PARTY
liberal
ALLIANCE OF LIBERALS AND D E M O C R AT S F O R E U R O P E
Optimism takes you forward Interview with Mark Rutte An honest chance for everyone A chat with Alexander Pechtold Time to invest in our European future by Nowoczesna’s Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz A manifesto that works for all Taavi Rõivas on the ALDE European elections manifesto
SECOND ISSUE 2017
Calendar 14 December 2017 Brussels, Belgium ALDE Pre-Summit
Contents Editorial by ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen
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Optimism takes you forward Interview Mark Rutte Prime Minister of the Netherlands
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6 January 2018
An honest chance for everyone Interview Alexander Pechtold Leader of D66
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28 January 2018
Time to invest in our European future Interview Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz Deputy Leader of Nowoczesna in the Polish Parliament European Women’s Academy success stories
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9-11 March 2018
A manifesto that works for all Interview Taavi Rõivas Chair of the Drafting Committee of the ALDE Party for 2019 European elections
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27-28 April 2018
Face to face: Opinions on European federalism Morten Løkkegaard Venstre MEP vs Beate Meinl-Reisinger NEOS Deputy Leader
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New Individual Members’ Steering Committee
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Who will represent Individual Members at the ALDE Party Congress?
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Best from social media
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Movers & Shakers
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21 December 2017 Catalonia, Spain Regional election
Stuttgart, Germany FDP Dreikönigstreffen Finland Presidential election York, United Kingdom Liberal Democrats Spring Conference Sofia, Bulgaria ALDE Party Council (tbc)
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party is the party representing liberal democrat values across Europe. 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. The ALDE Party is made up of more than 60 member parties and many individual members from across Europe. Liberal Democrats created their political family in 1976, ahead of the first European elections. ALDE was established as a truly transnational political party in 1993. In April 2017, the ALDE Party was legally recognised under European law as the first European political party. Liberal Bulletin is a publication of the ALDE Party. It is published twice a year. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Rue d’Idalie 11 – box 2, 1050 Brussels Tel. +32 2 237 01 40 – Fax. +32 2 231 19 07 Editors: Daniel Tanahatoe, Adriana Díaz, Andrew Burgess ALDE Party Publisher: Didrik de Schaetzen, ALDE Party Layout: Nadège Van Hoorde Printing: Printdeal.be
With the support of the European Parliament
editorial Liberals take the lead! Although we as liberals should never be overly self-confident, we have every reason to be optimistic. At the end of last month, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was able to form a four-party coalition led by VVD and with D66 as a strong partner. Together, the two ALDE member parties make up two thirds of the new Government. In Germany, FDP returned to the Bundestag with around 11% of the vote and 80 Members of the Parliament. Before the end of the year, a new German government could be formed with FDP leading the Ministry of Finance, the most powerful position other than the Chancellery. In Austria, NEOS was able to improve its position from sixth to fourth largest party with above 5% of the vote. In the Czech Republic, ANO won about 30% of the vote, which could make Andrej BabiĹĄ the next Czech Prime Minister. This would make ALDE the second biggest political force in the European Council. Let this inspire us to make ALDE the second force in the European Parliament too at the 2019 European elections. Former Estonian Prime Minister Taavi RĂľivas is chairing the 2019 Election Manifesto Committee. It will lay the foundations of a challenging electoral programme with an inspiring vision for a strong Europe, which unites liberal democracy on a European and national level. Both the ALDE Party and the ALDE Group have their own role to play in shaping ideas and in reaching out to voters. Party and Group therefore work together in harmony with our member parties and Members of the European Parliament. ALDE will continue to support and advise its member parties for preparing their election campaigns. For me, as ALDE Party President, it is a pleasure to bring the best of the liberal family together in order to create the optimal conditions for liberal success. United we stand, divided we fall!
New page /hansvanbaalenMEP @hansvanbaalen
We therefore must co-operate intensively with the UK Liberal Democrats under the leadership of Vince Cable. A week is a long time in politics. Brexit is not unavoidable. We should be prepared to embrace the United Kingdom if it would decide not to continue leaving the European Union. The developments in Spain also give rise to great worries. It is to be hoped that, within the framework of the Spanish Constitution, all efforts will be made by both Madrid and Barcelona to start a political dialogue leading to a peaceful settlement. A lot is to be done. The future is not what will happen, but what we make happen. Let us go forward together! Hans van Baalen MEP ALDE Party President
SECOND issue 2017 03 liberal bulletin
Optimism takes you forward INTERVIEW
Mark Rutte
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte has been the Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 2010, having already lead-three cabinets. He has also been leader of ALDE member party the VVD since 2006. In the recent Dutch elections, which took place in Spring 2017, his party retained their position as the largest party in the Netherlands. In this interview, he explains the key to the VVD’s success and defends the view that optimism always wins over pessimism in politics.
