Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
Encyclopedia
The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to AECR, is a centre-right
anti-federalist European political party
defending broader conservative
and classical liberal
principles. It consists of twelve parties in nine EU
member states
and Iceland
. Its member parties have heads of government
of two countries and 51 MEPs
: making it the fourth-largest Europarty by both measures.
The party was founded in October 2009, after the creation of the European Conservatives and Reformists
(ECR) political group in the European Parliament
. Led by the British
Conservative Party
, Polish
Law and Justice
, and Czech
Civic Democratic Party, the AECR had eight members at its formation - predominantly in central
and eastern Europe
. It has accepted four more parties since then, representing the soft eurosceptic centre-right
. Its president is Jan Zahradil MEP
, also the leader of the ECR, and its secretary-general is Daniel Hannan MEP
.
It is affiliated to the European Conservatives and Reformists and the pan-European think tank
New Direction
. The AECR does not have its own youth organisation but maintains a preferred relationship with the European Young Conservatives
.
, and was officially recognised by the European Parliament in January 2010. At its first congress in Warsaw, on 8 June 2010, it was joined by Luxembourg
's Alternative Democratic Reform Party
. In the Fall of 2010, four Polish MEPs left PiS and established their own party, Poland Comes First
, but remained members. One of the four members currently sits as an independent MEP within the AECR. On 25 March 2011, the Civic Conservative Party
from Slovakia joined the AECR as well.
It was formally constituted under the chairmanship of Belgian
MEP
Derk Jan Eppink
, but this position was later on transferred to Czech
MEP Jan Zahradil
. The Vice-Presidents are Adam Bielan
MEP from Poland and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP from the United Kingdom. Lajos Bokros
MEP from Hungary is Treasurer
but does not sit on the board. Daniel Hannan
MEP from the United Kingdom acts as Secretary-General
. According to their website, an executive team of three is in charge of general management and day-to-day operations.
The June 2010 congress was attended by UK Conservative Party Chairwoman Sayeeda Warsi
and former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek
. The AECR currently has two Prime Ministers (Petr Necas
from the Czech Republic and David Cameron
from the United Kingdom) in its ranks. After Vaclav Klaus
's resignation from ODS, the Czech President is no longer affiliated with the AECR as Head of State either. The AECR admitted the Independence Party
in November 2011, marking the party's first member from outside the European Union.
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
anti-federalist European political party
European political party
A European political party, formally a political party at European level, informally a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe and in the institutions of the European Union. They are regulated and funded by the European Union and are usually made up...
defending broader conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and classical liberal
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
principles. It consists of twelve parties in nine EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
member states
Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. Its member parties have heads of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
of two countries and 51 MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
: making it the fourth-largest Europarty by both measures.
The party was founded in October 2009, after the creation of the European Conservatives and Reformists
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
(ECR) political group in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. Led by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
, and Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Civic Democratic Party, the AECR had eight members at its formation - predominantly in central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. It has accepted four more parties since then, representing the soft eurosceptic centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
. Its president is Jan Zahradil MEP
Jan Zahradil
Jan Zahradil is a Czech politician and Member of the European Parliament with the Civic Democratic Party . He is the Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, a position that he's held since 8 March 2011.A scientific researcher by profession, Zahradil...
, also the leader of the ECR, and its secretary-general is Daniel Hannan MEP
Daniel Hannan
Daniel John Hannan is a British journalist, author and politician who is currently a Member of the European Parliament, representing South East England for the Conservative Party and the European Conservatives and Reformists political group...
.
It is affiliated to the European Conservatives and Reformists and the pan-European think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
New Direction
New Direction (think tank)
New Direction – The Foundation for European Reform is a centre-right think tank that formulates policies promoting the free market and opposing a federal Europe. It is the political foundation at European level affiliated to the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists , and based in...
. The AECR does not have its own youth organisation but maintains a preferred relationship with the European Young Conservatives
European Young Conservatives
The European Young Conservatives is a grouping of youth wings of conservative, classical liberal and centre-right political parties in Europe....
.
History
The party was founded on 1 October 2009, after the ECR was founded in the wake of the 2009 European electionEuropean Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
, and was officially recognised by the European Parliament in January 2010. At its first congress in Warsaw, on 8 June 2010, it was joined by Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
's Alternative Democratic Reform Party
Alternative Democratic Reform Party
The Alternative Democratic Reform Party , abbreviated to ADR, is a conservative political party in Luxembourg. It has four seats in the sixty-seat Chamber of Deputies, making it the fifth-largest party....
. In the Fall of 2010, four Polish MEPs left PiS and established their own party, Poland Comes First
Poland Comes First
Poland Comes First , also rendered as Poland is the Most Important, and abbreviated to PJN, is a centre-right, conservative liberal, political party in Poland. It was formed as a breakaway group from Law and Justice...
, but remained members. One of the four members currently sits as an independent MEP within the AECR. On 25 March 2011, the Civic Conservative Party
Civic Conservative Party
The Civic Conservative Party , abbreviated to OKS, is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Slovakia. It has four seats in the National Council, which it won in an electoral alliance with Most–Híd at the 2010 election, and the party's four MPs sit in the Most–Híd parliamentary...
from Slovakia joined the AECR as well.
It was formally constituted under the chairmanship of Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Derk Jan Eppink
Derk Jan Eppink
Derk Jan Eppink is a Dutch journalist, politician in Belgium, and former cabinet secretary for European Commissioners Bolkestein and Kallas . In 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament for List Dedecker and sits on the European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive.Eppink was...
