first ISSUE 2014
Lead article: ALDE Party candidates Guy Verhofstadt and Olli Rehn Focus on: Austrian top candidate Angelika Mlinar
Sir Graham Watson: European elections: Go to it!
A Europe that works
Liberal Bulletin - first ISSUE - 2014
Contents Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3
ALDE pull-out poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 10
Lead interview: For a Liberal Europe that works ALDE Party candidates Guy Verhofstadt and Olli Rehn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4
Focus on: Angelika Mlinar The Austrian Liberals facing the European Parliamentary Elections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12
President’s Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8
Find your liberal party in the EU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 14
Report: ALDE Party electoral meeting in Brussels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 16 Associate members corner Presentation of the new steering committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 17 Liberal movers and shakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18
Calendar / 2 May 2014 – Vienna, Austria ALDE Party Council and European elections campaign launch / 9 May 2014 – European Union Europe Day
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party is the party representing liberal democrat values across Europe.
/ 22-25 May 2014 – European Union European elections
In conjunction with our liberal member parties throughout the European continent, we are translating the principle of freedom into politics, economics and across all other areas of our societies. The ALDE Party provides an increasingly vital link between citizens and the EU institutions and is continuously growing in size and significance.
/ 1-3 June – Gummersbach, Germany European Liberal Forum Dahrendorf Taskforce: The future of the EU
The ALDE Party is made up of more than 50 member parties from across Europe. Liberal Democrats created their European political family in 1976, ahead of the first European elections. ALDE was established as a truly transnational political party in 1993.
/ 6-8 June – Zagreb, Croatia LYMEC Congress
Liberal Bulletin is a publication of the ALDE Party. It is published three times a year.
/ 13 June – Brussels, Belgium ALDE Party Council
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, aisbl
/ 16-18 May 2014 – Hangö, Finland SFP Congress
/ 13-14 June 2014 – Bussum, The Netherlands VVD Congress
Rue Montoyerstraat 31, 1000 Brussels
/ 13-15 June 2014 – Turku, Finland Suomen Keskusta Congress
Publisher: Didrik de Schaetzen, ALDE Party
/ 1-3 July 2014 – Strasbourg, France Constituent plenary session of the European Parliament 2014-2019
Tel. +32 2 237 01 40 – Fax +32 2 231 19 07 Editors: Daniel Tanahatoe, Andrew Burgess, Cristina Cartes, ALDE Party Date of publication: 30 April 2014 Layout: Trinome.be Printing: Hayez.be With the support of the European Parliament -2-
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Editorial We are now entering the final phase of the campaign for the European Parliament elections, symbolised by our electoral rally in Vienna, Austria on Friday 2 May. And what better hosts than NEOS could we wish for? Their development over the last year has been amazing and they are looking at what promises to become a great election result. In many ways, the case of NEOS in Austria is the case of the ALDE Party across the European Union. While we indeed are looking at a tough electoral scenario in the bigger EU member states, where we as liberals are challenged, we do have many successful stories across most other EU member states, where we are seeing many small gains compared to the 2009 elections. It is not unlikely that come election night, many political commentators will have to acknowledge that we once again are outperforming their expectations of us. With the tireless efforts of our lead candidate for European Commission president, Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE has been making an impact and garnered respect and support across the continent, in a scale never seen before. As much as the Conservatives and the Socialists have been trying to make this a two-party race, they have had to give in and accept the place of the liberals around the table of debates and discussions. A place likely to become even more relevant after the elections, where – if the current numbers come in – ALDE will have a central role in forming a majority in the new European Parliament. With the usual numbers of people not always following group lines in EPP and S&D, they will have to find a third group to form a majority. This is where the next five years can become really interesting for us as liberals – we can indeed become the “king makers” in the EU. As you know, from the ALDE Party side, we have been working hard for the last few years with all of you, our member parties, to prepare you in the best possible way for these elections. We are putting in the last efforts for the final sprint towards Election Day, but most of the work now at this stage is up to each of you running nationally in the member states. We have a historical chance to put the European liberals at the centre of all major decisions in the EU for the next five years. I would say that is worth fighting for.
