European Conservatives and Reformists

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For previous related groups, see European Conservatives and European Democrats.
European Conservatives and Reformists
European Parliament group
File:European Conservatives and Reformists logo.png
NameEuropean Conservatives and Reformists
English abbr.ECR[1]
Formal nameEuropean Conservatives and Reformists Group
IdeologyConservatism
Economic liberalism
Euroscepticism
European partiesAlliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
European Christian Political Movement
Associated organisationsMovement for European Reform
New Direction
From22 June 2009
ToPresent
Chaired bySyed Kamall
MEP(s)68
Websitewww.ecrgroup.eu

The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)[1] is a conservative,[2] anti-federalist[2][3] and moderately Eurosceptic[2][4][5] political group in the European Parliament. Following the 2014 European elections, the ECR is the third-largest group in the European Parliament.

Founded after the June 2009 European elections around the Movement for European Reform, the ECR is the parliamentary group of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists Europarty, but also includes three MEPs affiliated with the European Christian Political Movement[6] and four from the European Free Alliance. The largest parties in the group are the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom, Law and Justice of Poland, and Alternative for Germany. Member parties have joined from many different parliamentary groups, including from the European Democrats section of the EPP-ED, the Union for Europe of the Nations, the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group, and The Greens-European Free Alliance.

In the media, the group is described as centre-right[7][8][9] to right-wing.[10][11][12] It is more eurosceptic[13] than the two largest groups, but less than the hard eurosceptic EFD.

History

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.[14][15] Any party seeking to create a group must therefore seek partners.

Origins: 2005–2006

In 2005, the UK Conservative Party held a leadership contest. At the time, Conservative MEPs sat in the European Democrats (ED), a subgroup of the larger EPP-ED group, which is dominated by the European People's Party (EPP). One leadership contender, David Cameron, argued for withdrawal of the Conservatives from EPP-ED and the formation of a new group. His opponent, David Davis, argued in a letter to The Daily Telegraph that the subgroup arrangement allowed the Conservatives to maintain suitable distance from EPP, while still having influence. Martin Callanan MEP responded in that paper the following day:

... David Davis (Letter, November 10) is sadly misinformed about our Conservative MEPs' relationship with the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament. He claims that Conservatives are members of the European Democrat group, which forms an alliance with the EPP. In reality, though, the ED does not exist. It has no staff or money and is, in effect, a discussion group within the EPP.... Far from being a symbolic step, as Mr Davis suggests, leaving the EPP is the one hard, bankable commitment to have come out of this leadership campaign....

Cameron won the leadership election. Upon taking office as Conservative leader in December 2005, Cameron indicated that the launch of new group would be undertaken immediately.

In June 2006, Cameron, frustrated with delays, ordered Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague to ensure the new group was created by 13 July 2006.[16] However, when that date arrived, a new policy was announced: the new group would be delayed until after the 2009 elections.[17]

Movement for European Reform

In the interim, a pan-European alliance, called the Movement for European Reform (MER), would be formed and function outside the European Parliament.[18] The same day, the Polish Law and Justice and Civic Platform parties were identified as potential members of the new group. However, the latter stated that it would not leave the EPP, and the former stated that it planned to stay aligned to UEN.[19] The next day, Sir Reg Empey, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, suggested that the UUP might join the new group after the 2009 election.[20] In the event of the election, the Ulster Unionist Party ran under the banner of the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists, an electoral alliance between the Conservatives and the Ulster Unionists.

Mirek Topolánek

The Czech ODS was part of MER but its leader, Mirek Topolánek, did not rule out staying in EPP-ED.[21] 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.[22] The BBC speculated that the new group could become the third largest group in the Parliament with around 100 MEPs.[23]

In July 2008, the European Parliament raised the 2009 threshold for forming a group to 25 members and (more importantly) representing 7 countries, which raised some doubt about the viability of the new group.[24] Topolánek, after being re-elected President of the ODS on 7 December 2008, attended yet another EPP Summit, on 11 December 2008.[25]

