European Conservatives and Reformists Group

The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group or simply ECR) is a

During the tenth European Parliament, the largest party in the group by number of MEPs is Brothers of Italy (FdI), followed by Polish Law and Justice (PiS).

In 2005, the

In June 2006, Cameron ordered Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague to ensure the new group was created by 13 July 2006.^[28] However, when that date arrived, it was announced that the launch of the new European Parliament group was delayed until after the 2009 elections.^[30]

In the interim, a pan-European alliance, called the

The Czech Civic Democratic Party (ODS) was part of MER but its leader, Mirek Topolánek, did not rule out staying in EPP-ED.^[34] 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.^[35]

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, something the Conservatives had campaigned for.^[29]

In July 2008, the European Parliament raised the 2009 threshold for forming a group to 25 members and representing 7 member states.^[36] Topolánek, after being re-elected Leader of the ODS on 7 December 2008, attended yet another EPP Summit, on 11 December 2008.^[37]

As the

The new group was provisionally named the European Conservatives,[42] (echoing the 1970s group of the same name), which was then changed to European Conservatives and Reformists.^[53] The original estimates were firmed up to 84 MEPs,^[40] then to approximately 60.^[51] 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.^[43]

On 22 June 2009, the first official list of the new group's members was released.^[22] On 24 June, the group held its inaugural meeting, in which Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope was named interim leader.^[54] Adam Bielan of PiS and Jan Zahradil of the ODS were named interim vice-chairmen.

At the first sitting of the Seventh European Parliament, on 14 July 2009, outgoing Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering 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.^[55] 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 would be backed for it. Kamiński's bid for Vice-President of the European Parliament subsequently failed, and the Polish MEPs threatened to abandon the new caucus unless Kamiński was made the group leader in the parliament.^[56] 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.^[57][58] In March 2010, McMillan-Scott joined the British Liberal Democrats and the ALDE group.^[59]

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, formed as a breakaway from Law and Justice following dissatisfaction with the direction and leadership of Jarosław Kaczyński. Kamiński initially remained chairman of the group, but other Law and Justice MEPs argued he should step down.^[60] 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 (EFD) group instead.^[61]

In February 2011, Kamiński announced he would resign his chairmanship, effective 8 March, when a replacement would be elected. Former interim leader Timothy Kirkhope was said to be the front runner,^[62] but lost the election to Jan Zahradil of the Czech Republic's ODS.^[63] In late March, David Cameron invited the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) to join the group.^[64]

The May 2011 resignation of

The

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.[78]^[79] Morten Messerschmidt, 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.^[80] Jussi Halla-aho, a Finns Party MEP, was convicted in 2012 after writing a 2008 blog entry which claimed that Islam "reveres paedophilia".^[80] However, Syed Kamall, the ECR's chairman, who is a practising Muslim, defended the new members.^[80]

Following the election, British Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim was the group's candidate for President of the European Parliament.^[81]

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 (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.^[82][83]

• On 2 October 2014, the leader of the Slovak party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), Richard Sulík, left the ALDE group to join the ECR,^[84] and was formally accepted six days later.
• In November 2014, the sole Croatian member of the group,
  Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević, to lead a new party, the Croatian Conservative Party
  .
• On 24 January 2015,
  UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, changed affiliation to the Conservative Party and subsequently joined the ECR.^[85]
• On 18 May 2015, Raffaele Fitto, 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.^[86][87]
• On 7 July 2015, Remo Sernagiotto left the EPP to join the ECR.
• On 27 October 2015, Monica Macovei, from M10 political party left the EPP to join the ECR.^[88]
• On 8 March 2016, Eleni Theocharous of the Cypriot Democratic Rally was admitted to the group from the EPP.^[89]
• On 5 October 2016, Timothy Kirkhope was forced to quit after being created a life peer in the UK House of Lords, and thus becoming ineligible to continue serving in the European Parliament. His seat was succeeded by John Procter.
• On 3 July 2018, Peter Lundgren and Kristina Winberg, from Sweden Democrats left EFDD group to join ECR group.^[90]
• 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.^[91]

