The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party unanimously adopted its election manifesto at an ECR Council meeting in Strasbourg on the evening of Tuesday 23 April. It has also decided not to put forward a ‘Spitzenkandidat’ for the post of President of the European Commission (see EUROPE 13389/2, 13393/38).
“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”, said Giorgia Meloni, the party president and President of the Italian Council, according to a press release.
“The principle of subsidiarity is our compass”, she added.
The Conservatives have put forward ten priorities, including: - securing borders with a comprehensive overall migration strategy; - balancing climate action and prosperity by revising the ‘Green Deal’; - revitalising industrial policy and strengthening the single market; - reshaping the budget without requiring new own resources.
By choosing not to have a lead candidate, the ECR party wishes to “send a strong signal that it remains faithful to its line of conduct”, which is not to be in favour of the ‘Spitzenkandidat’ system. “The ECR favours sticking to what the Treaties say, which is that it is the Council’s prerogative” to propose the person to be President of the European Commission on the basis of the outcome of the European elections, the press release states.
Read the manifesto: https://aeur.eu/f/bxn (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)