New ECR chief Morawiecki seeks stronger ties with European People's Party

Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was elected as President of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Party on Tuesday in Brussels, replacing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. ECR, includes right-wing Brothers of Italy, Polish Law and Justice, and Romanian AUR among its 12 European member parties, and the US Republican Party and Israel’s Likud among its seven “global partners”.

The party congress also elected the Italian Carlo Fidanza (Brothers of Italy), France's Marion Maréchal (Identité Libertés), and the Romanian George Simion (AUR) as vice presidents.

During a subsequent press conference, newly elected President Morawiecki staked a more prominent role for ECR in European politics, claiming the party would play a “key actor” role in transatlantic relationships owing to its ties with the US Republican Party.

The former Polish Prime Minister also recited familiar ECR manifesto pledges: the need to cut red tape to boost economic development in Europe, a tough position on irregular migration, and opposition to a common EU foreign policy that overrides the right of veto for member states.

He envisaged tighter cooperation with the European People’s Party, despite this being home to Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform, the rival domestic party of Morawiecki’s Law and Justice.

“We might disagree with EPP on many issues, but if there is an option to find a way to build a coalition with EPP and with the Patriots of Europe on some important things for us, we can do so,” Morawiecki said, defining his party as “very pragmatic”.

ECR could be the centre of a new coalition, he said, composed of the EPP (on its left) and Patriots for Europe (on its right). “We can cooperate with them for the good of Europe and for the