ECR Party adopts manifesto for European elections, decides not to put forward a lead candidate
Meloni: “Courage and clarity, passion and common sense.”
On Tuesday evening, the ECR unanimously adopted its election manifesto and agreed not to put forward a lead candidate for the role of European Commission President. The decision was taken at an ECR council meeting in Strasbourg, chaired by party President and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (FdI) and attended by former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (PiS).
Meloni described the programme as a mix of national and common issues that concern everyone in the ECR:
“Our first objective will be to defend our nations against the attempts to strip them of powers. ‘Do less, do better’ is our mantra. The principle of subsidiarity is our compass. This is what makes Europe strong and united, an impressive web of cultures, economies, histories and opinions that make us who we are.
“After years of forging ahead in the direction of a federalist superstate that reduces nations to mere territorial entities, we can call ourselves Conservatives, not only in terms of values, but also with respect to what is envisaged in the current European treaties.
Courage and clarity, passion and common sense. These are our core values. We just need to work on turning them into the building blocks with which we can rebuild our Europe“, she said.
Morawiecki said:
“The ECR Party presents an excellent programme which shows that we Conservatives have a concrete vision for a better Europe. A Europe that returns to its values and an EU as laid down in the Treaties, not one that carries out social experiments on the peoples of Europe.
We stand today at a crossroads. There are two models for the development of the European Union. The first direction is a shift towards a superstate with its capital in Brussels, the second is a Europe that is made up of nations, respecting local differences, and at the same time based on free trade and cultural and economic exchange. This is what the ECR is standing for.
Europe wants to fight for the highest stakes in the world and, in doing so, we must protect Europe’s identity and heritage.”
Apart from upholding nation state sovereignty, the ECR manifesto also identifies the strengthening of the European defence industry, cooperation between the EU and NATO, and investment in technology and security as priorities.
Strong external borders and better management of migration flows is also considered essential. No country should be forced to accept illegal migrants. The ECR calls for a comprehensive border security strategy covering all possible points of entry, including air, land, and sea borders.
The ECR also opposes the proliferation of “cancel culture”, as Europeans are the fruit of a deeply rooted tree, entrenched in millennia-old thought, philosophy, religious precepts, and cultural and artistic avant-gardes.
The Green Deal is to be turned on its head. The ECR wants to support a more balanced and localised climate strategy that does not forget ordinary people, prioritises socio-economic well-being, and ceases to neglect the concerns of farmers, breeders and fishermen, citizens, and businesses.
The ECR also advocates for better global trade relations with a wide range of partners, and diversification to reduce excessive dependencies and strengthen competitiveness.
The party also agreed not to have a lead candidate. This was justified by a number of factors, such as the hype over the Spitzenkandidat system having ended since the 2019 elections, with it now being common knowledge that the leading candidate system was never fit for purpose. In declining to nominate a candidate for the top position, the ECR is sending a strong signal that the party remains true to its line that it was never in favour of the Spitzenkandidat system. Meanwhile, the same federalist groups that pushed for a top candidate in 2019 have subsequently deviated from their own principle, showing that the whole approach is useless. The ECR favours sticking to what the Treaties say, which is that it is the Council’s prerogative.
Commenting on the unanimous adoption of the election manifesto, ECR Party Secretary General Antonio Giordano said:
“The Conservatives and Reformists have once again demonstrated their unity by coming together on a comprehensive document that is focused on the essential conservative issues and proposes solutions updated to the current situation. This is the right prerequisite for effective policy-making, a priority of conservative governments. Conservative values and pragmatic solutions.”
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