Jacob Moroza-Rasmussen Secretary General of the ALDE Party -3-
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Lead interview: ALDE Party candidates Guy Verhofstadt and Olli Rehn
For a Liberal Europe that works
On Saturday 1 February, ALDE Party member parties formally elected former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt as the candidate for European Commission President and as the co-leader of the European Liberal campaign for the European elections with Olli Rehn, the former EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs. The duo will campaign together for a more liberal Europe on the electoral platform outlined in the ALDE Party Election Manifesto that was adopted at the Party Congress in London on 30 November 2013. In this exclusive Liberal Bulletin interview, the two candidates, Guy and Olli, outline their priorities. To both candidates, what would you say to European citizens to encourage them to vote in the upcoming European elections? How would you convince citizens about the need of judging European elections at an EU level and not a national one? Guy: In the past, European elections have generally been treated as a mid-term poll on the performance of national governments and rarely actually been about European issues. This time it is different, and must be different. Euroscepticism is on the rise across Europe and many people feel increasingly alienated from the decisions taken in Brussels on their behalf by their national ministers and MEPs. The financial and economic crisis has also thrown the role of the EU into the spotlight as the arbiter of new, tighter rules on budget management. National populist media and many politicians are quick to blame the EU and absolve themselves from responsibility, but the reality of today’s globalised world is that all European countries have to work more closer together to find common solutions to the problems which affect us all
and which transcend our borders. When national leaders agree to pool competences at EU level to deal more effectively with an issue like migration, climate change or the supervision and control of bank activities, there needs to be an adequate and comparable level of parliamentary scrutiny of the laws proposed to address such challenges. That is the role of the European Parliament. That is why it matters how you vote. The European Parliament does not replace national or local politicians but it does complement them on the big issues. Your vote really does make a difference to how Europe is governed and how seriously laws are scrutinised. Olli: In these elections Europeans have the chance to influence the direction of Europe. My message is to use that opportunity, use the right to vote and have your say. There are a great number of cross-border challenges out there that require a common European response. The EU is not perfect, it deserves to be improved through constructive action. The ALDE Party can and will do just that, work for a better Europe. -5-
Guy Verhofstadt, with the greater powers given to the European Parliament under the Lisbon Treaty and the direct link between the outcome of the elections and the nomination of Commission President, how will these European elections be different from previous elections? Since the Lisbon Treaty entered into force in December 2009, the European Parliament enjoys the same powers of co-decision (equal legislative power) as the Council of Ministers (made up of representatives of all Member States). Parliament can now approve, amend or reject almost any law proposed by the European Commission as well as give or withhold its consent to all major international trade agreements and approve all aspects of the annual EU budget. The Parliament is definitely no longer just a talking shop, but has real powers and responsibilities, which require that its Members are competent, informed and (ideally) polyglot to work in the international environment. They have to not only represent the interests of their voters but also seek common
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solutions to break impasses and inertia that prevent the EU working properly. Additionally, the Lisbon Treaty provided for Europe’s pan-European political families to nominate their ‘champions’ (lead candidates) for the presidency of the EU executive (Commission) in order to personalise the election campaign and ensure that it has a real European dimension for once. Although there will be no direct votes cast for the Commission President (which remains a decision of the European Parliament, on a suggestion from the Council), voters will, for the first time, be able to identify a candidate who they think best represents their views, and then vote for the linked national party of that candidate. Guy Verhofstadt, the theme of the ALDE Party manifesto is “A Europe that works”. If you were to become European Commission President, which would be your three priorities to make Europe work again?
