense, immigration refers to the entry of people from one state or territory into another state or territory ...
and
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establ ...
movements, with some former ECR members arguing that the group has shifted considerably further to the right over time. The shift to the right was increased following the
withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
, since the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
lost its representation in the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
. In a statement issued on 11 November 2021, two core political documents were cited by the Group's Co-Chairmen,
Ryszard Legutko Ryszard Antoni Legutko (), (born 24 December 1949), is a Polish philosopher and politician, and professor of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, specializing in ancient philosophy and political theory. Biography Under communi ...
and
Raffaele Fitto Raffaele Fitto (born 28 August 1969) is an Italian politician and a member of the European Parliament. He is serving as the minister of European affairs in the Meloni Cabinet since 2022. Career Born in Maglie, Fitto was elected in 1999 at Europ ...
, to define the ECR's ideological basis when they reaffirmed the Group's "commitment to the Prague Declaration and the ECR Statement on the Reform of the European Union".


History


Origins: 2005–06

In 2005, the
British Conservative Party The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party and also known colloquially as the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party. It is the current governing party, ...
held a leadership contest. During the sixth term of the European Parliament, Conservative Party MEPs sat in the
European Democrats The European Democrats were a loose association of conservative political parties in Europe. It was a political group in the European Parliament from 1979 until 1992, when it became a subgroup of the European People's Party–European Democr ...
(ED), a subgroup of the
European People's Party–European Democrats The European People's Party Group (EPP Group) is a centre-right political group of the European Parliament consisting of deputies (MEPs) from the member parties of the European People's Party (EPP). Sometimes it also includes independent MEPs ...
(EPP-ED) group, which is dominated by the European People's Party (EPP). Leadership contender David Cameron argued for withdrawal of the Conservatives from EPP-ED and the formation of a new group. Upon taking office as Conservative leader in December 2005, Cameron indicated that the launch of a new group would be undertaken immediately. The motives for forming this group was the EPP-ED was too federalist, while the Tories opposed stronger European integration. In June 2006, Cameron ordered
Shadow Foreign Secretary In UK politics, the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is a position within the opposition's shadow cabinet that deals mainly with issues surrounding the Foreign Office. If elected, the person serving a ...
William Hague William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
to ensure the new group was created by 13 July 2006. However, when that date arrived, it was announced that the launch of the new European Parliament group was delayed until after the 2009 elections.


Movement for European Reform

In the interim, a pan-European alliance, called the
Movement for European Reform The Movement for European Reform, abbreviated to MER, was a pan-European alliance of national centre-right political parties with conservative, pro-free market and Eurosceptic inclinations. It consisted of the Conservative Party of the United Ki ...
(MER), was founded and functioned outside of the European Parliament. The same day, the Law and Justice and
Civic Platform Civic Platform ( pl, Platforma Obywatelska, PO)The party is officially the Civic Platform of the Republic of Poland (''Platforma Obywatelska Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''). is a political party in Poland. It is currently led by Donald Tusk. It ...
parties of Poland were identified as potential members of the new group: However, Civic Platform stated that it would not leave the EPP, and the Law and Justice stated that it planned to stay aligned to UEN. The next day,
Sir Reg Empey Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey, (born 26 October 1947), best known as Reg Empey, is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland, who was the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 2005 to 2010. He was the chairman of the ...
, the leader of the
Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule m ...
(UUP), suggested that the UUP could join the new group after the 2009 election. In the event of the election, the UUP ran under the banner of the
Ulster Conservatives and Unionists The Ulster Conservatives and Unionists, officially registered as the ''Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force'' (''UCUNF''), was an electoral alliance in Northern Ireland between the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Conservative P ...
, an
electoral alliance An electoral alliance (also known as a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral pact, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc) is an association of political parties or individuals that exists solely to stand in elections. E ...
between the Conservative Party and the Ulster Unionists. The Czech Civic Democratic Party (ODS) was part of MER but its leader,
Mirek Topolánek Mirek Topolánek (, born 15 May 1956) is a Czech politician and business manager who served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 2006 to 2009 and the leader of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) from 2002 to 2010. Between 2006 and 2 ...
, did not rule out staying in EPP-ED. Topolánek then attended the EPP Summit (a meeting of heads of state and government of the European People's Party) of 21 June 2007, adding speculation about the fragility of the new group. Later in 2007, the relations between the EPP and the Conservative Party further deteriorated when the EPP voiced its opposition to the UK holding a referendum of the
Treaty of Lisbon The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member s ...
, something the Tories had campaigned for. In July 2008, the European Parliament raised the 2009 threshold for forming a group to 25 members and representing 7 member states. Topolánek, after being re-elected Leader of the ODS on 7 December 2008, attended yet another EPP Summit, on 11 December 2008.


