After delays, the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party approved their manifesto for June’s EU elections on Tuesday (23 April), but failed to agree on a Spitzenkandidat amid emerging internal splits.

All other main European political parties, except the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) Party, have already laid down their vision for the next five years.

Unlike the others, which held grand congresses and press conferences to announce their campaign lead candidate and manifesto, ECR’s final decision took place behind secretive, closed doors.

While some vouched to elect a campaign representative to face the other parties’ leads, a majority preferred to stay away from the Spitzenkandidat system. 

In an interview with Euractiv last week, ECR group co-chair Nicola Procaccini – and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right hand in Brussels – said he was favourable to appointing a lead candidate, hoping this would ensure the party had a coherent voice during the campaign, although reiterating that the party does not consider the Spitzenkandidat system as legitimate, because it is not within the EU treaties. 

Having a candidate to rally behind means being “clear that we have an agenda, we have a vision, and we want to achieve our goals,” Procaccini said. 

Jan Zahradil’s, a Czech Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and ECR’s Spitzenkandidat in 2019, argued that having a lead candidate is not worth it.

There is limited time and capacity to launch a proper European campaign, as candidates have to focus on national debates, he argued. Like Procaccini, he also rejects the process since it is not enshrined in the EU treaties.

An ECR insider also pointed out the decision was taken due to wide disagreements over who to appoint, along with strong pushback from Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party. 

As for the manifesto, it includes key campaign talking points that resonate across political parties, such as competitiveness, support for Ukraine, boosted defence efforts, slashing red-tape, and supporting farmers. 

Despite sharing some general priorities with other EU parties, especially the centre-right EPP and liberals (ALDE), the ECR sticks to their ‘sovereignist’ agenda, vowing to limit Brussels’ power.

“We believe that the EU should do less but better. We will reject any unnecessary centralisation of power in Brussels, as decisions should be made as close to the people as possible,” reads the manifesto.

The Spitzenkandidaten – or lead candidate – system allows European parties to put forward a candidate for the European Commission presidency, who then needs to be confirmed by EU leaders and the European Parliament.

But the system as a whole is under question after the 2019 elections member states bypassed the candidates in favor of an outsider, Ursula von der Leyen.

[Edited by Theo Bourgery-Gonse/Rajnish Singh]

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