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European Conservatives and Reformists Party
The European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party or simply ECR), 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 conservative,[18][19] soft Eurosceptic[20] European political party with a main focus on reforming the European Union (EU) on the basis of Eurorealism,[21] as opposed to total rejection of the EU (anti-EU-ism).[22][23] The political movement was founded on 1 October 2009,[24] after the creation of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) political group of the European Parliament. It was officially recognised by the European Parliament in January 2010. ECR Party is governed by a board of directors who are elected by the Council, which represents all ECR member parties.[25] The executive board is composed of the President Giorgia Meloni (Prime Minister of Italy), Vicepresident Radosław Fogiel (Polish member of the Parliament) and Secretary General Antonio Giordano (Italian member of the Parliament).[26] The party is affiliated with the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament, the pan-European think tank New Direction – The Foundation for European Reform, and the youth organisation the European Young Conservatives. It is also formally associated with the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the Committee of the Regions, in the Congress of the Council of Europe, and in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.[27] In the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the ECR Party forms the European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance with the Identity and Democracy Party. HistoryFoundationThe European Conservatives and Reformists Party was founded as the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists on 1 October 2009,[28] after the ECR political group was founded in the wake of the 2009 European Parliament election, and was officially recognised by the European Parliament in January 2010. Amongst ACRE's eight founding members, the largest were the UK Conservative Party, the Polish PiS and the Czech ODS. ECR Party was formally constituted under the chairmanship of Belgian MEP Derk Jan Eppink, who was succeeded by Czech MEP Jan Zahradil. ACRE's first congress took place in Warsaw on 8 June 2010, attended by its founding members, including UK Conservative Party Chairman and Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. On 25 March 2011, the Civic Conservative Party from Slovakia joined; Iceland's Independence Party in November 2011 (the party's first member from outside the European Union); Georgia's Christian-Democratic Movement in August 2012; Italy's Conservatives and Social Reformers in October 2012; the Conservative Party of Canada became the ACRE's first associate member (later renamed 'regional partners') in November 2012; Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party in November 2013; and the Faroe Islands' People's Party, and Romania's New Republic; and in July 2014, Prosperous Armenia.[29] The Conservative Party of Georgia and New Majority joined on 1 November 2014. At the same time, the ACRE formally affiliated to the European Conservatives Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.[30] In November 2015, the Conservatives and Reformists of Italy were admitted as ECR Party members,[31] followed by the Alliance for Progress and Renewal (ALFA) of Germany and M10 party of Romania in March 2016.[32] The Liberal Party of Australia, Istiqlal Party of Morocco, National Party of New Zealand, and Republican Party of the United States joined as further regional partners in 2014, followed by Afek Tounes and Likud Movement in 2015 and 2016. The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists officially changed its name to the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) on 6 October 2016.[33] In December 2018, ACRE was ordered to repay more than half a million euros of EU funds, following an investigation into their spending. This included €250,000 for a three-day conference in Miami and €90,000 for a trade meeting in Kampala. ACRE had previously been asked to return €121,000 given to the Prosperous Armenia party.[34] More recently, the ECR has seen a shift further towards the conservative right with the acceptance of the Brothers of Italy, Forum for Democracy, Vox, and the Sweden Democrats as members in 2019.[35][36] On 11 April 2023, the Finns Party joined as the most recent member of the ECR's European Parliament group.[37] Values
The ideas serve as the cornerstone for ECR's political ideology, which guides to approach to changing the European Union. Europe is at a critical juncture, making the ECR Party's reform agenda more important than ever. They are urging people to join their movement and help push a vision for a better Europe—and a better world. They state "by participating, you can play an important role in advancing their vision of not just reforming the European Union but also making a beneficial influence internationally". ECR seeking assistance for their efforts to create a more inclusive, economic, and sustainable future for all.[38] LeadershipThe ECR Party has had two Presidents:
MembershipFull members
Global partners
Former members
Former regional partners
Elected representatives of member partiesEuropean institutions
ECR affiliate groupingsThe ACRE is formally affiliated to groupings in the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions of the European Union, the Congress of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. European ParliamentThe ECR group is the sixth-largest group in the European Parliament. Founded in 2009, the ECR brings together 64 MEPs from 15 countries.[39] The ECR currently is led by two co-chairmen, Ryszard Legutko of the Polish Law and Justice party and Nicola Procaccini of the Brothers of Italy party.[40] European CommissionIn the current European Commission, the ECR has one Commissioner.
European CouncilOf the 27 heads of state and government that are members of the European Council, two are from the ECR.
In third countriesThrough its global partners, the ECR has one head of state or government in non-EU countries.
Committee of the RegionsFollowing the creation of the ECR Group in the European Parliament in 2009, and the creation of the ACRE in 2010, the ECR Group in the Committee of the Regions was formed on 10 April 2013 under the leadership of Gordon Keymer CBE and with the support of the ACRE. The Group was officially announced during the 11–12 April 100th Committee of the Regions plenary session. The ECR Group was the first Group to be formed in the Committee of the Regions during the course of a mandate and was the first ECR Group to be formed outside of the European Parliament. The President of the Group is Cllr. Gordon Keymer CBE (Leader of Tandridge District Council) and the Vice-Presidents are Dan Jiránek (Mayor of Kladno) and Daiva Matonienė (Deputy Mayor of Šiauliai City Council). Adam Banaszak (Member of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie regional assembly), Cllr. Kay Twitchen OBE (Member of Essex County Council) and Cllr. Judith Pearce (Deputy Leader of Wychavon District Council and Executive board member for Planning, Infrastructure and Housing).
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeThe European Conservatives Group in the European Parliament, founded in 1970 and existing for most of its history as the 'European Democrat Group' became officially affiliated to the ACRE on 29 September 2014. The EC group is led by Samad Seyidov MP, of the New Azerbaijan Party. As of 23 October 2014, the European Conservatives have the following members:[41]
Congress of the Council of EuropeThe ECR group in the Congress of the Council of Europe brings together representatives in local government from across Europe. It has 31 members, 26 of whom represent parties in the ECRP.
Youth organisationEuropean Young ConservativesThe European Young Conservatives (EYC) is ECR Party's youth wing. It brings together conservative and political parties from across Europe. As of 2020, the group has a membership of 30 political youth organisations from 30 countries and territories. Its patron was Margaret Thatcher until her death in 2013. PrinciplesECRP adopted the Reykjavík Declaration at its Council Meeting on 21 March 2014. The declaration defines the principles that underpin ECR.[42] The Reykjavík Declaration
Election resultsEuropean Parliament
See also
Notes
References
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to European Conservatives and Reformists Party.
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