liberal bulletin 04 SECOND issue 2017
Since the 2010 Dutch General Elections, the VVD has been the largest party in Parliament. What do you believe constitutes the success of your party? During the past years we have faced the Eurocrisis. Together with all optimistic and hard-working Dutch citizens, we managed to get out of the crisis. Our country is doing better, however not everybody is profiting from our improving economy right now. That is our task for the upcoming years. I believe that the VVD faces problems with a certain optimism. We are not a party that shouts from the sidelines, pointing out everything that is going wrong. We take responsibility and solve problems. I think that appeals to voters. © VVD
“A lot of politicians shout from the sidelines without achieving anything. The VVD is a party that takes action instead. If there is a problem we take care of it.
”
The main motto that drove the VVD’s campaign ahead of the Dutch elections this Spring was optimism. Could you tell us more about your successful campaign? Many politicians just tend to complain without proposing any solution, the VVD is a party that takes action instead. If there is a problem we take care of it. In fact, at this moment there are many reasons to be optimistic: the Netherlands is a wonderful country and the economy is doing better. I believe pessimism holds you back while optimism takes you forward in achieving your goals. Besides our message, the VVD volunteer campaigners played a huge part in the success of this campaign. They went out on the streets and talked to voters, door to door, telling our story. Furthermore, during this campaign we introduced the VVD-coffee truck. During the campaign, the truck crossed the whole country. We offered people a cup of coffee and talked to them about the challenges they see for our society. I enjoyed and appreciated the conversations I had by the coffee truck during the campaign very much.
Migration was one of the main issues in the Dutch elections. This is a topic that you have discussed several times with fellow Liberal Prime Ministers in ALDE Pre-Summits ahead of European Council Summits. How can European Leaders work together to tackle the refugee crisis? In 2015, a great number of refugees came to Europe. As a consequence of an agreement with Turkey, the number of refugees undertaking the dangerous passage to Europe declined. Refugees were offered shelter within the region. In the future, it is important that similar agreements can be made when necessary.
The PVV didn’t do as well as polls predicted. The same happened with the Front National in France later in the French elections this year. Do you think the VVD’s messages brought a new Springtime to European politics in defeating populists? The problem with populists is that when it gets difficult, they walk away. They don’t solve problems, they make them bigger. And on top of this, they aspire to create a divide within society. On the day of the election we asked voters one question: what kind of country do you want to wake up in after election day? And the voters chose optimism, they chose politicians who do and solve problems.
Are you also an optimist when thinking about the future of the European Union and its institutions? In what way? Europe brings peace, safety and prosperity to our country. Within the European Union, justice and freedom are central values. Values which are also very important to us. For the Netherlands, the Union plays an active part in dealing with significant issues like migration, climate change and cross-border crime. Issues we can’t solve by ourselves. Together we must strive for a more pragmatic and effective European Union that can face the challenges we will meet in the future. Therefore, it is also important that agreements made in the past are met.
“I believe pessimism holds
you back while optimism takes you forward in achieving your goals.
”
SECOND issue 2017 05 liberal bulletin
The capital of your country, Amsterdam, is the host city of this year’s ALDE Party Congress. Where would you recommend to visit in Amsterdam?
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Amsterdam has a lot to offer. I recommend a visit to one of the many museums in Amsterdam: the Rijksmuseum or the Stedelijk Museum. A tour by boat through the canals is also a great way to discover Amsterdam. And don’t only stay in the centre of Amsterdam, pay a visit to the areas around the city centre. If you have a day left, also pay a visit to the wonderful city of The Hague, my favourite city!
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“ Together we must strive
for a more pragmatic and effective European Union that can face the challenges we will meet in the future. Therefore, it is also important that agreements made in the past are met.
”
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01/03. Liberal briefing with Prime Minister Mark Rutte 17 March 2016 02. The VVD coffee truck
liberal bulletin 06 SECOND issue 2017
An honest chance for everyone INTERVIEW
Alexander Pechtold Leader of D66
© Jeroen Mooijman
Alexander Pechtold is the party leader of the Dutch ALDE member D66 and the party’s parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives since 2006. Following the last Dutch elections in spring, his party has now joined Mark Rutte’s cabinet. Pechtold says that D66’s success is based on their positive vision for the future: a future of open borders, open minds and environmental policy-making. He tells us this more in this exclusive interview.
