Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki officially took over from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group on January 14. Meloni, who had held the position for four years, stepped down in December.
At a Brussels press conference following his election, Morawiecki expressed his readiness to collaborate with those who support returning authority to individual nations. “We will be ready to work with anyone who supports the idea of returning power to sovereign nations,” he declared.
Speaking as a member of Poland’s Law and Justice party (PiS), he criticized the increasing centralization of power within the European Commission. “This goes far beyond the centralisation of power in the European Commission,” he remarked, further denouncing federalization as “wrong” and vowing to push back against what he called a “misguided trajectory.”
Morawiecki outlined his broader ambitions for Europe, aiming to “revitalise” the continent while rejecting what he described as a “disconnection” from key global players like the United States and China. He stressed the importance of strengthening transatlantic ties, asserting, “The European Union was much stronger with the United States when it worked in cooperation.”
Acknowledging Europe’s unique identity and interests, he emphasized the need for strategic unity in a rapidly evolving global landscape. “We are different; we have distinct interests and will defend our European interests, but all of this must take place in the context of a new global strategic political situation,” he said.
Morawiecki also highlighted the potential for peaceful collaboration with China, stating, “I believe we should cooperate with China as much as we can. This is a free world, particularly in regard to the transatlantic community. We must work together peacefully, collaborating with one another.”
His election, however, stirred varied reactions from other parliamentary groups. Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party (EPP), took issue with the ECR’s stance on decentralization, calling their vision of a “Europe of nations” a backward step in the EU’s integration efforts.
Similarly, Iratxe García Pérez, president of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, criticized the ECR’s approach, arguing it undermines the EU’s ability to act decisively on major issues like climate change and equality. Stéphane Séjourné, leader of Renew Europe, warned against internal divisions, emphasizing that such rifts could weaken the EU’s competitive edge in technology compared to global powers like China and the United States.
Currently the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament, the ECR has 80 members, with its two biggest delegations coming from Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (24 members) and Poland’s Law and Justice party (20 members).
During her time at the helm, Meloni succeeded in cementing the ECR’s reputation as a leading Eurosceptic voice within the European Parliament. Her leadership focused on advocating for national sovereignty and challenging the concentration of power in Brussels.
