European Conservatives and Reformists Party
The European Conservatives and Reformists Party, formerly known as Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists and Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe , is a conservative Eurosceptic European political party with a main focus on reforming the European Union on the basis of Eurorealism, as opposed to total rejection of the EU. It currently has twenty-four member parties and three further independent members from twenty-one countries, in addition to seven regional partners worldwide.
The political movement was founded on 1 October 2009, after the creation of the European Conservatives and Reformists political group of the European Parliament. It was officially recognised by the European Parliament in January 2010.
ECR is governed by a board of directors who are elected by the Council, which represents all ECR member parties. The ECRP's president is Jan Zahradil MEP. The Vice-Presidents are Anna Fotyga MEP from Poland, and Raffaele Fitto MEP from Italy.
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. 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.
History
The European Conservatives and Reformits Party was founded as the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists on 1 October 2009, 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 was formally constituted under the chairmanship of Belgian MEP Derk Jan Eppink, who was succeeded by Czech MEP Jan Zahradil. At ACRE's first congress was 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 ; 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 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. 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. In November 2015, the Conservatives and Reformists of Italy were admitted as ECR Party members, followed by the Alliance for Progress and Renewal of Germany and M10 party of Romania in March 2016. 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 on 6 October 2016.
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.
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 Sweden Democrats as members in 2019. All four members are nationalist, right-wing populist and anti-immigration marking a departure from the more moderate positions of the majority of members.
Principles
ECRP adopted the Reykjavík Declaration at its Council Meeting on 21 March 2014. The declaration defines the principles that underpin ECR.The Reykjavík Declaration
- The European Conservatives and Reformists Party brings together parties committed to individual liberty, national sovereignty, parliamentary democracy, the rule of law, private property, low taxes, sound money, free trade, open competition, and the devolution of power.
- ECRP believes in a Europe of independent nations, working together for mutual gain while each retaining its identity and integrity.
- ECRP is committed to the equality of all European democracies, whatever their size, and regardless of which international associations they join.
- ECRP favours the exercise of power at the lowest practicable level—by the individual where possible, by local or national authorities in preference to supranational bodies.
- ECRP understands that open societies rest upon the dignity and autonomy of the individual, who should be as free as possible from state coercion. The liberty of the individual includes freedom of religion and worship, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of movement and association, freedom of contract and employment, and freedom from oppressive, arbitrary or punitive taxation.
- ECRP recognises the equality of all citizens before the law, regardless of ethnicity, sex or social class. It rejects all forms of extremism, authoritarianism and racism.
- ECRP cherishes the important role of civil associations, families and other bodies that fill the space between the individual and the government.
- ECRP acknowledges the unique democratic legitimacy of the nation-state.
- ECRP is committed to the spread of free commerce and open competition, in Europe and globally.
- ECRP supports the principles of the Prague Declaration of March 2009 and the work of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament and allied groups on the other European assemblies.
Members
Member parties
The following parties listed below are members of the ECRP as of 2020.| Country | Political party | Party Leader | Political group in Ninth European Parliament | European Parliament | National Lower Houses | Government |
| Republican Party of Albania Partia Republikane e Shqipërisë | Fatmir Mediu | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Prosperous Armenia Բարգավաճ Հայաստան | Gagik Tsarukyan | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Popular Front Party of Whole Azerbaijan Bütöv Azərbaycan Xalq Cəbhəsi Partiyasi | Gudrat Hasanguliyev | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| BPF Party Партыя БНФ | Ryhor Kastusiou | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| IMRO - Bulgarian National Movement ВМРО – Българско Национално Движение | Krasimir Karakachanov | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Reload Bulgaria Презареди България | Nikolay Barekov | None | ||||
| Croatian Conservative Party Hrvatska konzervativna stranka | Marijan Pavliček | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Civic Democratic Party Občanská demokratická strana | Petr Fiala | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| People's Party Fólkaflokkurin | Jørgen Niclasen | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Blue Reform Sininen tulevaisuus Blå framtid | Kari Kulmala | None | ||||