2009 European Parliament elections

As the 2009 European elections approached, Cameron, Topolánek, and Conservative MEP
Geoffrey Van Orden Brigadier Geoffrey Charles Van Orden (born 10 April 1945) is a British politician and former British Army officer who served as Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020. He was a Member of the European Parliamen ...
(a 'point-man' for the new group) were looking for partners. The list of possible partners was kept secret. People or parties that were rumoured to be possible partners in the new group included Law and Justice; Lega Nord; the
Danish People's Party The Danish People's Party ( da, Dansk Folkeparti, DPP/DF) is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Denmark. It was formed in 1995 by former members of the Progress Party (FrP). The DPP lent its support to the Venstre– C ...
; For Fatherland and Freedom,
Order and Justice Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
, the
Pensioners' Party Pensioners' Party or Party of Pensioners is a name commonly adopted by political organizations composed primarily of people who have a pension (generally elderly retirees) and who are interested in issues affecting their demographic group. However, ...
;
Order, Law and Justice Order, Law and Justice ( bg, Ред, законност и справедливост, Red, zakonnost i spravedlivost, abbreviated as ''RZS'') was a conservative political party in Bulgaria. Its main focus is on fighting crime and corruption. It ...
;
Libertas Libertas (Latin for 'liberty' or 'freedom', ) is the Roman goddess and personification of liberty. She became a politicised figure in the Late Republic, featured on coins supporting the populares faction, and later those of the assassins of ...
; Civic Union;
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...
, ChristianUnion-SGP; the independent
Indrek Tarand Indrek Tarand (born 3 February 1964) is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Estonia. He is an Independent politician, but a member of the European Green Party. Tarand has served as an advisor to the Prime Mini ...
; and Lijst Dedecker's
Derk Jan Eppink Derk Jan Eppink (born 7 November 1958) is a Dutch journalist, politician in the Netherlands, and former cabinet secretary for European Commissioners Bolkestein (1999–2004) and Kallas (2004–2007). In 2009, he was elected to the Eu ...
; from member states such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Sweden, the
Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
and Balkan states,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, and the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Speculation also considered the remnants of the
Union for Europe of the Nations Union for Europe of the Nations (UEN) was a national–conservative, Eurosceptic political group of the European Parliament active between 1999 and 2009. History UEN was formed on 20 July 1999 for the 5th European Parliament, supplanting the ...
(UEN) group, which was thought to be on the verge of collapse after the decision of
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
to join the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the Italian National Alliance merging with EPP member party Forza Italia. Lajos Bokros, elected on the list of the
Hungarian Democratic Forum The Hungarian Democratic Forum ( hu, Magyar Demokrata Fórum, MDF) was a centre-right political party in Hungary. It had a Hungarian nationalist, national-conservative, Christian-democratic ideology. The party was represented continuously in the ...
(MDF) joined the group as the EPP did not want to accept him on pressure of the rival
Fidesz Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance (; hu, Fidesz – Magyar Polgári Szövetség) is a right-wing populist and national-conservative political party in Hungary, led by Viktor Orbán. It was formed in 1988 under the name of Alliance of Young ...
. The new group was provisionally named the European Conservatives, (echoing the 1970s group of the same name), which was then changed to European Conservatives and Reformists. The original estimates were firmed up to 84 MEPs, then to approximately 60. Frictions surfaced, as the ODS wanted the new group to have as many MEPs as possible, whilst the Conservatives wanted to disbar anti-immigrant parties in the new group, including the Danish People's Party and Lega Nord.


Formation

On 22 June 2009, the first official list of the new group's members was released. On 24 June, the group held its inaugural meeting, in which Conservative MEP
Timothy Kirkhope Timothy John Robert Kirkhope, Baron Kirkhope of Harrogate (born 29 April 1945) is a British lawyer and politician who previously served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber for the Conservative Party. After ...
was named interim leader. Adam Bielan of PiS and
Jan Zahradil Jan Zahradil (born 30 March 1963) is a Czech politician for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) who has been Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since the Czech Republic entered the European Union in 2004. Zahradil also served as Member of t ...
of the ODS were named interim vice-chairmen. At the first sitting of the
Seventh European Parliament The seventh European Parliament was elected in the 2009 elections and lasted until the 2014 elections. Major events * 4–7 June 2009 ** Elections to the Seventh Parliament. * 14 July 2009 ** First meeting (constitutive session) of the Sev ...
, on 14 July 2009, outgoing Parliament President
Hans-Gert Pöttering Hans-Gert Pöttering (born 15 September 1945) is a German lawyer, historian and conservative politician ( CDU, European People's Party), who served as President of the European Parliament from January 2007 to July 2009 and as Chairman of the C ...
announced that applications from all new and returning groups had been received and approved, including ECR. The group then became eligible for EU funding, office space, and committee places. The first election for the group leadership was also scheduled for 14 July 2009, pitting interim leader Kirkhope against fellow Briton
Geoffrey Van Orden Brigadier Geoffrey Charles Van Orden (born 10 April 1945) is a British politician and former British Army officer who served as Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020. He was a Member of the European Parliamen ...
. However, both Conservative leadership candidates were forced to forfeit the leadership to prevent it from falling apart, when Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott defied his party whip and stood for one of the vice-presidency posts despite pledges the previous week that Polish MEP
Michał Kamiński Michał Tomasz Kamiński (born 28 March 1972) is a Polish politician and a member of the Senate with the Union of European Democrats. He was chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament from July 2009 until Ma ...
would be backed for it. Kamiński's bid for
Vice-President of the European Parliament There are fourteen vice-presidents of the European Parliament who sit in for the president in presiding over the plenary of the European Parliament. Role Vice-presidents are members of the Bureau and chair the plenary when the president is not ...
subsequently failed, and the Polish MEPs threatened to abandon the new caucus unless Kamiński was made the group leader in the parliament. Kirkhope went to an emergency meeting with Polish MEPs in Strasbourg and proposed sharing the group leadership with the Kamiński; however, this was not accepted, and he had to step down as coalition leader, withdrawing in favour of Kamiński. McMillan-Scott, who alleged that the Conservative's new allies in Poland are 'racist and homophobic', had the Conservative whip withdrawn in the European Parliament. In March 2010, McMillan-Scott joined the British Liberal Democrats and the ALDE group.


