European Conservatives and Reformists
Eurosceptic, national-conservative political group in the European Parliament.
Last refreshed: 16 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why are three separate right-wing EP groups coordinating on a single procedural vote?
Timeline for European Conservatives and Reformists
Forced the floor vote by challenging ECON's procedural decision
European Tech Sovereignty: Right forces digital euro to the floorWhat is the European Conservatives and Reformists group?
Why did ECR challenge the digital-euro vote?
Is ECR the same as Patriots for Europe?
Background
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) was one of three right-wing groups, alongside Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations, that forced the 9 July digital-euro floor vote by challenging ECON's decision to skip it, a vote the mandate still cleared 416-169 .
ECR was founded in 2009 as a home for national-conservative, eurosceptic-leaning parties uncomfortable with the Federalist direction of the mainstream centre-right European People's Party. Its founding members included the British Conservatives and Poland's Law and Justice (PiS); Giorgia Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia became a leading force in the group before she became Italian prime minister. ECR sits to the right of the EPP but distinguishes itself from the harder-right Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations groups, and its members do not always vote as a bloc.
The digital-euro procedural challenge shows the three right groups coordinating tactically even where their underlying politics differ, a pattern likely to recur across EU tech and monetary sovereignty votes.