SECOND issue 2017 07 liberal bulletin
Since the 2010 Dutch general elections, your party D66 has been gaining seats in every election. What is the recipe to D66’s increasing popularity? With populism and nationalism on the rise in Europe and all over the Western world, my party has put forth a positive vision for the future. A future in which European nation states continue to jointly exercise their sovereignty. A future of open borders and open minds. Perhaps equally importantly to a growing segment of our voters, we have been on the forefront of environmental policy-making. And last but not least, D66 can point to a track-record of successful governance in cities, towns and provinces. With more and more parties fleeing the centre to cater to voters on either extreme end of the political spectrum, D66 has positioned itself as the glue that can hold together all those who value reason, fact and pragmatism.
D66’s election campaign placed great emphasis on ensuring better jobs, improved health and elderly care and a better education. Could you tell us more about your vision for the Netherlands? Broad economic, cultural and political equality has historically cemented trust between individuals and groups of people in Dutch society. Before this election we were at risk of eroding those bonds of trust and creating a wider inequality between people from all walks of life: old and young, rich and poor, college-educated and non-educated, securely employed and not so securely employed. What D66 wants is to provide everyone with an honest chance to reach their full potential and live a happy and healthy life. That starts by investing in education, by reducing income inequality, and by bringing secure employment within reach for everyone who wants it. 01
liberal bulletin 08 SECOND issue 2017
D66 favours more cooperation at European level on issues such as immigration policy and environment. What sort of EU policies would like to see prioritised in the coming years? We need to ensure that we solve problems people are confronted with on a daily basis. We ought to address first those issues that individual countries cannot possibly solve on their own. That is why D66 wants to focus on the establishment of a real European asylum system. The lack of borders within our Union requires a common external border policy. Moreover, we are in urgent need of an ambitious climate agenda. This will be key in meeting the goals of the Paris agreement. In this respect, the new Dutch government wants to take on a leadership role within the EU. For D66, it is also important to provide security for our citizens. Therefore, our government decided to join the office of the European Public Prosecutor. We will also continue favouring a close cooperation on European defence issues.
“ D66 wants to provide
everyone with an honest chance to reach their full potential and live a happy and healthy life. That starts by investing in education, by reducing income inequality, and by bringing secure employment within reach for everyone who wants it.
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“ Sophie in ‘t Veld’s
initiative for a binding pact on the protection of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights (DRF) is a great example of how MEPs can fight for more value-based European cooperation.
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One of your party’s MEPs Sophie in ‘t Veld has recently published a book called ‘A European ID.’ What are D66’s proposals to move towards a Europe of values? When we speak with one voice, the EU plays a leading role in shaping tomorrow’s world. We need to adapt the institutions we built short after the Second World War in order to cater to the needs of the 21st century. We have a responsibility to protect the rule of law and guarantee the freedom of the press. Sophie in ‘t Veld’s initiative for a binding pact on the protection of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights (DRF) is a great example of how MEPs can fight for more value-based European cooperation. Currently the EU has few effective means of scrutinising and enforcing compliance with European values as enshrined in the Treaties. That is why, the DRF Pact proposes an objective, evidence-based system for monitoring compliance with EU values and principles which would be applied in an equal, non-political manner to all EU Member States.
In the past months, Liberals and Democrats have been doing well in elections throughout Europe. Do you think this surge in popularity will result in more votes for ALDE member parties in the 2019 European elections? Yes! Politicians have the obligation to be honest and open about the European Union. Too many politicians tend to blame “Brussels” when things that don’t please their voters happen while they conveniently forget to mention “Brussels” when they profit on a national scale from European decisions. The freedom to travel, the ease of having a single currency, the right to call friends and share online content all over Europe: it is too obvious that we should cherish European benefits more. Also, we tend to forget that national governments are still the main decision-makers in the EU. As President Macron put it recently in his speech: “Governments tend to say “C’est pas nous, c’est Bruxelles”. But they should not forget: “Bruxelles, c’est nous, toujours”. Recent national elections all over the continent have shown it pays off to campaign on an unabashedly pro-European platform. 2019 can’t come soon enough!
