Key facts
- Czech MEP Nikola Bartůšek is expected to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the EU Parliament.
- The ECR group is scheduled to vote on Bartůšek's admission on Wednesday evening.
- Bartůšek won her seat in the 2024 European election on a joint ticket.
- Her addition will bring the ECR group's total seats to 82, establishing it as the EU Parliament's fourth-largest bloc.
- Following this change, the Renew Europe group will have 78 seats.
Czech lawmaker Nikola Bartůšek is expected to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament. The ECR, led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, will vote on Bartůšek's admission on Wednesday evening. This addition is significant as political groups prepare for a mid-term reshuffle in January 2027, when key leadership positions within the Parliament will be contested. The number of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) a group holds directly influences its leverage in these negotiations. With Bartůšek's entry, the ECR group will solidify its position as the fourth-largest bloc in the Parliament, boasting 82 seats. This shift will place the Renew Europe group in fifth position with 78 seats. ECR co-chair Nicola Procaccini stated that the group aims to increase its influence by bringing in the 'right people,' not just for the sake of size. Renew Europe has also seen new members join recently. Bartůšek secured her seat in the 2024 European election as part of a joint ticket between her Eurosceptic party, Přísaha, and the Motorists party, which is associated with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.