Independent candidate Conrad Borg Manché has confirmed he plans to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group if he gets elected to the European Parliament.

The ECR, an anti-federalist group, is currently the fifth-largest party in the European Parliament and some of its most prominent members include Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party, Spain’s Vox, and Poland’s Law and Justice party.

Borg Manché told Lovin Malta that while he would have ideally remained completely non-aligned at the European Parliament, doing so would have placed him at a disadvantage.

“The ECR is the political group that is most aligned with my views, in terms of family values, being against abortion, and opposing a federalist Europe. I may not agree with them on everything but it’s the group that is most in sync with my values.”

He wrote to the ECR’s secretary-general to confirm his intentions and is currently awaiting a response. If he gets elected next weekend, he could therefore become Malta’s first ever MEP to form part of the ECR.

Borg Manché is the current mayor of Gżira, and he used to represent the PL before quitting the party year over a dispute on plans to build a petrol station in a public garden.

He has released a manifesto focusing on incentivising workers in the health, education and tourism sectors, opposing abortion and promoting child adoption, safeguarding national heritage, better planning on foreign workers, and improving family laws.

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Will you vote for Conrad Borg Manché this weekend?