Prior to the 2019 elections, the Sweden Democrats (SD) and Brothers of Italy joined the ECR group,^[92] while Forum for Democracy (FvD) and Debout la France pledged to do so after the elections should they win seats.^[93]

Two ECR member parties, the

During the 2019 elections, the British Conservative Party sustained losses, including that of former ECR chairman Syed Kamall. The ECR also saw its total number of MEPs reduced to 62 MEPs and was overtaken in number by Identity and Democracy, 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 and Ryszard Legutko as new joint chairmen.

The Dutch

On 31 January 2020, the remaining British Conservative Party MEPs resigned from the group following the completion of the

In May 2020, Cristian Terheș 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) having initially been elected for the Social Democratic Party.^[95]

In 2020, all MEPs of the Forum for Democracy party resigned to sit as independents before co-founding a new party, JA21. In 2022, Forum for Democracy switched its affiliation to the Identity and Democracy group.

In 2023, the Finns Party switched back its affiliation from the Identity and Democracy group to the ECR group citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and their change in policy regarding NATO membership.^[96]

For the 2024 European Parliament election the ECR campaigned for revisions to the European Green New Deal and for stronger border control measures. The group increased its number of MEPs to 84 and became the third largest group in the European Parliament, overtaking Renew Europe.^[97] After the election, the Alternative Democratic Reform Party of Luxembourg, the Cypriot National People's Front, the Homeland Movement, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians and the Romanian National Conservative Party were formally admitted into the group along with Reconquête (which had stood on a joint ticket with the Mouvement Conservateur) and the Denmark Democrats.^[98]

In June 2024, four out of the five newly elected Reconquête MEPs were expelled or resigned to sit as independents within the group after lead candidate Marion Marechal called on members of the party to support the National Rally during the French legislative election. Reconquête's sole remaining MEP Sarah Knafo joined the new Europe of Sovereign Nations group instead while the former members stayed with the ECR.^[99]

Prior to the election, there was media speculation that Hungary's Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party would join the group after talks with Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni, however after the election it was alleged Fidesz was blocked from joining the ECR while other press outlets claimed that Fidesz chose not to join due to previous disagreements with the Alliance for the Union of Romanians.^[100][101] After this Orbán formed the Patriots for Europe group.

On 3 July 2024 the group elected Nicola Procaccini (FdI) and Joachim Brudziński (PiS) as co-chair, with 4 vice-chairs and 2 co-treasurers.^[102][103]

On 3 July 2024, Jaak Madison, an independent Estonian MEP who formerly was a member of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia, joined the ECR Group.^[104] On 22 August, Madison joined the Estonian Centre Party. Although the Estonian Centre Party is currently part of the Renew Europe group, Madison will remain a member of the ECR Group, and the Centre Party's leader, Mihhail Kõlvart, stated that the party is considering leaving Renew Europe.^[105]

On 5 July, the Spanish Vox, with 6 MEPs, announced its intention to leave the ECR to join the new Patriots for Europe group. In a statement on Twitter, Vox leader Santiago Abascal expressed gratitude to the ECR group and said his party would continue to maintain strong relations with Meloni, but argued the move was a "historic opportunity to fight against a coalition of centre-right, socialist and far-left forces."^[106][107]

Following Vox's departure,

On 29 July 2024, the Sweden Democrats, Denmark Democrats and Finns Party formed the 'Nordic Freedom' alliance within the ECR, due to shared positions on Russia, immigration and EU regulations.^[113]

On 31 August 2024, Homeland Movement MEP Stephen Nikola Bartulica left the party, making him an independent member of the ECR.^[114]

In May 2025, the two SALF MEPs announced they had resigned from their party to sit as independent MEPs within the ECR citing disputes and legal controversies surrounding SALF leader Alvise Pérez.^[115]