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The capital of your country, Amsterdam, is the host city of this year’s ALDE Party Congress. If we would be locals, where would you recommend us to go? Well, on a personal note, my absolute favourite city in the Netherlands is Rotterdam, only 30 minutes away by train. But there are a few must-sees in Amsterdam. My personal favourite is Rembrandt’s painting of Marten and Oopjen at the Rijksmuseum. And I’ve heard that it is amazing to take an electric rental boat and cruise the canals. Although I would recommend this when the weather gets better again!
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“ Politicians have the
obligation to be honest and open about the European Union.
”
01. 50 years of the D66,18 April 2016 02. D66 in Amsterdam Canal Pride, 2017 03. D66 Congress, RAI Amsterdam, 2016 04. Fitland Leiden the Second Level, 20 March 2015 SECOND issue 2017 09 liberal bulletin
Time to invest in our European future
INTERVIEW
Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz MP Deputy Leader of Nowoczesna in the Polish Parliament Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz is a member of the Polish Parliament for Nowoczesna, where she acts as Deputy Leader of the parliamentary group. As a Spokesperson for Nowoczesna, she has a strong opinion on what the future of the European Union should look like. In this interview, she shares with us what should the EU’s focus be ahead of the 2019 European elections and particularly what role should Central and Eastern Europe play in it. liberal bulletin 10 SECOND issue 2017
Many European Liberals say it is now the time to reform the European Union. In your opinion, what are the main aspects that the EU should change ahead of the 2019 European elections? After the Brexit decision, Europe is indeed at a turning point and following a series of elections in some of its largest Member States, it is the time for a fundamental debate about the EU’s future. For me, it is essential that European integration is based on the principles of solidarity and unity. A multi-speed Europe could be a road to the unknown and quickly lead to domino effects, resulting in the erosion of European integration. At the same time, it is clear to all responsible politicians that the European vehicle cannot be driven only with one engine. Yet, in order to secure Europe’s future and address some mounting imbalances, we must push stronger towards more integration in several areas. For instance, in the Eurozone we need, on the one hand, a stronger support mechanism for countries in difficulties, but on the other hand, we should honestly reflect about possible temporary exits mechanisms. Given the global political challenges, the EU must develop a Common Asylum and Migration Policy and finally have a true and effective Common Foreign and Security Policy.
“ We have greatly used the knowledge we obtained at the ALDE Party Congress in Warsaw for our innovative campaigns aimed at bringing the liberal ideas closer to the people.
”
The 2016 ALDE Party Congress was hosted in your capital, Warsaw. Have you seen any effect in support for liberal and democratic values in Poland since then?
The ALDE Party Congress in Warsaw was very important for Nowoczesna as it happened already one year after our entry to the national Parliament. For us it was a great distinction from the European liberal family and a perfect opportunity to exchange experiences on how to make the liberal voice heard better in our societies. We have greatly used this knowledge for our innovative campaigns aimed at bringing the liberal ideas closer to the people: for example, recently we launched a campaign against trade restrictions on Sundays, which definitely raised a lot of interest among citizens, not only among our supporters.
The current government of Poland has systematically undermined fundamental European values such as democracy or rule of law. What measures do you think the EU should take to ensure those core values are respected by the Member States?
Recently your party, Nowoczesna, together with NEOS, Momentum Hungary and Progresívne Slovensko signed a joint declaration to form the New Central Europe initiative. In this framework, how do you envision the future role of Central Europe in Europe?
First and foremost, I wish that the Polish government finally pulls itself together. The current actions of the Polish government are bad for Poland and, most importantly, bad for the citizens of our country. When joining the EU, every country commits itself to comply with certain common fundamental rules. The Lisbon Treaty and the rule of law procedure are quite clear on this. In every single case the EU should decisively express its concerns, when the fundamental values are being violated. This voice is important to hundreds of thousands Polish people who demonstrated in support of European values. But let me repeat that in the first place I really wish that the Polish government stops its unlawful actions and thereby obviates the danger of sanctions. All in all, now the ball is on the side of ruling party in Poland.
We wanted to give a clear message: populist governments cannot be Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)’s trademark! Solidarity, openness and freedom are deeply rooted in CEE’s history. The virus of populism hardly hit many countries in Europe, including Germany, France and Holland. In Central and Eastern Europe this virus proved to be particularly aggressive, but I’m convinced that we will ultimately fight it and gain immunity against populism for future. Liberal parties must strike back, show the courage, vision and convince people that we must do everything to invest in our European future. On a policy-level, liberals from CEE countries, given their common experiences, could also work together to develop a more intelligent structural policy for the whole EU that really supports innovation and can sustainably leverage regional growth.