Leadership changes and upheavals in membership

Group chairman Kamiński left Law and Justice (PiS) in November 2010, saying that the party had been taken over by the far-right. Kamiński and other Law and Justice MPs and MEPs formed a new Polish party,
Poland Comes First Poland Comes First ( pl, Polska jest Najważniejsza), also rendered as Poland is the Most Important, shortened to Poland First, and abbreviated to PJN, was a centre-right, conservative liberal, political party in Poland. It was formed as a more ...
, formed as a breakaway from Law and Justice following dissatisfaction with the direction and leadership of
Jarosław Kaczyński Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński (; born 18 June 1949) is a Polish politician who is currently serving as leader of the Law and Justice party (known by its Polish acronym PiS), which he co-founded in 2001 with his twin brother, Lech Kaczyński, ...
. Kamiński initially remained chairman of the group, but other Law and Justice MEPs argued he should step down. On 15 December, rumours emerged that the eleven remaining PiS MEPs might leave the ECR and join the right-wing
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) was a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. The group was formed following the 2009 European parliamentary election, mostly composed of elements of the Independence/Democracy (IND/DEM) and ...
(EFD) group instead. In February 2011, Kamiński announced he would resign his chairmanship, effective 8 March, when a replacement would be elected. Former interim leader
Timothy Kirkhope Timothy John Robert Kirkhope, Baron Kirkhope of Harrogate (born 29 April 1945) is a British lawyer and politician who previously served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber for the Conservative Party. After ...
was said to be the front runner, but lost the election to
Jan Zahradil Jan Zahradil (born 30 March 1963) is a Czech politician for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) who has been Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since the Czech Republic entered the European Union in 2004. Zahradil also served as Member of t ...
of the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
's ODS. Zahradil has been in talks with other parties about joining the ECR. In late March, David Cameron invited the
New Flemish Alliance The New Flemish Alliance ( nl, Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA) is a Flemish nationalist and conservative political party in Belgium. The party was founded in 2001 by the right-leaning fraction of the centrist-nationalist People's Union (VU). ...
(N-VA) to join the group. The May 2011 resignation of
Silvana Koch-Mehrin Esther Silvana Koch-Mehrin (born 17 November 1970, in Wuppertal) is a former German politician of the Free Democratic Party of Germany who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2014. Early career In 1998, Koch-Mehrin founded ...
, one of the fourteen Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament, led to the ECR considering putting another candidate forward to take the position they were denied through McMillan-Scott's defection. Conservative Party MEP
Giles Chichester Giles Bryan Chichester (born 29 July 1946) is a British Conservative Party politician who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South West England and Gibraltar from 1999 until he retired 2014. He was elected as Vice-President of th ...
was nominated on 31 May, and was elected unopposed by the Parliament on 5 July 2011, after the ALDE group to which Koch-Mehrin belongs failed to find a willing and suitable candidate. On 14 December 2011, a new leadership was elected, with
Martin Callanan Martin John Callanan, Baron Callanan (born 8 August 1961) is a British Conservative Party politician. He was Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North East England from 1999 to 2014 and Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformi ...
as chairman and
Jan Zahradil Jan Zahradil (born 30 March 1963) is a Czech politician for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) who has been Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since the Czech Republic entered the European Union in 2004. Zahradil also served as Member of t ...
,
Geoffrey Van Orden Brigadier Geoffrey Charles Van Orden (born 10 April 1945) is a British politician and former British Army officer who served as Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020. He was a Member of the European Parliamen ...
,
Ryszard Legutko Ryszard Antoni Legutko (), (born 24 December 1949), is a Polish philosopher and politician, and professor of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, specializing in ancient philosophy and political theory. Biography Under communi ...
, and
Derk Jan Eppink Derk Jan Eppink (born 7 November 1958) is a Dutch journalist, politician in the Netherlands, and former cabinet secretary for European Commissioners Bolkestein (1999–2004) and Kallas (2004–2007). In 2009, he was elected to the Eu ...
as Vice-Chairmen. On 26 December 2011, four members of
United Poland United Poland ( pl, Solidarna Polska, abbreviated to SP, lit. "Solidary Poland", alternatively translated as "Solidarity Poland") is a Christian nationalism, Catholic-nationalist List of political parties in Poland, political party in Poland led by ...
– who had split from Law and Justice in November – left the ECR to join the
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) was a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. The group was formed following the 2009 European parliamentary election, mostly composed of elements of the Independence/Democracy (IND/DEM) and ...
(EFD) group. On 17 January 2012, Czech
Oldřich Vlasák Oldřich Vlasák (born 26 November 1955) is a conservative politician who advocates for the interests of self-governing municipalities, cities and regions. He served as Vice-President of the European Parliament between 2012 and 2014. Biography ...
replaced Chichester as the ECR's Vice-President of the Parliament.


