Following reports that the Polish and German sides had fallen out, Andrzej Halicki, an MEP from the Civic Coalition, was elected vice-chairman of the European People’s Party, while Manfred Weber from Germany was elected leader for a fourth term.

An apparent split had been mooted after Weber nominated Ewa Kopacz for the position in order to maintain “gender balance”. Kopacz, however, removed herself from the running saying that she had never applied for the post. This left the field clear for Halicki.

Speaking to TVP World, political advisor Michał Matlak said: “People treat gender equality seriously, so I think that was the reason - but I wouldn’t speak of a spat, I think this was a genuine lack of communication. I don’t think that this will be a reason for major conflict between Polish and German delegations within the EPP.”

However, the European People’s Party still faces issues as big name players, including Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola, Kaja Kallas and Antonio Costa, fight to establish power.