EUROPEAN PEOPLE’S PARTY CONGRESS IN VALENCIA

The European People’s Party (EPP) Congress, held on April 29 and 30, 2025, in the city of Valencia, brought together more than 2,000 delegates from across Europe and leaders of the continent’s main center-right parties. The meeting aimed to strengthen party unity, update its political roadmap, and project a common message for the future of the European Union.

Re-election of Manfred Weber and Appointment of Dolors Montserrat

One of the key moments of the Congress was the re-election of Manfred Weber as party president. Weber, a German MEP from the Bavarian CSU, was confirmed with 89% of delegates’ votes, reflecting strong support for his leadership. In his acceptance speech, Weber advocated for a stronger and more secure Europe.

A major highlight of the Congress was the election of Spanish politician Dolors Montserrat as the new Secretary General of the EPP, becoming the first woman to hold this position. Her appointment was seen as a step toward strengthening Spain’s role in the EPP’s European leadership, as well as boosting the visibility of women in the upper ranks of center-right European politics.

In her speech, Montserrat pledged to work for a united and strong Europe in the face of populism, disinformation, and external threats.

Speech by Alberto Núñez Feijóo

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, president of Spain’s Partido Popular, delivered a prominent speech at the EPP Congress in Valencia, focusing on Spain’s current situation and the need for a stronger, better-prepared Europe to face shared challenges. A central topic of his address was the recent power outage that affected large areas of the country. Feijóo criticized the lack of transparency from Pedro Sánchez’s government in handling the incident and called for a European-level investigation to clarify the causes and ensure that preventive measures are taken in the future.

Feijóo also emphasized the importance of center-right unity in Europe in the face of populism and political polarization, highlighting the EPP’s role as a guarantor of stability, economic growth, and respect for democratic institutions. He called for stronger cooperation among EPP member parties to confront, with determination, the energy, migration, and security challenges facing the European Union.