2009 European Parliament elections

As the 2009 elections approached, Cameron, Topolánek, and Conservative MEP Geoffrey Van Orden (a 'point-man' for the new group)[26] were looking for partners. The list of possible partners was kept secret:[27] as BBC News Europe editor Mark Mardell said,

... the Conservatives are being coy and say they won't tell us who their new chums are until after the election. My longstanding view has been that this was because they could not reach the desired numbers, but I have changed my mind. I think they will find enough new bedfellows, but that there is no need to invite them under the duvet until the votes are in.... There is no point linking up in advance with those who might fail, and no point alienating those who might do well....[28]

This did not stop speculation. People or parties that were rumoured to be possible partners in the new group included Law and Justice;[29][30][31] Lega Nord;[29][32] the Danish People's Party;[29][32] For Fatherland and Freedom,[27][29] Order and Justice,[29] the Pensioners' Party;[28] Order, Law and Justice;[26][33][34] Libertas;[35] Civic Union;[36] Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania,[36] ChristenUnie-SGP;[37] the independent Indrek Tarand;[36] and Lijst Dedecker's Derk Jan Eppink;[29][30] from member states such as the Czech Republic,[38][39] Poland,[38][39] Italy,[38] Sweden,[38] the Baltic and Balkan states,[38] Belgium,[39] and the Netherlands.[39] Speculation also considered the remnants of the Union for Europe of the Nations group, which was thought to be on the verge of collapse after the decision of Fianna Fáil and National Alliance to move to the ALDE and the EPP respectively.[40] Lajos Bokros, elected on the list of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) joined the group as the EPP did not want to accept him on pressure of the rival FIDESZ.

As time progressed, the new group was provisionally named the European Conservatives[31] (echoing the 1970s group of the same name), which was then changed to European Conservatives and Reformists.[41] The original estimates were firmed up to 84 MEPs,[29] then to approximately 60.[39] 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.[32]

Formation

On 22 June 2009, the first official list of the new group's members was released.[3] The same day, the Financial Times editorial was critical of the new group:

... Mr Cameron may also claim he is acting on the principle of defending UK sovereignty. But he is, in practice, jeopardising British influence on matters of international importance; the EU is now turning its focus to climate change and financial regulation. If Britain becomes a marginal player in the EU, London will lose influence not just in Brussels, but also in Washington; the “special relationship” relies on Britain being a cog in its own continent. For the UK, irrelevance in Europe means irrelevance everywhere....[42]

The next day, the Daily Telegraph editorial mused that the ECR should help to enfranchise anti-federalists across Europe and demonstrated David Cameron's leadership qualities.

... This development is to be welcomed on several levels. First, as Mr Cameron prepares for what is likely to be a Conservative government, it is important that people can believe he means what he says.... Second, it is a good thing that the millions who vote for non-federalist parties should have a group in the parliament to represent their interests. The existing centre-Right and centre-Left blocs both have integrationist ambitions, with all they entail - an EU army and police force, a common judicial area and a single UN seat for Europe. [The] people... have invariably said no... Power... needs to be repatriated, not surrendered further. The new body... will give the Tories more clout than if they had remained a small part of a much larger group.[43]

On 24 June, the group held its inaugural meeting, in which Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope was named interim leader.[44] 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, 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 appropriate for a group of its size.

ECR Chairman, Michał Kamiński

The first election for the group leadership was also scheduled for 14 July, pitting interim leader Kirkhope against fellow Briton Geoffrey Van Orden.[45] However, both Conservative leadership candidates were forced to forfeit the leadership in order to prevent it from falling apart, when then-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 Poles threatened to abandon the new caucus unless Kamiński was made the group leader in the parliament.[46] Kirkhope went to an emergency meeting with the Poles in Strasbourg and proposed sharing the group leadership with the Pole; however, this was not accepted, and he had to step down as coalition leader, withdrawing in favour of Kamiński. McMillan-Scott, who is known to believe the Conservative's new allies in Poland are 'racist and homophobic', had the Conservative whip withdrawn in the European Parliament.[47][48] In March 2010, McMillan-Scott joined the Liberal Democrats and in the European Parliament, the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.[49]