2014 European Parliament elections

The
2014 European elections Fourteen or 14 may refer to: * 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15 * one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014 Music * 14th (band), a British electronic music duo * ''14'' (David Garrett album), 2013 *''14'', an unrel ...
were held on 22–25 May 2014. On 4 June 2014, the ECR accepted applications from the
Danish People's Party The Danish People's Party ( da, Dansk Folkeparti, DPP/DF) is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Denmark. It was formed in 1995 by former members of the Progress Party (FrP). The DPP lent its support to the Venstre– C ...
(4 MEPs) and the
Finns Party The Finns Party, formerly known as the True Finns ( fi, Perussuomalaiset, PS, sv, Sannfinländarna, Sannf.), is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The ...
(2 MEPs), both formerly attached to the EFD group during the 7th term of the European Parliament, as well as the
Family Party of Germany The Family Party of Germany (german: Familienpartei Deutschlands) is a minor conservative political party in Germany. It has elected members to several local councils in the state of Saarland. In the 2005 federal elections, the Family Party rece ...
, both
Ordinary People and Independent Personalities Ordinary People and Independent Personalities) ( sk, Obyčajní ľudia a nezávislé osobnosti) is a conservative political party in Slovakia. The anti-establishment party founded in 2011 won the 2020 parliamentary election on an anti-corrupt ...
(OĽaNO) and New Majority (NOVA) from Slovakia, and the Independent Greeks. Alternative for Germany and Bulgaria Without Censorship were admitted on 8 June, followed by the Dutch Reformed Political Party on 16 June. On 18 June the
New Flemish Alliance The New Flemish Alliance ( nl, Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA) is a Flemish nationalist and conservative political party in Belgium. The party was founded in 2001 by the right-leaning fraction of the centrist-nationalist People's Union (VU). ...
(N-VA) joined the group, a party previously attached to the Greens/EFA group. N-VA party members had voted by a wide margin to join the ECR group instead of ALDE; 70 voted to join the ECR, and just three to join ALDE. The N-VA's decision allowed the ECR to overtake ALDE as the third biggest group in the European parliament, assuming the role of "kingmakers" in the new parliament. On 23 June, Irish
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
MEP
Brian Crowley Brian Donal Crowley (born 4 March 1964) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the South constituency from 1994 to 2019. He served as a Senator from 1993 to 1994, after being n ...
joined from the ALDE group, but without the permission of his party or its leader
Micheál Martin Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence since December 2022. He served as Taoiseach from 2020 to 2022 and has been Leader of ...
, who removed Crowley's party whip the following day. On the same day,
IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement The IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO–BNM; bg, ВМРО – Българско Национално Движение, translit=VMRO – Balgarsko Natsionalno Dvizhenie, VMRO–BND) is a national conservative political party in Bul ...
joined, taking the group to 70 MEPs. The ECR's unanimous decision to admit the Danish People's Party and Finns Party as members was criticised because one MEP from each party has a criminal conviction.
Morten Messerschmidt Morten Messerschmidt (born 13 November 1980) is a Danish politician and current leader of the Danish People's Party. He was a elected Member of the Folketing at the 2019 Danish general election having previously served from 2005 to 2009. At the 2 ...
, lead candidate for the Danish People's Party, was convicted in 2002 for publishing material that appeared to suggest that there is a link between a multiethnic society and rape, violence and forced marriages.Barker, Alex (June 2014)
"MEPs with criminal records join Tories' eurosceptic group"
''Financial Times'', 4 June 2014 Accessed 25 June 2014.
Jussi Halla-aho Jussi Kristian Halla-aho (born 27 April 1971) is a Finnish politician who has served as a member of the Parliament of Finland from 2011 to 2014 and again since 2019, and as the leader of the Finns Party from 10 June 2017 However,
Syed Kamall Syed Salah Kamall, Baron Kamall (born 15 February 1967) is a British politician and academic, who from September to October 2022 served in HM Government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and ...
, the ECR's chairman, who is a practising Muslim, defended the new members. Following the election, British Conservative MEP
Sajjad Karim Sajjad Haider Karim (born 11 July 1970) is a British politician. He served as a Member of the European Parliament for the North West England between 2004 and 2019. Sajjad is one of 10 members of the executive of European Movement UK and Chair o ...
was the group's candidate for
President of the European Parliament President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...
. On 8 March 2016, the bureau of the ECR Group began motions to exclude the two remaining MEPs of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) from their group due to the AfD's links with the far-right
Freedom Party of Austria The Freedom Party of Austria (german: Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ) is a right-wing populist and national-conservative political party in Austria. It was led by Norbert Hofer from September 2019 to 1 June 2021.Staff (1 June 2021"Aus ...
(FPÖ) and controversial remarks about immigration, inviting the MEPs to voluntarily leave the group by 31 March, with a motion of exclusion to be tabled on 12 April otherwise.


