Even under Giorgia Meloni’s presidency, the relationship between the ECR and the Patriots (Patriots for Europe) was good, but this can now be further strengthened. As ECR presidential candidate, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland's former prime minister and politician of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, previously stated that he intends to give greater weight to the member states and was prepared to cooperate with the Patriots for Europe party group.Kinga Gal, vice-president of the Patriots for Europe EP group, congratulated the new ECR president and extended an offer of cooperation. In her social media post, she wrote:
Congratulations and best wishes to Mateusz Morawiecki, a great friend of Hungary, who has officially been elected as the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party today. The Patriots' aim is to foster close collaboration within the conservative right and to fight together for a strong Europe built on robust nation-states.
Morawiecki’s election as ECR chief strengthens Viktor Orban's European position
"It is welcome news that Morawiecki is taking on such an important role in European politics. Since the formation of the Patriots for Europe, there has been talk that the two genuinely right-wing groups should work together on important issues to counterbalance the kind of federalist coalition in Brussels that was agreed between the European People's Party, the socialists and the liberals," Laszlo Dornfeld, senior analyst at the Center for Fundamental Rights told our paper. He highlighted that
Joining forces, the Patriots and the ECR can counterbalance this coalition, and this is why it is important that someone with good ties to Hungary will head the group. While the relationship with Giorgia Meloni was also positive, the continuity of having another figure at the helm with strong ties to Hungary is definitely an advantage. He noted that Morawiecki attended the CPAC Hungary event last year, organized by the Center for Fundamental Rights, where he delivered a speech. This alignment of political intentions between the two groups is evident, even in areas such as US relations. Taking over as ECR leader, Morawiecki has emphasized the need for closer ties with the incoming Trump administration.
Dornfeld added that the two factions could mutually reinforce one another, significantly impacting Orban's European position.
The change within the ECR group clearly bolsters Viktor Orban’s position, given the effective cooperation between the former Polish Prime Minister and Viktor Orban during Morawiecki's time in office,
said Dornfeld, stressing that
Viktor Orban has become an indispensable figure in the European right.
Laszlo Dornfeld added that
Viktor Orban is now the central figure where the threads of the European right converge. Consequently, he has become the primary target of progressive forces. A glance at international media demonstrates this, as the global progressive community consistently attacks Hungary and Viktor Orban because they recognize his pivotal role in facilitating the current right-wing shift in Europe. Recent publications, including Politico, have noted that Viktor Orban has been instrumental in driving this right-wing transformation within the European Union, influencing the political trajectory of the continent.
