Polish PiS candidates vie for EKR chairmanship amid party split

Former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki stepped down as chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (EKR) after a dispute with his Law and Justice (PiS) party. The resignation follows his refusal, together with about 40 allies, to pledge loyalty to PiS and his creation of a splinter group seeking a more moderate stance.

PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński must now choose a new EKR chairman. Two PiS MEPs are in contention: veteran party adviser Adam Bielan, known for his extensive contacts with European and American conservatives, and former Mazowieckie governor Tobiasz Bocheński, a rising figure linked to the party’s “professor” faction. Their selection will influence PiS’s strategy in the European Parliament and could shape the party’s positioning ahead of next year’s Polish elections.