In June 2025, Following the expulsion of Luxembourgish Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) MEP Fernand Kartheiser from the ECR for visiting Russia, the Patriots for Europe group approached the ADR for talks. The ADR stated that while it was considering what group the party wanted to belong to if the whole party were fully expelled from the ECR, it was not yet actively discussing membership with any other political group.^[116]

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v t e

The constituent declaration of the ECR stating the principles to which each group member is expected to adhere is known as the Prague Declaration. The Prague Declaration outlines the following principles:^[117]

1. Free enterprise,
   individual freedom
   and personal and national prosperity.
2. Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability.
3. Sustainable, clean energy supply with an emphasis on energy security.
4. The importance of the family as the bedrock of society.
5. The
   EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity
   .
6. The over-riding value of the transatlantic security relationship in a revitalised NATO, and support for young democracies across Europe.
7. Effectively controlled immigration and an end to abuse of asylum procedures
8. Efficient and modern
   public services
   and sensitivity to the needs of both rural and urban communities.
9. An end to waste and excessive bureaucracy and a commitment to greater transparency and probity in the EU institutions and use of EU funds.
10. 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

In a statement issued on 11 November 2021, two core political documents were cited by the Group's Co-Chairmen, Ryszard Legutko and Raffaele Fitto, 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".^[121][122]

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the group has come to comprise generally pro-Ukrainian and anti-Russian parties, whereas Identity and Democracy mainly consists of pro-Russian parties. In February 2023, the group's chairman Legutko stated that the group shall stand by Ukraine until Russia is defeated and beyond.^{[123][124][125]} Following the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election, the Finns Party, having previously moved to ID, rejoined ECR citing their change in policy to endorse Finnish NATO membership as the reason for the move.^[126] Members of the ECR tend to be pro-NATO and support Atlanticism, including more coordination between Europe and the United States, while taking a more critical view on the influence of China and Russia in Europe.^{[127][128][129]}

State	National party	European party		MEPs[130]
Belgium	New Flemish Alliance Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA)		EFA	3 / 22
Bulgaria	There is Such a People Има такъв народ (ITN)		ECR	1 / 17
Croatia	Home and National Rally Dom i nacionalno okupljanje (DOMiNO)		ECR	1 / 12
Cyprus	National People's Front Εθνικό Λαϊκό Μέτωπο (ELAM)		ECR	1 / 6
Czech Republic	Civic Democratic Party Občanská demokratická strana (ODS)		ECR	3 / 21
Denmark	Denmark Democrats Danmarksdemokraterne (Æ)		None	1 / 15
Estonia	Estonian Centre Party[a] Eesti Keskerakond (KE)		None	1 / 7
Finland	Finns Party Perussuomalaiset (PS)		None	1 / 15
France	Identity–Liberties Identité-Libertés (IDL)		ECR	4 / 81
Greece	Greek Solution Ελληνική Λύση (ΕΛ)		None	2 / 21
Italy	Brothers of Italy Fratelli d'Italia (FdI)		ECR	24 / 76
Latvia	National Alliance Nacionālā Apvienība (NA)		ECR	2 / 9
	United List Apvienotais saraksts (AS)		None	1 / 9
Lithuania	Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance Lietuvos lenkų rinkimų akcija – Krikščioniškų šeimų sąjunga (LLRA–KŠS) Akcja Wyborcza Polaków na Litwie – Związek Chrześcijańskich Rodzin (AWPL–ZCHR)		ECR	1 / 11
	Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union Lietuvos valstiečių ir žaliųjų sąjunga (LVŽS)		ECR	1 / 11
Netherlands	Reformed Political Party Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP)		ECPP	1 / 31
Poland	Law and Justice Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS)		ECR	20 / 53
Romania	Alliance for the Union of Romanians Alianța pentru Unirea Românilor (AUR)		ECR	3 / 33
	Romanian National Conservative Party Partidul Național Conservator Român (PNCR)		ECPP	1 / 33
	Independent Claudiu Târziu[b]		None	1 / 61
	Independent Șerban-Dimitrie Sturdza[c]		None	1 / 61
Spain	Independent Diego Solier[d]		None	1 / 61
	Independent Nora Junco[e]		None	1 / 61
Sweden	Sweden Democrats Sverigedemokraterna (SD)		ECR	3 / 21
European Union	Total			79 / 720

