The French Reconquête! party, founded by Éric Zemmour, is joining the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party and the group of the same name in the European Parliament, its vice-president Marion Maréchal announced in the magazine Le Point on Wednesday 7 February.
The head of the Reconquête! list for the European elections spent “many long months” negotiating with the Italian Prime Minister and leader of the ECR Party, Giorgia Meloni.
This membership will give the ECR group a presence in France, with 17 national delegations.
The MEP, Nicolas Bay thus becomes the first French member of the ECR group. “The DNA of Reconquête! corresponds to the DNA of the ECR group”, he commented at a press conference at the European Parliament seat in Strasbourg.
“We are trying to advance conservative demands and, with Nicolas, we could take a step forward and be helped even more in our political action”, rejoiced the Italian Nicola Procaccini, Co-Chair of the ECR group.
For Ms Maréchal, the ECR group is “the natural group” for Reconquête! with which it shares a common vision: - combating illegal immigration; - respecting the nations of Europe and their identity; - respecting national democracy and subsidiarity; - promoting economic liberalism; - preserving the balance between ecology and economic sustainability; - combatting ‘LGBT and woke’ propaganda.
“The ECR group and party are already very influential within the European bodies and, following the next European elections, are destined to become the pivotal and central group of the right in the Strasbourg Parliament”, emphasised Ms Maréchal. “It is in the European Parliament that I intend to defeat Macron and his allies’ project”, she added.
After the elections, the Hungarian Fidesz party, led by Viktor Orbán, could also swell the ranks of the ECR party (see EUROPE 13343/25). (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)