Problems in the Law and Justice Party

Group chairman Kamiński left Law and Justice in November 2010, saying that the party had been taken over by far-right extremists. 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 of the group, but other Law and Justice MEPs argued he should step down.[50] 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 group instead.[51]

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,[52] but lost the election to Jan Zahradil of the Czech Republic's ODS.[53] Zahradil has been in talks with other parties about joining the ECR.[54] In late March, David Cameron invited the moderate New Flemish Alliance to join the group.[55]

The May 2011 resignation of Silvana Koch-Mehrin, one of the fourteen Vice Presidents of the European Parliament, led to the ECR considering putting another candidate forward to take the position denied by McMillan-Scott's defection.[56] Conservative Party MEP Giles Chichester was nominated on 31 May, and was elected unopposed by the Parliament on 5 July 2011,[57] after the ALDE group to which Koch-Mehrin belongs failed to find a willing and suitable candidate.[58]

On 14 December 2011, a new leadership was elected, with Martin Callanan as President and Jan Zahradil, Geoffrey Van Orden, Ryszard Legutko, and Derk Jan Eppink as Vice-Presidents. On 26 December 2011, the four members of United Poland – who had split from Law and Justice in November – left the ECR to join Europe of Freedom and Democracy. On 17 January 2012, Czech Oldřich Vlasák replaced Chichester as the ECR's Vice-President of the Parliament.

2014 European Parliament elections

Ahead of the 2014 European Parliamentary elections there was a certain amount of speculation about the stability of the ECR, with the possibility that the Polish Law and Justice might seek another grouping.[59] Most pundits thought the grouping would survive, with several new parties speculated to be looking into joining the group.[59] Parties thought to be mulling applications for the grouping included the Alternative for Germany, Danish People's Party, Finns Party and New Flemish Alliance,[59] Bulgaria Without Censorship and also some Croatian members.[60] Slovakia's Freedom and Solidarity party represented by Richard Sulík was also reported to be considering joining the group, due to close links to the Alternative for Germany.[61] The prospect that Forza Italia or the Hungarian Fidesz might also be tempted to move from the EPP to the ECR was raised, as they have adopted more eurosceptic profiles.[62]

The Financial Times suggested that if the ECR accepted all of the potential members it could see an additional €6 million a year in funding.[59]

On 4 June 2014, ECR accepted applications from the Danish People's Party (4 MEPs) and the Finns Party (2 MEPs) from the EFD group, as well as the Family Party of Germany, both Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) and New Majority (NOVA) from Slovakia, and the Independent Greeks.[63][64] Alternative for Germany and Bulgaria Without Censorship were admitted on 8 June, followed by the Reformed Political Party on 16 June and the New Flemish Alliance on 18 June, taking the group to 68 MEPs.

Founding principles

The Prague Declaration was first proposed in 2003.

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.[65] That document outlines the following principles:[66]

  1. Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and small government as the ultimate catalysts for 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 sovereign integrity of the nation state, opposition to EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity.
  6. The overriding 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.

Chairmen

There have been five Chairmen of the European Conservatives and Reformists group:

Assumed office Name Party
24 June 2009 Timothy Kirkhope United Kingdom Conservative Party
14 July 2009 Michał Kamiński Poland Law and Justice/Poland Comes First
8 March 2011 Jan Zahradil Czech Republic Civic Democratic Party
14 December 2011 Martin Callanan United Kingdom Conservative Party
12 June 2014 Syed Kamall United Kingdom Conservative Party

Membership

Main article: List of European Conservatives and Reformists Members of the European Parliament

The ECR has 68 Members of the European Parliament, representing eighteen parties from fourteen countries. The ECR draws the majority of its MEPs from the United Kingdom, Poland, and Germany. It also has significant representation from Benelux and the Nordic countries.

2014–2019

After the 2014 election, ten new parties joined.