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A Europe back at work: Most people accept that Member States can achieve more by working together rather than working in isolation. This is especially relevant in measures to tackling the EU-wide economic and financial crisis. Erecting borders and introducing protectionist measures not only fuels populism, it costs jobs and investment. Governments cannot create jobs by waving a magic wand but they can lay the foundations for a dynamic economy and climate of investment in which employers expand recruitment and offer new opportunities. But this needs to be done in unison, through measures that lead to convergence (though not necessarily harmonisation) of economic priorities – especially for those countries sharing a single currency. The EU has to be more assertive and pro-active in pushing Member States in the right direction to create jobs, not only short-term jobs for tomorrow, but sustainable jobs for the long-term. A safer Europe: Without having a safe neighbourhood, we can’t hope to build a safer Eu-
Most people accept that Member States can achieve more by working together rather than working in isolation. This is especially relevant in measures to tackling the EUwide economic and financial crisis. Erecting borders and introducing protectionist measures not only fuels populism, it costs jobs and investment - Guy Verhofstadt -6-
rope. Through promoting stability, the Rule of Law, human rights and democracy around our border regions we can reduce the threats from terrorism, organised crime and illegal migration. We benefit from having the weight of 28 different nations behind us but too often we do not stand united when it matters. The European Commission must prioritise the completion of an active migration policy that secures the access and mobility of skilled and talented labour whilst strengthening our common external borders against illegal and clandestine migrants. A Europe reformed: Our European institutions must be more accountable and transparent, and less bureaucratic in order to become relevant to the lives of ordinary Europeans. For a start it should focus on the ‘big’ issues where it can bring real added value and drop the drive to harmonise rules in areas that can be easily left to national regulators. Only if there is a true continent-wide dimension should the EU endeavour to act. Olli Rehn, Liberal policies have proven to create jobs and improve peoples’ lives. What is your message of hope for Europeans, especially young people, who despite increasingly positive economic indicators are still out of a job? After many tough years, the European economy is recovering. That recovery and economic growth is the only sustainable way to create more jobs and ensure sustainable welfare. This will unfortunately not happen overnight, we need continued ambitious structural reforms that unleash the growth potential, promote entrepreneurship and boost confidence. We also need to avoid spending more than we earn, we cannot leave high debt burdens to be carried by younger generations. Olli Rehn, the ALDE Party manifesto calls for a larger strategic objective to determine how our money is best spent. Which reforms would you make to ensure value for money and stimulate growth? The priority is to enact reforms that remove rigidities and barriers to trade and economic growth. Improving the efficiency of the public sector, opening up services to competition while at the same time improving the ability of the labour market to adapt to changing circumstances are examples of reforms that need to be prioritized. In terms of EU spending, we need to become better at targeting resources in a simplified way that promotes growth across the board. To both candidates, after the latest events in Ukraine and Crimea, the EU needs more than ever to have a stronger voice in the world
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The EU is founded on common values such as freedom, democracy and rule of law. That should enable us to speak with one voice and as such promote our credibility on a global level - Olli Rehn
stage. How would you make the EU more credible and heard at international level? Guy: Political disputes on the eastern and southern borders of our Union such as Ukraine, Syria, Egypt, Libya etc. pose a direct threat to the safety of Europe’s citizens and society if they are not dealt with decisively and humanely. We must work more closely, pro-actively and strategically with our neighbours to help solve crises through positioning ourselves as a bastion of democracy and justice. The EU finds itself with significant economic clout and can challenge overseas markets, yet we often speak with too small a voice when it comes to dealing with international issues. We need to act in a swifter manner when governments in border nations flout basic human rights or undermine international law. We must speak out more forcefully as a Union, and mean what we say. Olli: The EU is founded on common values such as freedom, democracy and rule of law. That should enable us to speak with one voice and as such promote our credibility on a global level. This requires continuous coordination as well as a common agenda. Guy Verhofstadt, opinion polls indicate that populists from a number of member states are expected to increase their representation in the next European Parliament. Do you fear the establishment of extremist parliamentary groups will paralyse the new European Parliament? No, but they will make a lot more noise and further spread their intoxicating (and toxic) messages to those looking for easy answers to difficult problems. Populists always thrive in the midst of an economic downturn. All governments who have had to take painful measures to reduce a burgeoning budget deficit for the good of their country have faced a popular backlash from those who pretend we can car-