Changes in membership 2014–2019

*On 2 October 2014, the leader of the Slovak party
Freedom and Solidarity Freedom and Solidarity ( sk, Sloboda a solidarita, SaS) is a liberal political party in Slovakia. Established in 2009, SaS is led by its founder and economist Richard Sulík, who designed Slovakia's flat tax system. It generally holds libertari ...
(SaS), Richard Sulik, left the ALDE group to join the ECR, and was formally accepted six days later. *In November 2014, the sole Croatian member of the group, Ruža Tomašić, left the party she founded,
Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević Croatian may refer to: *Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , ...
, to lead a new party, the Croatian Conservative Party. *On 24 January 2015,
Amjad Bashir Amjad Mahmood Bashir ( ur, امجد محمود بشیر; born 17 September 1952) is a British politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for the Yorkshire and the Humber region between 2014 and 2019. He was elected in 2014 for ...
, the
UKIP The UK Independence Party (UKIP; ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of Parliament and was the largest p ...
MEP for
Yorkshire and the Humber Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The population in 2011 was 5,284,000 with its largest settlements being Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull, and York. It is ...
, changed affiliation to the Conservative Party and subsequently joined the ECR. *On 18 May 2015,
Raffaele Fitto Raffaele Fitto (born 28 August 1969) is an Italian politician and a member of the European Parliament. He is serving as the minister of European affairs in the Meloni Cabinet since 2022. Career Born in Maglie, Fitto was elected in 1999 at Europ ...
, formerly of Italian party Forza Italia and EPP group member, joined the ECR group: forming a party called the Conservatives and Reformists after the ECR. *On 7 July 2015,
Remo Sernagiotto Remo Sernagiotto (1 September 1955 – 29 November 2020) was an Italian politician from Veneto. Career Sernagiotto was born in Montebelluna. A long-time Christian Democrat, he was first elected to the Regional Council of Veneto in 2000 regional ...
left the EPP to join the ECR. *On 27 October 2015,
Monica Macovei Monica Luisa Macovei (; born 4 February 1959) is a Romanian politician, lawyer and former prosecutor, and former Member of the European Parliament from the European Conservatives and Reformists and formerly a member of the Romanian Democratic L ...
, from M10 political party left the EPP to join the ECR. *On 8 March 2016,
Eleni Theocharous Eleni Theocharous ( el, Ελένη Θεοχάρους; born 24 June 1953) is a Cypriot paediatric surgeon and politician who leads the political party Solidarity Movement. She was elected to the European Parliament in 2009, re-elected in 2014 an ...
of the Cypriot
Democratic Rally The Democratic Rally ( el, Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός, translit=Dimokratikós Sinagermós, ΔΗΣΥ/DISY) is a liberal-conservative, Christian-democratic political party in Cyprus led by Averof Neofytou. The party was founded ...
was admitted to the group from the EPP. *On 5 October 2016,
Timothy Kirkhope Timothy John Robert Kirkhope, Baron Kirkhope of Harrogate (born 29 April 1945) is a British lawyer and politician who previously served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber for the Conservative Party. After ...
was forced to quit after being created a life peer in the UK
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
, and thus becoming ineligible to continue serving in the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
. His seat was succeeded by John Procter. *On 3 July 2018,
Peter Lundgren Peter Lundgren (born 29 January 1965) is a former professional male tennis player and tennis coach from Sweden. He preferred playing indoors, hardcourt and on grass to clay. Playing career Lundgren was one of the second generation of Swedish ...
and
Kristina Winberg Kristina Eva Martina Winberg (born 27 May 1965) is a Swedish former politician who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing the Sweden Democrats, part of the European Conservatives and Reformists. She was elected to the Europe ...
, from Sweden Democrats left EFDD group to join ECR group. *On 17 December 2018, Stefano Maullu left the EPP group to join the ECR group after his defection from Forza Italia to the
Brothers of Italy Brothers of Italy ( it, Fratelli d'Italia, FdI) is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Italy. It is led by Giorgia Meloni, the incumbent Prime Minister of Italy and the first woman to serve in the position. Acco ...
.