State	National party	European party		MEPs[131]
Belgium	New Flemish Alliance Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA)		EFA	3 / 21
Bulgaria	IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement ВМРО – Българско Национално Движение (ВМРО – БНД)		ECR	2 / 17
Croatia	Croatian Sovereignists Hrvatski Suverenisti (HS)		ECR	1 / 12
Czech Republic	Civic Democratic Party Občanská demokratická strana (ODS)		ECR	4 / 21
Finland	Finns Party Perussuomalaiset (PS)		None	2 / 14
France	Reconquest Reconquête! (R!)		None	1 / 79
Germany	Alliance Germany Bündnis Deutschland (BD)		None	1 / 96
Greece	Greek Solution Ελληνική Λύση (ΕΛ)		None	1 / 21
Italy	Brothers of Italy Fratelli d'Italia (FdI)		ECR	10 / 76
Latvia	National Alliance Nacionālā Apvienība (NA)		ECR	2 / 8
Lithuania	Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance Lietuvos lenkų rinkimų akcija – Krikščioniškų šeimų sąjunga (LLRA–KŠS) Akcja Wyborcza Polaków na Litwie – Związek Chrześcijańskich Rodzin (AWPL–ZCHR)		ECR	1 / 11
Netherlands	JA21 JA21		None	3 / 29
	Reformed Political Party Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP)		ECPM	1 / 29
	More Direct Democracy Meer Directe Democratie (MDD)		None	1 / 29
Poland	Law and Justice Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS)		ECR	25 / 52
	Sovereign Poland Suwerenna Polska (SP)		None	2 / 52
Romania	Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party Partidul Național Țărănesc Creștin Democrat (PNȚ-CD)		ECPM	1 / 33
Slovakia	Freedom and Solidarity Sloboda a Solidarita (SaS)		ECR	1 / 14
Spain	Vox Vox		ECR	4 / 59
Sweden	Sweden Democrats Sverigedemokraterna (SD)		ECR	3 / 21
European Union	Total			69 / 705

Country	National party	European party		MEPs	Date joined
Belgium	New Flemish Alliance Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA)		EFA	4 / 21	18 June 2014
Bulgaria	Bulgarian National Movement ВМРО – Българско Национално Движение (IMRO-BNM)		None	1 / 17	24 June 2014
	Reload Bulgaria Презареди България (BG)		ACRE	1 / 17	12 June 2014
Croatia	Croatian Conservative Party Hrvatska konzervativna stranka (HKS)		ACRE	1 / 12	1 July 2013
Cyprus	Solidarity Movement Κίνημα Αλληλεγγύη (KA)		ACRE	1 / 6	8 March 2016
Czech Republic	Civic Democratic Party Občanská demokratická strana (ODS)		ACRE	2 / 21	22 June 2009
Denmark	Danish People's Party Dansk Folkeparti (DF)		EAPN	3 / 13	4 June 2014
Finland	Finns Party Perussuomalaiset (PS)		EAPN	2 / 13	4 June 2014
Germany	Liberal Conservative Reformers[f] Liberal-Konservative Reformer (LKR)		ACRE	4 / 96	12 June 2014
	Alliance C Bündnis C (AUF & PBC)		ECPM	1 / 96	4 June 2014
	Independent[g]		Independent	1 / 96	29 September 2018
Greece	Independent[h]		Independent	1 / 21	4 June 2014
Italy	Brothers of Italy Fratelli d'Italia (FdI)		ACRE	2 / 73	17 December 2018
	Direction Italy Direzione Italia (DI)		ACRE	2 / 73	19 May 2015
Latvia	National Alliance Nacionālā Apvienība (NA)		ACRE	1 / 8	22 June 2009
Lithuania	Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania[i] Lietuvos lenkų rinkimų akcija (LLRA–KŠS)		ACRE	1 / 11	23 June 2009
Netherlands	Christian Union ChristenUnie (CU)		ECPM	1 / 26	22 June 2009
	Reformed Political Party Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP)		ECPM	1 / 26	16 June 2014
Poland	Law and Justice Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS)		ACRE	14 / 51	22 June 2009
	Right Wing of the Republic Prawica Rzeczypospolitej (PR)		ECPM	1 / 51	1 July 2014
	Independent[j]		Independent	4 / 51	1 July 2014
Romania	M10		ACRE	1 / 32	27 October 2015
Slovakia	Freedom and Solidarity Sloboda a Solidarita (SaS)		ACRE	1 / 13	8 October 2014
	New Majority NOVA		ACRE	1 / 13	4 June 2014
	Ordinary People Obyčajní Ľudia a nezávislé osobnosti (OĽaNO)		ECPM	1 / 13	4 June 2014
Sweden	Sweden Democrats Sverigedemokraterna (SD)		None	2 / 20	3 July 2018
United Kingdom	Conservative Party Conservative and Unionist Party (Con)		ACRE	8 / 73	22 June 2009
	Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)		ACRE	1 / 73	22 June 2009
European Union	Total				63 / 751

