Two new MEPs have joined the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), bringing it within striking distance of becoming the third largest group in the European Parliament (EP).
Two Bulgarian MEPs, Elena Yoncheva and Taner Kabilov, joined the national conservative group on Tuesday, July 7th, bringing the total number of ECR members to 84, just one behind the 85-member Patriots for Europe group.
In Brussels, the European People’s Party is the most populous, followed by the Socialists and Democrats, and the ECR is currently in fourth place behind the Patriots, led by Jordan Bardella, President of the French Rassemblement National.
As is known, the mid-term elections in the European Parliament will take place in January 2027, when the leadership positions among the MEPs will be decided again. The stronger the ECR takes a position, the more favorable it will start from, and the more jobs it can fill.
The ECR has been pursuing a conscious expansion strategy recently, with Czech MEP Nikola Bartůšek joining last month, while two Dutch politicians from an agrarian party arrived earlier this year.
According to a press release from group co-chair Nicola Procaccini,
The continuous growth of our group is an encouraging sign that we will play an even more important role in the future.