2019 European Parliament elections and shift to the right

Prior to the 2019 elections, the Sweden Democrats (SD) and
Brothers of Italy Brothers of Italy ( it, Fratelli d'Italia, FdI) is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Italy. It is led by Giorgia Meloni, the incumbent Prime Minister of Italy and the first woman to serve in the position. Acco ...
joined the ECR group, while
Forum for Democracy Forum for Democracy ( nl, Forum voor Democratie, FvD) is a right-wing populist Eurosceptic political party in the Netherlands that was founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2016. The party first participated in elections ...
(FvD) and
Debout la France Debout la France (, ; DLF) is a French political party founded by Nicolas Dupont-Aignan in 1999 under the name Debout la République (''Republic Arise'', DLR) as the "genuine Gaullist" branch of the Rally for the Republic (RPR). It was relaunche ...
pledged to do so after the elections should they win seats. Two ECR member parties, the
Danish People's Party The Danish People's Party ( da, Dansk Folkeparti, DPP/DF) is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Denmark. It was formed in 1995 by former members of the Progress Party (FrP). The DPP lent its support to the Venstre– C ...
and the
Finns Party The Finns Party, formerly known as the True Finns ( fi, Perussuomalaiset, PS, sv, Sannfinländarna, Sannf.), is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The ...
, announced their intention to form a new group called the
European Alliance for People and Nations Identity and Democracy (french: link=no, Identité et démocratie, ID) is a Right-wing politics, right-wing to Far-right politics, far-right political group of the European Parliament, launched on 13 June 2019 for the Ninth European Parliamen ...
with Alternative for Germany and Italy's
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
following the 2019 elections which was subsequently named ''Identity and Democracy.'' During the 2019 elections the British
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
sustained losses, including that of former ECR chairman
Syed Kamall Syed Salah Kamall, Baron Kamall (born 15 February 1967) is a British politician and academic, who from September to October 2022 served in HM Government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and ...
. The ECR also saw its total number of MEPs reduced to 62 MEPs and was overtaken in number by
Identity and Democracy Identity and Democracy (french: link=no, Identité et démocratie, ID) is a right-wing to far-right political group of the European Parliament, launched on 13 June 2019 for the Ninth European Parliament term. It is composed of nationalist, ri ...
, the other predominant eurosceptic grouping. However, the FvD and the new Spanish Vox party gained seats for the first time and were formally admitted into the group. Following the election, the group named
Raffaele Fitto Raffaele Fitto (born 28 August 1969) is an Italian politician and a member of the European Parliament. He is serving as the minister of European affairs in the Meloni Cabinet since 2022. Career Born in Maglie, Fitto was elected in 1999 at Europ ...
and
Ryszard Legutko Ryszard Antoni Legutko (), (born 24 December 1949), is a Polish philosopher and politician, and professor of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, specializing in ancient philosophy and political theory. Biography Under communi ...
as new joint chairmen.


Changes in membership 2019–present

The Dutch Christian Union (CU) quit the group following the 2019 elections and switched to the
European People's Party group The European People's Party Group (EPP Group) is a centre-right political group of the European Parliament consisting of deputies (MEPs) from the member parties of the European People's Party (EPP). Sometimes it also includes independent MEP ...
with the CU's sole MEP
Peter van Dalen Peter van Dalen (born 3 September 1958) is a Dutch politician serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2009. He is a member of the Christian Union, which used to be part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), b ...
protesting that the ECR was moving too far to the right with the inclusion of parties like
Forum for Democracy Forum for Democracy ( nl, Forum voor Democratie, FvD) is a right-wing populist Eurosceptic political party in the Netherlands that was founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2016. The party first participated in elections ...
, Vox and the Sweden Democrats. The fellow Dutch Reformed Political Party opted to remain the group, signalling the end of an alliance the CU and Reformed party had during European elections. On 31 January 2020, the remaining British Conservative Party MEPs resigned from the group following the completion of the
withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
. In May 2020,
Cristian Terheș Cristian-Vasile Terheș (born December 4, 1978) is a Romanian politician currently serving as a Member of the European Parliament for Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNȚ-CD) after being elected on the Social Democratic Party (PS ...
announced he was joining the ECR group as an MEP for the Romanian Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (which had previously been expelled from the
European People's Party group The European People's Party Group (EPP Group) is a centre-right political group of the European Parliament consisting of deputies (MEPs) from the member parties of the European People's Party (EPP). Sometimes it also includes independent MEP ...
) having initially been elected for the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Fo ...
. In 2020, all MEPs of the
Forum for Democracy Forum for Democracy ( nl, Forum voor Democratie, FvD) is a right-wing populist Eurosceptic political party in the Netherlands that was founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2016. The party first participated in elections ...
party resigned to sit as independents before co-founding a new party,
JA21 JA21 (, backronym for Juiste Antwoord 2021, or 'Right Answer 2021') is a political party in the Netherlands, currently active in the Senate as the Nanninga Group (). It was founded in December 2020 by Joost Eerdmans and Annabel Nanninga after ...
. In 2022, Forum for Democracy switched its affiliation to the
Identity and Democracy Identity and Democracy (french: link=no, Identité et démocratie, ID) is a right-wing to far-right political group of the European Parliament, launched on 13 June 2019 for the Ninth European Parliament term. It is composed of nationalist, ri ...
group.