Leadership

Chairperson

Chairperson		Took office	Left office	Country (Constituency)	Party
Timothy Kirkhope		24 June 2009	14 July 2009	United Kingdom (Yorkshire and the Humber)	Conservative
Michał Kamiński		14 July 2009	8 March 2011	Poland (Warsaw)	Law and Justice then Poland Comes First
Jan Zahradil		8 March 2011	14 December 2011	Czech Republic	Civic Democratic Party
Martin Callanan		14 December 2011	12 June 2014	United Kingdom (North East England)	Conservative
Syed Kamall		12 June 2014	2 July 2019	United Kingdom (London)	Conservative
Raffaele Fitto*		2 July 2019	12 October 2022	Italy (Southern)	Brothers of Italy
Ryszard Legutko*		2 July 2019	3 July 2024	Poland (Lesser Poland and Świętokrzyskie)	Law and Justice
Nicola Procaccini*		11 December 2019	present	Italy (Southern)	Brothers of Italy
Joachim Brudziński*		3 July 2024	present	Poland (Lubusz and West Pomeranian)	Law and Justice

• Note: since 2019 The European Conservatives and Reformists group has had two co-chairpeople.

Group Bureau

Main article: European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive

As of 12 July 2024:^[132]

Position	Name	Party
Co-President	Joachim Brudziński	Law and Justice
Co-President	Nicola Procaccini	Brothers of Italy
Vice-President	Assita Kanko	New Flemish Alliance
Vice-President	Charlie Weimers	Swedish Democrats
Vice-President	Alexandr Vondra	Civic Democratic Party
Co-Treasurer	Kosma Złotowski	Law and Justice
Co-Treasurer	Denis Nesci	Brothers of Italy

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 (GUE/NGL) and far higher than in the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (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).^[133] 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).^[134]

See also

• Nordic Freedom
• European Conservatives, an earlier political group of Conservatives in the European Parliament
• European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive
• Movement for European Reform

References

1. ^ "Who we are? // ECR Group". Retrieved 4 September 2024.
2. ^ ^{a b} Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
3. ISBN 978-1-317-49876-6
   .
4. ^ ^[2][3]
5. ^ Rathgeb, Philip (2024). "United in Diversity: The Economic Policy Platforms of the EU's Far Right". pp. 66–69.
6. ^ ^{a b} "Dutch and Greek far-right parties join ECR Group". European Interest. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
7. ISBN 978-1-137-42754-0.
8. "EU parliament sees birth of new right-wing group". EUobserver. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
9. "Tory minders gag right-wing allies in the ECR". The Times. London. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
10. "New-look European Parliament"

. BBC News. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2011.