The political group of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has lost a member in the European Parliament after the Dutch Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) left it behind for the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).
Officials from the agrarian populist BBB, which has two MEPs, announced the switch on Tuesday, after determining that “the ECR group offers the best basis for implementing our program … less Brussels, more space for farmers, fishermen, regions, and national sovereignty.”
They added that von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP) had “silenced” its representatives—in particular, by sanctioning the members after they supported January’s motion of no confidence against the Commission president.
Sweden Democrats MEP Charlie Weimers welcomed the move, saying, “The conservative party family is growing!”
A decisive reason for the group switch was the EPP’s punishment of their criticism of Ursula von der Leyen. That won’t be a problem with us, I dare say.
Nicola Procaccini, co-chairman of the ECR, which now has 81 members in the European Parliament, also said their arrival “strengthens our group as the natural home for centre-right forces committed to reforming the European Union with common sense and pragmatism.”
Across Europe, citizens expect policies that respect local realities, support those who produce our food and strengthen regional economies. Together we will continue working for a Europe that respects its regions, boosts competitiveness and delivers practical results for its citizens.
The EPP has not responded to the announcement.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