, but this position was later on transferred to Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
MEP Jan Zahradil
Jan Zahradil
Jan Zahradil is a Czech politician and Member of the European Parliament with the Civic Democratic Party . He is the Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, a position that he's held since 8 March 2011.A scientific researcher by profession, Zahradil...
. The Vice-Presidents are Adam Bielan
Adam Bielan
Adam Jerzy Bielan is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for Lesser Poland and Świętokrzyskie with Poland Comes First. He is Vice-Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists political grouping....
MEP from Poland and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP from the United Kingdom. Lajos Bokros
Lajos Bokros
Lajos András Bokros is a Hungarian economist and Member of the European Parliament for Hungary.Bokros was born in Budapest. He graduated from and holds a Ph.D. from the Budapest University of Economics....
MEP from Hungary is Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
but does not sit on the board. Daniel Hannan
Daniel Hannan
Daniel John Hannan is a British journalist, author and politician who is currently a Member of the European Parliament, representing South East England for the Conservative Party and the European Conservatives and Reformists political group...
MEP from the United Kingdom acts as Secretary-General
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
. According to their website, an executive team of three is in charge of general management and day-to-day operations.
The June 2010 congress was attended by UK Conservative Party Chairwoman Sayeeda Warsi
Sayeeda Warsi
Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, Baroness Warsi is a British lawyer and politician. She is the co-Chairman of the Conservative Party ....
and former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek
Mirek Topolánek
Mirek Topolánek is a former prime minister of the Czech Republic and former President of the European Council. A member of the Civic Democratic Party, he was chairman of the center-right party between November 2002 and March 2010, succeeding Václav Klaus, who was elected President in 2003.On 24...
. The AECR currently has two Prime Ministers (Petr Necas
Petr Necas
Petr Nečas is the current Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and Leader of the Civic Democratic Party. He was sworn into office on 28 June 2010....
from the Czech Republic and David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
from the United Kingdom) in its ranks. After Vaclav Klaus
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
's resignation from ODS, the Czech President is no longer affiliated with the AECR as Head of State either. The AECR admitted the Independence Party
Independence Party (Iceland)
The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal....
in November 2011, marking the party's first member from outside the European Union.
Member parties
| Party | Country | MEPs | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian, Direct, Democratic |  Belgium |
1 | |
| Civic Democratic Party |  Czech Republic |
9 | |
| Hungarian Democratic Forum Hungarian Democratic Forum The Hungarian Democratic Forum , abbreviated to MDF, was a centre-right political party in Hungary. It had a liberal conservative and Christian democratic ideology... |
 Hungary |
1 | |
| Independence Party Independence Party (Iceland) The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal.... |
 Iceland |
0 | |
| Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania |  Lithuania |
1 | |
| Alternative Democratic Reform Party Alternative Democratic Reform Party The Alternative Democratic Reform Party , abbreviated to ADR, is a conservative political party in Luxembourg. It has four seats in the sixty-seat Chamber of Deputies, making it the fifth-largest party.... |
 Luxembourg |
0 | |
| Law and Justice Law and Justice Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament.... |
 Poland |
8 | |
| Poland Comes First Poland Comes First Poland Comes First , also rendered as Poland is the Most Important, and abbreviated to PJN, is a centre-right, conservative liberal, political party in Poland. It was formed as a breakaway group from Law and Justice... |
Poland |
3 | |
| Civic Conservative Party Civic Conservative Party The Civic Conservative Party , abbreviated to OKS, is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Slovakia. It has four seats in the National Council, which it won in an electoral alliance with Most–Híd at the 2010 election, and the party's four MPs sit in the Most–Híd parliamentary... |
 Slovakia |
0 | |
| Conservative Party Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
 United Kingdom |
26 | |
| Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... |
United Kingdom |
1 |
European institutions
| Organisation | Institution | Number of seats |
|---|---|---|
| European Commission European Commission The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union.... |
||
| European Council European Council The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy... (Heads of Government) |
||
| Council of the EU Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers... (Participation in Government) |
||
| European Parliament European Parliament The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... |
||
| Parliamentary Assembly Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an... |
||
National legislatures
| Country | Institution | Number of seats |
|---|---|---|
| Chamber of Representatives Lower house |
||
| Senate Belgian Senate The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:... Upper house |
||
| Chamber of Deputies Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic The Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of the Czech Republic. The seat of the Chamber of Deputies is situated in palaces in Malá Strana, Prague.... Lower house |
||
| Senate Senate of the Czech Republic The Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic , usually referred to as Senát, is the upper chamber of the Parliament of the Czech Republic... Upper house |
||
| National Assembly National Assembly of Hungary The National Assembly or Diet is the parliament of Hungary. The unicameral body consists of 386 members elected to 4-year terms. Election of members is based on a complex system involving both area and list election; parties must win at least 5% of the popular vote in order to enter list members... |
||
| Althing Althing The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant... |
||
| Seimas Seimas The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation... |
||
| Chamber of Deputies Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg The Chamber of Deputies , abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which the Hôtel de la Chambre is located.... |
||
| Sejm Lower house |
||
| Senate Upper house |
||
| National Council National Council of the Slovak Republic The National Council of the Slovak Republic , abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 MPs, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation every four years.... |
||
| House of Commons Lower house |
||
| House of Lords House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster.... Upper house |
External links
- Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists Official website