Conservatives and Reformists Summit

ECR Group members participated in two summits organised by the ECR Party (then called the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe): * 2015 Conservatives and Reformists Summit:
Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...
(
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
) * 2016 Conservatives and Reformists Summit:
Antalya la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλειώτης , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 07xxx , area_code = (+90) 242 , registration_plate = 07 , blank_name = Licence plate ...
(
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
)


Membership


Ninth European Parliament

Following the 2019 election, the ECR won 61 seats. The
Finns Party The Finns Party, formerly known as the True Finns ( fi, Perussuomalaiset, PS, sv, Sannfinländarna, Sannf.), is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The ...
and the
Danish People's Party The Danish People's Party ( da, Dansk Folkeparti, DPP/DF) is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Denmark. It was formed in 1995 by former members of the Progress Party (FrP). The DPP lent its support to the Venstre– C ...
agreed to leave the group and join the far-right
Identity and Democracy Identity and Democracy (french: link=no, Identité et démocratie, ID) is a right-wing to far-right political group of the European Parliament, launched on 13 June 2019 for the Ninth European Parliament term. It is composed of nationalist, ri ...
after the election. After those losses, four parties joined the group: the Spanish Vox, the
Family Party of Germany The Family Party of Germany (german: Familienpartei Deutschlands) is a minor conservative political party in Germany. It has elected members to several local councils in the state of Saarland. In the 2005 federal elections, the Family Party rece ...
,
Greek Solution The Greek Solution ( el, Ελληνική Λύση, ''Elliniki Lisi'') is a political party in Greece founded by former MP Kyriakos Velopoulos. The party is right wing to far-right and has been described as ideologically ultranationalist and ...
and the Dutch
Forum for Democracy Forum for Democracy ( nl, Forum voor Democratie, FvD) is a right-wing populist Eurosceptic political party in the Netherlands that was founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2016. The party first participated in elections ...
. ECR currently has 61
Members of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
from 15 countries.


Eighth European Parliament

Following the 2014 election, members from twelve new parties joined. Additional parties were admitted during the course of the
Eighth European Parliament The eighth European Parliament was elected in the 2014 elections and lasted until the 2019 elections. Major events * 22–25 May 2014 ** Elections to the Eighth Parliament. * 1 July 2014 ** First meeting (constitutive session) of the Eighth Pa ...
, such as the Slovak
Freedom and Solidarity Freedom and Solidarity ( sk, Sloboda a solidarita, SaS) is a liberal political party in Slovakia. Established in 2009, SaS is led by its founder and economist Richard Sulík, who designed Slovakia's flat tax system. It generally holds libertari ...
party and the Italian Direzione Italia. Alternative for Germany was initially admitted, but expelled in April 2016. In 2019 the ECR had 77
Members of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
, from twenty-three parties across eighteen countries. The ECR drew the majority of its MEPs from northern and central Europe.