Party name Abbr. Member state MEPs Date joined Previous group Notes
New Flemish Alliance N-VA  Belgium 4 18 June 2014 Greens/EFA [67]
Bulgaria Without Censorship BBT  Bulgaria 1 12 June 2014 N/A
Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević HSP-AS  Croatia 1 1 July 2013 N/A [68]
Civic Democratic Party ODS  Czech Republic 2 22 June 2009 EPP-ED [3]
Danish People's Party DF  Denmark 4 4 June 2014 EFD [3]
Finns Party PS  Finland 2 4 June 2014 EFD
Alternative for Germany AfD  Germany 7 12 June 2014 N/A
Family Party FAMILIE  Germany 1 4 June 2014 N/A
Independent Greeks ANEL  Greece 1 4 June 2014 N/A
For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK TB/LNNK  Latvia 1 22 June 2009 UEN [3]
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania AWPL  Lithuania 1 23 June 2009 N/A [69]
ChristianUnion CU  Netherlands 1 22 June 2009 IND/DEM [3]
Reformed Political Party SGP  Netherlands 1 16 June 2014 EFD [70]
Law and Justice PiS  Poland 19 22 June 2009 UEN [3]
New Majority NOVA  Slovakia 1 4 June 2014 N/A
Ordinary People OĽaNO  Slovakia 1 4 June 2014 N/A
Conservative Party  United Kingdom 19 22 June 2009 EPP-ED [3]
Ulster Unionist Party UUP  United Kingdom 1 22 June 2009 EPP-ED [3]

2009-2014

In the 2009-2014 term of the European Parliament the ECR had MEPs from eleven states, including four with more than one MEP (in dark blue) and seven with one MEP each (light blue).

Originally, it had been announced on 22 June 2009 that Hannu Takkula, MEP for the Finnish Centre Party (a European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party 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.[71]

The 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.[72] UKIP MEP David Campbell Bannerman rejoined the Conservative Party in May 2011, taking the group's tally to 56:[73] one larger than The Greens–European Free Alliance - an advantage that disappeared in June 2011. Anthea McIntyre was confirmed as the ECR's 57th MEP on 1 December 2011. United Poland, which had been founded by four defectors from Law and Justice – Zbigniew Ziobro, Tadeusz Cymański, Jacek Kurski, and pl [Jacek Włosowicz] – left the ECR for Europe of Freedom and Democracy on 26 December 2011. In March 2012, Conservative Roger Helmer defected to the UK Independence Party and also joined Europe of Freedom and Democracy; Marta Andreasen moved in the opposite direction, joining the Conservatives and the ECR from UKIP, in February 2013. In October 2012, Cristiana Muscardini joined the ECR, when she left Future and Freedom to found the Conservatives and Social Reformers. In April 2013, the ECR was joined by fellow Italian Susy De Martini, an independent who was formerly a member of the The People of Freedom. The newly elected Croatian MEP Ruža Tomašić of the Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević joined the group when Croatia joined the EU in July 2013.[68] In November 2013, Poland Comes First dissolved itself, with three of its members joining the new Poland Together, 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 reelection in 2014 under that party's banner.

Former members

Party name Abbr. Member state MEPs Date joined Previous group Notes
Libertarian, Direct, Democratic LDD  Belgium 1 22 June 2009 N/A Failed to re-elect MEPs at the 2014 election.[3]
Anna Rosbach (Independent)  Denmark 1 9 March 2011 EFD Originally elected for the Danish People's Party. Did not stand for re-election at the 2014 election.
Modern Hungary Movement MoMa  Hungary 1 21 April 2013 N/A Lajos Bokros was elected for the Hungarian Democratic Forum. MoMa was founded on 21 April 2013. Did not stand for re-election at the 2014 election.[3]
Conservatives and Social Reformers CSR  Italy 1 October 2012 EPP Failed to re-elect MEPs at the 2014 election.[74]
Susy De Martini (Forza Italia) FI  Italy 1 April 2013 N/A Did not stand for re-election at the 2014 election.
Poland Comes First PJN  Poland 3 November 2010 ECR Elected for Law and Justice. Left to form new party on 16 November 2010. Merged with Poland Together in December 2013Failed to re-elect MEPs at the 2014 election.
Poland Together PRJG  Poland 4 December 2013 ECR Elected for Law and Justice. Created in December 2013 and merged with Poland Comes First. Failed to re-elect MEPs at the 2014 election.
Michał Kamiński (Independent)  Poland 1 22 June 2009 N/A Left Law and Justice to join Poland Comes First on 16 November 2010. Left Poland Comes First on 18 March 2011. Re-elected for Civic Platform, a member of the European People's Party.


