Danmarksdemokraterne eyes joining ECR in EU

The Danish political party Danmarksdemokraterne, if successful in the upcoming June European Parliament elections, intends to seek membership in the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, according to lead candidate Kristoffer Storm. In the ECR group, members include Sweden’s Sverigedemokraterna, Italy’s governing party Fratelli d’Italia, and Poland’s Law and Justice party (PiS). While recognizing the value of the EU, Danmarksdemokraterne wishes for a more restrained EU involvement in Danish affairs and aims to streamline the organization. Currently, no Danish parties are part of the ECR in the European Parliament after the Danish People’s Party left to form a new right-wing group. The ECR is the fourth-largest group in the Parliament and is known for the contentious reforms implemented by PiS, though Storm asserts that membership in the group is a declaration of shared values rather than shared policies.