Seventh European Parliament

Originally, it had been announced on 22 June 2009 that
Hannu Takkula Hannu Aapa Takkula (born 20 November 1963) is a Finnish politician and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. He is a member of the Centre Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. Early life Takkul ...
, MEP for the Finnish Centre Party (an Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe member party) would also be a member of ECR (with his two party colleagues remaining in ALDE), but he reversed this decision two days later. The group membership was reduced to 54 when Edward McMillan-Scott was expelled from the group in July 2009. It increased to 55 again when Anna Rosbach joined the group in March 2011.
UKIP The UK Independence Party (UKIP; ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of Parliament and was the largest p ...
MEP
David Campbell Bannerman David Campbell Bannerman (born 28 May 1960 in Bombay, India) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of England from 2009 to 2019. He is currently Chairman of The Freedom Asso ...
rejoined the Conservative Party in May 2011, taking the group's tally to 56: one larger than
The Greens–European Free Alliance ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
– an advantage that disappeared in June 2011. Anthea McIntyre was confirmed as the ECR's 57th MEP on 1 December 2011.
United Poland United Poland ( pl, Solidarna Polska, abbreviated to SP, lit. "Solidary Poland", alternatively translated as "Solidarity Poland") is a Christian nationalism, Catholic-nationalist List of political parties in Poland, political party in Poland led by ...
, which had been founded by four defectors from Law and Justice –
Zbigniew Ziobro Zbigniew Tadeusz Ziobro (; born 18 August 1970) is a Polish politician. He is the current Minister of Justice of the Republic of Poland, as of January 2019, serving in the Cabinet of Mateusz Morawiecki. He previously served in the same role fro ...
,
Tadeusz Cymański Tadeusz Cymański (; born 6 June 1955 in Nowy Staw) is a Polish conservative politician. He was elected to the Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Pols ...
,
Jacek Kurski Jacek Olgierd Kurski (, born 22 February 1966 in Gdańsk) is a Polish politician and journalist, and the current chairman of the Polish public broadcaster TVP. He was previously a Member of the Sejm (2005–2009), Member of the European Parlia ...
, and
Jacek Włosowicz Jacek Władysław Włosowicz (born 25 January 1966) is a Polish politician. He was elected to the Senate of Poland The Senate ( pl, Senat) is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the Sejm. The history of the Poli ...
– left the ECR for
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) was a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. The group was formed following the 2009 European parliamentary election, mostly composed of elements of the Independence/Democracy (IND/DEM) and ...
(EFD) on 26 December 2011. In March 2012, Conservative
Roger Helmer Roger Helmer (born 25 January 1944) is a British politician and businessman. He was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East Midlands region from 1999 to 2017. Before becoming an MEP, he was a business executive. Helmer was electe ...
defected to the
UK Independence Party The UK Independence Party (UKIP; ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of Parliament and was the largest par ...
(UKIP) and also joined EFD;
Marta Andreasen Marta Andreasen (born 26 November 1954) is an Argentine-born Spanish accountant. She was employed in January 2002 by the European Commission as Chief Accountant,Andreasen, Marta: ''Brussels Laid Bare'', pg. 20. St. Edwards Press Ltd, July 2009 ...
moved in the opposite direction, joining the Conservatives and the ECR from UKIP and the EFD group, in February 2013. In October 2012,
Cristiana Muscardini Cristiana Muscardini (born 6 November 1948 in Cannobio) is an Italian politician and freelance writer and publicist. Graduated in philosophy, Cristiana Muscardini was executive of the ''National University Action Front'', the Italian Social Mo ...
joined the ECR, when she left
Future and Freedom Future and Freedom ( it, Futuro e Libertà), whose full name was Future and Freedom for Italy (''Futuro e Libertà per l'Italia'', abbreviated to FLI), was a political party in Italy, comprising both liberal and national conservative elements. F ...
to found the
Conservatives and Social Reformers The Conservatives and Social Reformers ( it, Conservatori e Social Riformatori, abbr. CSR) was a national conservative political party in Italy. The CSR was formed in October 2012 by Cristiana Muscardini, who had been a long-time MEP with Natio ...
. In April 2013, the ECR was joined by fellow Italian
Susy De Martini Professor Isabella 'Susy' De Martini (born 17 June 1952 in Genoa) is an Italian politician and academic. Former member of PDL, from 12 April 2013 to 25 May 2014 she was a Member of the European Parliament, representing North-West Italy. De Martin ...
, an independent who was formerly a member of
The People of Freedom The People of Freedom ( it, Il Popolo della Libertà, PdL) was a centre-right political party in Italy. The PdL, launched by Silvio Berlusconi on 18 November 2007, was initially a federation of political parties, notably including Forza Italia a ...
. The newly elected Croatian MEP Ruža Tomašić of the Croatian Party of Rights joined the group when Croatia joined the EU in July 2013. In November 2013,
Poland Comes First Poland Comes First ( pl, Polska jest Najważniejsza), also rendered as Poland is the Most Important, shortened to Poland First, and abbreviated to PJN, was a centre-right, conservative liberal, political party in Poland. It was formed as a more ...
dissolved itself, with three of its members joining the new
Poland Together Poland Together ( pl, Polska Razem, PR or PRZP), formally Poland Together United Right (''Polska Razem Zjednoczona Prawica''), was a conservative-liberal political party in Poland. The party was founded on 7 December 2013 by former Minister of ...
, which was also joined by Artur Zasada from the EPP: taking the group's number of MEPs to 57. In 2014, Mirosław Piotrowski rejoined Law and Justice, and sought re-election in 2014 under that party's banner.


MEPs


9th European Parliament


8th European Parliament


Leadership


Chairman

The ECR currently is led by two Co-Chairmen, Ryszard Legutko and Raffaele Fitto. There have been five previous Chairmen of the European Conservatives and Reformists group:


Group Bureau

As of 12 July 2019:


Cohesion

According to calculations by ''Vote Watch Europe'', the ECR group had a cohesion rate of 86.65% in parliamentary votes during the 7th session (2009–14). This is slightly lower than in the four pro-European groups, but higher than in the
European United Left–Nordic Green Left European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...
(GUE/NGL) and far higher than in the
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) was a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. The group was formed following the 2009 European parliamentary election, mostly composed of elements of the Independence/Democracy (IND/DEM) and ...
(EFD) groups. Internal cohesion was highest in votes on constitutional and inter-institutional affairs (94.79%), international trade, and industry, research & energy. The greatest divergence within the group was in decisions on regional development (70.53% cohesion), agriculture, and development (cooperation). The parties that were most loyal to the group (meaning that they voted with the majority of ECR members the most often) were the UK Conservatives (97.51%), the Ulster Unionist Party and the Czech Civic Democratic Party. The members who deviated from the ECR majority the most often were the individual MEPs Andreasen from the UK (who had switched over from EFD group only in 2013; 61.20% loyalty), Muscardini from Italy, and Rosbach (who had crossed over from EFD in 2011).


See also

* European Conservatives, an earlier political group of Conservatives in the European Parliament * European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive *
Movement for European Reform The Movement for European Reform, abbreviated to MER, was a pan-European alliance of national centre-right political parties with conservative, pro-free market and Eurosceptic inclinations. It consisted of the Conservative Party of the United Ki ...


References


External links


European Conservatives and Reformists official website

Members of the group


{{Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists European Parliament party groups Political parties established in 2009 Conservatism in Europe Organisations associated with the Conservative Party (UK)