ry on living beyond our means. It is important that Liberals tell people the truth about the state of national finances and that every euro spent financing the interest on debt is a euro not spent on productive economic investment and jobs. Eurosceptics are slated to do well in the coming European elections, largely as reaction to current circumstances, but they have no answers other than to tear down the European Union structures and resurrect the border controls of the past. Eurosceptics also come in various guises and extremes which preclude them from collaborating together in the Parliament. This will undermine their effectiveness and mean that they will be little more than a vocal right-wing protest movement. Olli Rehn, one of the ALDE party’s priorities is to make the EU less bureaucratic. How to make the bureaucratic EU’s machinery understandable for the citizens? We need to focus on the issues that matter for ordinary citizens around Europe. In a union of 28 Member States, decision-making is not always easy. But at the end of the day, it is the result that matters. The purpose of representative democracies is that the interests of the citizens are guarded by their democratically elected representatives. Each citizen does not have to be an EU expert but each citizen has the chance to turn to their representatives in the European Parliament for advice and support. To both candidates, the European Liberal Democrats are in favour of one seat for the European Parliament. What’s your view, should it be Brussels or Strasbourg? Olli: The European Parliament should be based in Brussels in order to be able to efficiently fulfill its task as a co-legislator with the European Council. -7-
”
Guy: The Committees of the Parliament meet in Brussels, part of the administration is in Luxembourg and the plenary in Strasbourg. Historically, there are good reasons for the European Parliament having its seat in Strasbourg, the Alsatian capital, which changed hands so many times in the 19th and 20th centuries that it became synonymous with war torn Europe. Since 1949 it has become synonymous with peace and reconciliation in Europe, based originally on the Council of Europe – a precursor and separate institution to the EU. This organisation still exists to monitor human rights and democracy in over 40 European countries, not all of which are EU Member States. In the early days of the EU, the European Parliament began meeting in the same chamber, once a month. But over the last 60 years, and successive enlargements, the monthly trek to Strasbourg has become both economically and environmentally costly for the thousands of officials, journalists and lobbyists that follow the work of the parliamentarians. Strasbourg has lost nothing of its original charm but it is far from the core of EU business and does not enjoy direct international air or rail links. In many voters’ minds it is also associated with EU waste and largesse. The next revision of the Treaty should examine alternative uses for the facilities currently occupied by Parliament in Strasbourg and focus parliamentary activity at one single location, next to the Council and Commission in Brussels.
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President’s Column
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The European Parliament rose on Friday 18 April. We now have a fiveweek campaign before the citizens of the EU are invited to express their preference in a ballot for the composition of the eighth legislature. From 22 to 25 May around 400 million citizens will be entitled to vote.
It will be up to us to campaign hard to convince people of our case, so admirably stated in the manifesto we adopted in London, and warn of the of the dangers of voting for populist or extremist parties
For the first time, in this election, the EU Treaties provide for each political party to choose a spitzenkandidat, a person designated as the leading candidate from that party for President of the European Commission. We EU Liberals and Democrats have ours in Guy Verhofstadt, who was for nine years Prime Minister of Belgium and has been for five years leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament. Guy is well qualified to take on the job: indeed, much better qualified than was Jose Manuel Durao Barroso when he was nominated ten years ago. The EU treaties, since the addition of the Lisbon Treaty, also stipulate that the European Parliament shall elect the President of the Commission. Previously Parliament was called on to approve the nominee of the European Council. The difference may not appear great. But Jean Claude Juncker, the EPP candidate, has stated publicly that if the EPP is the largest party in the next legislature he expects the heads of state and government in the Council to nominate him and that if the PES is the largest party he expects them to nominate PES candidate -8-
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Martin Schulz. So for the first time it looks likely that Europeans will be voting for a President of the Commission, thus significantly enhancing the democratic legitimacy of the person elected. One of the challenges of European elections, however, is that they feel less like one EU election than 28 simultaneous national elections for one parliament. Perhaps we will overcome this only when the Treaties provide for supranational lists of candidates, so that each citizen receives the same ballot paper. At present that prospect looks distant; but slowly, incrementally, the EU is inching forward in this direction.
impact of recession. It may also bode ill for democracy and the rule of law in Europe. It will be up to us to campaign hard to convince people of our case, so admirably stated in the manifesto we adopted in London, and warn of the of the dangers of voting for populist or extremist parties. Go to it!