Criticism

Latvian Legion

The European Conservatives and Reformists group has faced criticism from sections of the British press for the association of Roberts Zīle and his party with annual Latvian Legion Day celebrations, which were argued to link Zīle to celebration of the Waffen-SS.[75] Roberts Zīle himself, the sole Latvian MEP in the ECR, has defended his party, stating that his party "has never justified Nazi war crimes or tried to glorify Nazi military units",[76] while British MEP Daniel Hannan addressed the criticism thus:

They don't "celebrate Waffen SS veterans". They attend an annual commemoration of all Latvia's war victims, a commemoration attended by every party in Latvia except the Russian ones. Let me repeat that: attended by every party in Latvia, from the Christian Democrats to the Greens.

Michał Kamiński

The charge that group leader, Michał Kamiński, was anti-Semitic first appeared in Britain when an article in the left-wing magazine, the New Statesman, reported Michael Schudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Poland, as criticising Kaminski for his membership of the National Revival of Poland during the Communist era. Schudrich subsequently criticised Macintyre's original article describing the accusation as a "grotesque distortion" of his words, saying that "Kaminski is a strong friend of the State of Israel" and that "portraying Kaminski as a neo-Nazi plays into the painful and false stereotype that all Poles are anti-Semitic."[77] Despite this, on being ejected from the Conservative Party, MEP Edward McMillan-Scott accused Kaminski of having "anti-Semitic, homophobic and racist links".[78]

See also

Footnotes

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  5. ^ Senem Ayd?n-Düzgit (15 December 2012). Constructions of European Identity: Debates and Discourses on Turkey and the EU. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 16–. ISBN 978-1-137-28351-1.
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  15. ^ "Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, 16th edition - March 2009, Rule 29: Formation of political groups" 6 April 2009, from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
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  31. ^ a b Smyth, Jamie (13 March 2009). "Tories to set up new parliamentary group". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  32. ^ a b c Charter, David (2009-06-17). "Tory party upsets Czech partners with choice of anti-federalist MEPs". London: Times Online. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
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  34. ^ Hix, Simon, Michael Marsh and Nick Vivyan (2009-04-23). "Predict 09 - Analysis by Member State - Bulgaria". Burson-Marsteller. Retrieved 2009-04-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) [dead link]
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  40. ^ Connolly, Niamh (15 March 2009). "FF to join liberal Euro group next month". The Sunday Business Post. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  41. ^ Charter, David (2009-05-15). "David Cameron's new European allies set to include odd bedfellows". London: The Times. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  42. ^ "Neutered Tories". Financial Times. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  43. ^ "Defying the doubters". London: The Daily Telegraph. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
  44. ^ Banks, Martin (25 March 2009). "Tory MEP voices 'real concern' over new European grouping". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  45. ^ Banks, Martin (9 July 2009). "British Tories fight it out for leadership of new Eurosceptic group". Theparliament.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  46. ^ Ian Traynor in Strasbourg (2009-07-15). "Tories give up EU parliamentary leadership of Eurosceptic group | Politics". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  47. ^ "Conservatives expel MEP after row over right-wing bloc". The New Statesman. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  48. ^ "McMillan-Scott hits back at allegations of disloyalty". Theparliament.com. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  49. ^ "Ex-Tory MEP Edward McMillan-Scott joins Lib Dems". BBC News. 2010-03-12. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  50. ^ Conservatives' EU alliance in turmoil as Michał Kamiński leaves 'far right' party, The Guardian, 22 Nov 2010
  51. ^ "Future of EU parliament group under renewed pressure". Theparliament.com. December 15, 2010. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  52. ^ "Conservative confusion". European Voice. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  53. ^ Taylor, Simon (8 March 2011). "Czech beats British Conservative to lead EP group". European Voice.
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  55. ^ "When Dave met Bart". European Voice. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  56. ^ "Jostling for position". European Voice. 19 May 2011.
  57. ^ "Chichester and Podimata appointed vice-presidents". European Voice. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
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External links

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