| Conservative Party კონსერვატიული პარტია Sak’art’velos konservatiuli partia | Zviad Dzidziguri | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Liberal Conservative Reformers Liberal-Konservative Reformer | Bernd Kölmel | None | ||||
| Independence Party Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn | Bjarni Benediktsson | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Brothers of Italy Fratelli d'Italia | Giorgia Meloni | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Direction Italy Direzione Italia | Raffaele Fitto | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Democratic Party of Kosovo Partia Demokratike e Kosovës | Kadri Veseli | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| National Alliance Nacionālā Apvienība | Raivis Dzintars Gaidis Bērziņš | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance Lietuvos lenkų rinkimų akcija – Krikščioniškų šeimų sąjunga | Valdemar Tomaševski | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Alternative Democratic Reform Party Alternativ Demokratesch Reformpartei | Jean Schoos | None | ||||
| Forum for Democracy Forum voor Democratie | Thierry Baudet | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| VMRO - People's Party ВМРО – Народна Партија | Ljubčo Georgievski | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Șor Party Partidul Șor | Ilan Șor | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Movement for Changes Pokret za promjene | Nebojša Medojević | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| National Unity Party Ulusal Birlik Partisi | Ersin Tatar | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Law and Justice Prawo i Sprawiedliwość | Jarosław Kaczyński | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| The Right Alternative Alternativa Dreaptă | Adela Mirza | None | ||||
| Enough is Enough Доста је било Dosta je bilo | Saša Radulović | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Civic Conservative Party Občianska konzervatívna strana | Ondrej Dostál | None | ||||
| Freedom and Solidarity Sloboda a Solidarita | Richard Sulík | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| New Majority Nová väčšina | Gábor Grendel | None | ||||
| Vox | Santiago Abascal | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Sweden Democrats Sverigedemokraterna | Jimmie Åkesson | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||
| Conservative Party Conservative and Unionist Party | Boris Johnson | Not in the EU | Not in the EU | |||
| Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken | Not in the EU | Not in the EU |
Regional partners
Former member parties
- : Libertarian, Direct, Democratic
- : Finns Party
- : Hungarian Democratic Forum
- : Conservatives and Social Reformers
- : For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK
- : Poland Comes First
- : New Republic
- : Justice and Development Party
Elected representatives of member parties
European institutions
ECR affiliate groupings
The 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 Parliament
The ECR group is the sixth-largest group in the European Parliament. Founded in 2009, the ECR brings together 64 MEPs from 15 countries. The ECR currently is led by a two Co-Chairmen, Ryszard Legutko of the Polish Law and Justice party and Raffaele Fitto of the Brothers of Italy party.Committee of the Regions
Following 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 and the Vice-Presidents are Dan Jiránek and Daiva Matonienė. Adam Banaszak, Cllr. Kay Twitchen OBE and Cllr. Judith Pearce.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The 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:
Congress of the Council of Europe
The 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. The ECR group is led by Halldór Halldórsson of the Icelandic Independence Party.Youth organisation
European Young Conservatives
The European Young Conservatives 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 different countries and territories. Its patron was Margaret Thatcher until her death in 2013.| Country | Organisation | Mother party |
| Prosperous Armenia Youth | Prosperous Armenia | |
| BPF Youth | BPF Party | |
| Jong N-VA | N-VA | |
| Young Conservatives | Civic Democratic Party | |
| Young Conservatives | Conservative People's Party | |
| Huxa | People's Party | |
| Finns Party Youth | Finns Party | |
| Young Conservatives | Conservative Party of Georgia | |
| Young Alternative for Germany | Alternative for Germany | |
| Young Independents | Independence Party | |
| Youth for Freedom | Forza Italia | |
| For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK Youth Club | For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK | |
| Junge FBP | Progressive Citizens' Party | |
| Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania Youth Organisation | Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania | |
| ADRenalin | Alternative Democratic Reform Party | |
| Youth Forum for Democracy | Forum for Democracy | |
| Progress Party's Youth | Progress Party | |
| Law and Justice Youth Forum | Law and Justice | |
| People's Youth | Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party | |
| New Republic Youth | New Republic | |
| Young SVP | Swiss People's Party | |
| AKP Youth | Justice and Development Party | |
| Young Conservatives | Conservative Party | |
| Young Unionists | Ulster Unionist Party |