A second challenge is that although the powers of the European Parliament have grown inexorably, citizens’ participation in the election of MEPs has fallen. The election is treated by most as a ‘second order’ election, less important that national elections. I suspect that this time around voter turnout may rise, however. After six years of deep recession our fellow citizens have become more aware of the importance of the EU, even if not necessarily more favourably disposed towards it. The biggest challenge this time around for Europe’s Liberal Democrats will be the emergence of parties determined to halt the construction of the Union and, if possible, put it into reverse. The rise of such parties in almost every member state bar Germany reflects the
Sir Graham Watson MEP President of the ALDE Party
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Focus on: The Austrian Liberals facing the European Parliamentary Elections
Striving for success Against all odds the Austrian Liberals, at this time an alliance between a civil society movement of citizens that were not satisfied with the public policy in Austria and ALDE member party Liberal Forum, were quite successful in the Austrian parliamentary election of September 2013. In a study carried out by the ALDE Party across Europe in 2009, in which their academy (then Liberal Future Forum) had participated, it was found that an important part of the Austrian population shared liberal values. However, after some election defeats, the Austrian liberal party was not appealing to the general public. Until now, as lead candidate for NEOS Angelika Mlinar explains. - 12 -
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The attitudes of the liberal minded part of the society led to several civil society movements that finally became a new platform, to which Liberal Forum joined in. It became quite obvious that this platform had to be transformed into a common party. The aspirations and programmes of the civil movement of liberal citizens and the Liberal Forum had a lot in common. After some programmatic discussions the common party – “NEOS – the new Austria” became reality. And this had a remarkable impact on the Austrian political landscape: in public opinion polls for the European parliamentary elections NEOS has progressed further: in the most recent election survey around 13% of the voters have declared their intention to vote for NEOS (and hence for ALDE) as compared to 5% who voted for NEOS in the Austrian parliamentary elections in September 2013, and, for the first time since 1996, seem to have passed the Greens. If one so wishes, a European normality: in the European Parliament, ALDE is far ahead of the Greens. And the voters are citizens from the centre of society: former voters of the Liberal Forum were joined by former green and conservative voters and, to a certain extent, by socialist voters. And what is best: a lot of people who abstained from former elections became voters for NEOS. Of course the success in the polls does not automatically translate to results in elections, and therefore campaigning is the most important task to accomplish good results. Besides traditional modes of communication, NEOS not only organises door-to-door activities, but mobilises its members to organise parties at home where their guest are meeting our candidates for the European Parliament. As a start to our campaign, we also started our event series “Europe@home” in about 100 households across Austria. The campaign will continue until the end of the campaign and will bring to us a lot of multipliers for our message. What will NEOS, and of course I myself, be able to contribute to the European Liberals, and more specifically to the ALDE Group in the European Parliament? Austria, given its size, does not have many seats in the European Parliament, and of course even fewer liberal
MEPs. The forecasts give us not more than two or three seats. Still, we have something to offer.
We have to ensure that the society overcomes anxieties and cultural pessimism.
The most important issue is to reach out to the civil society beyond party lines; there are liberal citizens who, by their conviction do not join any party, but are quite active in civil society. We have learned to listen to them and to translate their ideas into our parliamentary work.
Increasingly, globalisation is understood as a threat rather than as a challenge that we can meet.
