The ECR Group in the European Parliament held its constitutive meeting in Brussels on June 19, formally establishing the Group for the next five years.
Polish MEP Prof. Ryszard Legutko will continue as Co-Chair of the Group and will be joined by a new Co-Chair, Italian MEP Raffaele Fitto from Fratelli d’Italia. Also appointed were six Vice Chairs and two Co-Treasures to complete the formal establishment of the Group.
“We are delighted to establish our Group for the next five years and to continue our positive and constructive approach to bringing about lasting change to the way the EU works,” said after the meeting, Prof. Legutko.
During the meeting the ECR also welcomed three new members from the Vox in Spain, meaning that as of today the Group consists of 62 Members from 15 different EU Member States.
“I’m also looking forward to working with members from VOX who were welcomed to our group today. Together we will work towards an EU that does less but better and that works for and respects all its Member States, not only the biggest two or just those that agree with the status quo,” Prof. Legutko added.
During the same meeting Czech MEP Jan Zahradil was selected as the Group’s candidate for President of the European Parliament, with the election set to take place on 2nd July in Strasbourg.
“I want to increase public trust in the European Parliament and the EU institutions in general. We can only do that if we show people we are listening to them and that means turning the Parliament into an assembly that listens to all the different views out there and holds genuinely open debates. Recent elections have shown popular concern over the EU’s recent development. Therefore this new European Parliament should try to find a new balance not only among the EU’s institutions but also between the national and the EU level,” Zahradil said after receiving the nomination.
The election, which can consist of up to four ballots, will take place on Tuesday 2nd July.
