The race to be the third largest group in the European Parliament is heating up
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) are within touching distance of becoming the European Parliament’s third largest grouping, after bringing in two more members this week.
Bulgarian MEPs Elena Yoncheva and Taner Kabilov joined the national conservative group on Tuesday, bringing the ECR’s total number of deputies to 84, just one shy of the Patriots for Europe, who have 85.
ECR are currently in fourth place, trailing the European People’s Party, the Socialists & Democrats, and the Patriots, who are led by Jordan Bardella, the president of National Rally in France.
If the ECR manages to jump into the fourth spot it will put it in a stronger position for the midterms in January 2027, when all the top jobs in Parliament – at least theoretically – will be up for grabs again.