“
We have a long experience with defeats and ways to how overcome these. My last experience in the European Parliament was to serve as
After WWII it was enough to underline that a common Europe would ensure long-lasting peace, Europe-wide and, jointly with the United Nations, worldwide. This alone does not convince anymore a generation that was raised in a peaceful Europe
The next important issue is to listen to the youth and their problems: we have to counter the risk of a lost generation and, at the same time, strengthen their European identity. After World War II it was enough to underline that a common Europe would ensure long-lasting peace, Europe-wide and, jointly with the United Nations, worldwide. This alone does not convince anymore a generation that was raised in a peaceful Europe, however facing major problems for their future. Contemporary Europe offers a lot of opportunities for the youth to strengthen their European identity by developing exchange programmes at all levels, particularly for young intellectuals. However, a lot remains to be done in the field. But, even more importantly, we have to create opportunities for their participation in the labour markets and foster the creative entrepreneurial spirit of the young generation in order not to lose a whole generation. - 13 -
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assistant to the liberal deputy Friedhelm Frischenschlager in 1999. Since this time, we fought a lot, and mostly unsuccessful, uphill struggles. Now, in 2014, I will most likely join the European Parliament again, this time as a Member of the European Parliament. It is this type of faithfulness to liberal values and stubbornness, which distinguishes us as Liberals. Last but not least, we support a strong, democratic Europe, based upon its regions. With a specific experience to our Eastern European neighbours we can contribute our knowledge to make ALDE even stronger than it already is. Dr Angelika Mlinar MP Head of list for the European elections for NEOS - The New Austria
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Find your liberal EU liberal party party in the EU # IVOTELIBERAL
@ ALDEPARTY
/ ALDEPARTY
AUSTRIA
BELGIUM
NEOS – Das Neue Österreich www.neos.eu @neos_eu /NeosDasNeueOesterreich
Mouvement Réformateur www.mr.be @MR_officiel /reformateur Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten www.openvld.be @openvld /openvld
BULGARIA CROATIA
Движение за права и свободи www.dps.bg @dps_news /presscenterdps
Hrvatska Narodna Stranka – Liberalni Demokrati www.hns.hr @HaeNeS_ /hns.hr Hrvatska Socijalno Liberalna Stranka www.hsls.hr @HSLShr /hsls.hr Istarski Demokratski Sabor www.ids-ddi.hr @IDSIDDI /idsddi
Национално движение за стабилност и възход www.ndsv.bg @ndsv
DENMARK Venstre www.venstre.dk @venstredk /venstre.dk Det Radikale Venstre www.radikale.dk @radikale /radikalevenstre
ESTONIA Eesti Keskerakond www.keskerakond.ee @keskerakondlane /eestikeskerakond Eesti Reformierakond www.reform.ee @reformikad /reformierakond
FINLAND Suomen Keskusta www.keskusta.fi @keskusta /SuomenKeskusta Svenska Folkpartiet www.sfp.fi @sfprkp /sfprkp
GERMANY Freie Demokratische Partei www.fdp.de @FDP /FDP
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GREECE
IRELAND
Δράση www.drassi.gr @Drassi /drassi.gr
Fianna Fáil www.fiannafail.ie @fiannafailparty /fiannafail
ITALY
LITHUANIA
Italia dei Valori www.italiadeivalori.it @idvstaff Radicali Italiani www.radicali.it @Radicali
Liberalu Sajudis www.liberalusajudis.lt @liberalai /utenosliberalai Liberalu ir Centro Sajunga www.lics.lt /lics.lt
Scelta Europea www.sceltaeuropea.it @SceltaEu
Darbo Partija www.darbopartija.lt @DarboPartija /darbopartija
LUXEMBOURG
NETHERLANDS
Demokratesch Partei www.dp.lu @DP_LU /demokrateschpartei
Democraten 66 (D66) www.d66.nl @D66 /D66 Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD) www.vvd.nl @VVD /VVD
ROMANIA Partidul National Liberal www.pnl.ro @PNL_Ro /pnl.ro
SLOVAKIA Sloboda a Solidarita www.strana-sas.sk @stranasas /stranasas
SLOVENIA Državljanska lista www.d-l.si @stranasas /stranasas Liberalna Demokracija Slovenije www.lds.si @LDSstranka /strankaLDS Pozitivna Slovenija www.pozitivnaslovenija.si @PozitivnaSlo /PozitivnaSlovenija Zares – Socialno-Liberalni www.zares.si @Zares /zaresnovapolitika
SPAIN Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya www.convergencia.cat @ConvergenciaCAT /convergenciacat
UNITED KINGDOM Liberal Democrats www.libdems.org.uk @LibDems /libdems
SWEDEN Centerpartiet www.centerpartiet.se @Centerpartiet /centerpartiet Folkpartiet Liberalerna www.folkpartiet.se @folkpartiet /folkpartiet List as of 23 April 2014 - 15 -
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Report: ALDE Party electoral meeting in Brussels on 1 February 2014 ALDE Party member parties on Saturday 1 February formally elected former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt as the candidate for European Commission President and as the co-leader of the European Liberal campaign for the European elections with Olli Rehn, the former EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs from Finland. An agreement that the two candidates reached on 20 January that both candidates will jointly lead the campaign, on an equal footing, was approved by 79.3% votes in favour, 14.2% against with 6.5% abstaining. The duo will campaign together for a more liberal Europe and on the electoral platform outlined in the ALDE Party Election Manifesto that was adopted at the Party Congress in London on 30 November 2013.
In a joint statement, Guy Verhofstadt and Olli Rehn commented: “Liberals are strong when they stand united. In these European elections we have the chance to make Europe stronger. Together with our 39 member parties in the EU member states we will both fiercely campaign for reforming Europe where necessary and taking actions to create jobs and prosperity.” ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson added: “Today liberal parties are needed more than
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Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel
ever to counter populist forces on the right and left trying to nurture fear. We work for a Europe which inspires trust, not fear; promotes prosperity and unity, not division.” “I welcome the fact that we have two extremely well qualified and experienced campaigners to lead our campaign. With all liberal parties working together, I am convinced that Europe’s Liberal Democrats will fight an effective and successful campaign for a more Liberal Europe.”
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ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Clockwise from top left: Athena Drakou, Ermanno Martignetti, Miguel Duarte, Frédéric de Harven and Julie Cantalou
Associate members corner Presentation of the new steering committee In 2011, the ALDE Party was the first European political party to develop individual membership for citizens at EU level, without the need to be politically active or a member of a political party at national level. In January of this year, we announced that to develop new Associate individual members initiatives, a steering committee would be established this springtime. It is the next step in the development of panEuropean democracy and citizen’s participation in EU politics. The committee consists of five members from among the Associate individual members. They were elected in an online election that was held in April of this year. Commenting on the result, ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson said: “I am very pleased to confirm that the first ALDE party online election for the establishment of a steering committee has been a success. More than 200 associated members have expressed their will and will be
now represented by a group of five committed liberal citizens. Not only is the ALDE Party the first European party to develop individual membership at EU level, but also to invite EU citizens to deepen their participation in EU politics”. “I am looking forward to working with the new elected steering committee. Together, we will fight for a truly pan-European democracy and spread the Liberal spirit throughout the continent.” Turnout: 218 (74.1%) of 294 eligible electors voted in this ballot. 11 people (5%) abstained from voting. The following five candidates are elected: Athena Drakou (55 votes), Ermanno Martignetti (51 votes), Julie Cantalou (45 votes), Miguel Duarte (29 votes) and Frédéric de Harven (24 votes). The candidate who received most votes, Athena Drakou, wrote in her nomination that she believes that the establishment of ”the steer- 17 -
ing committee is the first step into materialising our vision of a European-wide community of Liberals, which is an integral part of a stronger ALDE Party, with full participation rights. I plan to increase the engagement and participation of Associate members and empower you further with the aim of influencing policy developments and promoting liberal values in Europe.” Drakou is a British/Greek citizen, an environmental scientist who lives and works in the United Kingdom. She is motivated by her passion to promote responsibility, justice and transparency and the right to determine our own future in a democratic Europe.
Liberal Bulletin - first ISSUE - 2014
Use #ivoteliberal on social media to share your #EP2014 campaign activities
Liberal movers and shakers In March 2014, Andrus Ansip of the Estonian Reformierakond decided to step down as Prime Minister of his country. By then he was the longest serving Prime Minister in the European Union. Taavi Rõivas succeeded him. The former Minister of Social Affairs, he is 34 years of age and is now the European Union’s youngest Prime Minister. In February, Luxembourg parliamentarian Anne Brasseur was elected as the new President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Nominated by the ALDE Group in the Parliamentary Assembly, Mrs Brasseur obtained an absolute majority in the first round. Following successful elections, the leader of ALDE Party member Demokratesch Partei, Xavier Bettel, became his country’s Prime Minister in December 2013, leading a coalition government of Liberals, Social Democrats and Greens. Former MEP Lydie Polfer succeeded him as mayor of Luxembourg city. In December 2013, Christian Lindner was elected the new chairman of the German liberal party FDP at its extraordinary congress in Berlin. He faces the challenge to bring the party back into the German parliament. - 18 -
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