Polish society remains among those most strongly pro-European. Why do you think that is the case? Do you think the EU will remain being popular in the upcoming years? When you consider Poland’s geographical position, it is clear that one can take from here the train only in two directions: either it will be the European express or the Trans-Siberian railway. Most Polish citizens understand this alternative very well and recognise the advantages of the EU at both levels: the geopolitical related to long-term security and the economic through increased investments. However, in the context of a multi-speed Europe, Poland under the current government would most likely slump to the periphery of the EU, and consequently lose the budgetary and other important battles. Then, it is unlikely that Poles’ Euro-enthusiasm would remain as it is today.
However, that is not the case for all citizens from all EU Member States. What do you suggest could win back the heart of Europeans? Europe must not forget about solving specific problems that EU citizens face. Besides an ambitious long-term vision, we should go back to basics and communicate it effectively to the citizens. What makes the heart of European integration is the Single Market, and 60 years since the Treaty of Rome it is still not completed. At the same time, the Single Market is what really matters to citizens: no roaming charges, same quality of products in all Member States and no barriers in online trade. Therefore, I think the EU should focus on citizens’ needs. The more people can specifically answer to the question “How do I benefit from the EU?”, the higher the support for European integration. This applies to Poland as well as to any other European country.
“Liberal parties must
strike back, show the courage, vision and convince people that we must do everything to invest in our European future.
”
SECOND issue 2017 11 liberal bulletin
European Women’s Academy European Women’s Academy 2017, Estonia
European Women’s Academy 2016, Georgia
European Union Member States with the highest amount of female representation in Parliament are currently Sweden (43.6%), Finland (42%) and Spain (39.1%) and the lowest are Hungary (10.1%), Latvia (16%) and Cyprus (17.9%). In the European Parliament, only 37.3% of MEPs are women. In order to address the under-representation of women in politics, in 2016, the ALDE Party in cooperation with the European Liberal Forum and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation launched the European Women’s Academy of political leadership and campaigning (EWA). The EWA is a state-of-the-art training programme for female politicians aimed at inspiring and enriching them with the knowledge and tools to win their upcoming elections, and to become more influential in politics. The EWA aims to empower rising stars from liberal political parties, and to give them additional skills to pursue and excel in their political goals. The annual training programme is structured into three sessions of three days which covers various topics in order to help the participants build their political careers and campaigns. These topics include: how to develop a campaign plan and team, how to fundraise, how to create social media posts and videos, how to manage and recruit volunteers and how to create efficient and effective voter contact models. All of the trainings are practical and tangible so that participants can apply the knowledge they have gained immediately into their respective campaigns. Since the programme began in 2016, there have been two graduating classes. Four of the 2016 EWA alumni have already been elected and many more have upcoming elections in the next two years. After a successful two years, the ALDE Party has decided to expand the EWA in 2018. This means that the number of EWA participants will double next year. And with the European elections around the corner, the 2018 EWA will focus on training both female politicians for national elections as well getting female MEPs elected and ready to work in the European Parliament. The ALDE Party is committed to getting more women elected and to helping liberal political parties achieve this goal. liberal bulletin 12 SECOND issue 2017
Angelika Mlinar MEP, ALDE Party Vice President “Women in politics still face a lot of obstacles and challenges. I have personally experienced that being a candidate or even a frontrunner is not an easy task. However, I’ve gone my way and I want to advocate and speak up for young women to make it easier for them. Encouraging and motivating women is an essential step in the direction of achieving gender equality. We need to inspire and connect dedicated women to support their strength and talents.”
ELECTED CANDIDATES Silja Borgarsdóttir Sandelin, SFP Councillor in Finland “The EWA programme has given me all the tools I need to proceed in my political ambition. For me the most important of them all is the belief that I can succeed. I am also very thankful that our EWA class participants keep in touch with each other after our programme is over. Our group still today gives each other support, good ideas and many happy moments.”
Bettina Stark-Watzinger MP FDP, Germany “The support of others is crucial for success in politics. For me, the European’s Women Academy was an accelerator on my way into the Bundestag. The combination of training necessary skills, networking, taking an international perspective and all of that in a “sheltered” environment is a vitamin shot and therefore an energy boost. I would do it again! I sincerely hope that a lot of women will be able to benefit from EWA and its great trainers.”
Vikki Slade, Liberal Democrats Councillor in the United Kingdom “I was thrilled to be part of the first EWA in 2016 and it was the first time I met aspiring politicians from other European nations. I had received quite a bit of training in the UK but I gained hugely from being part of this scheme including the fantastic media and speech training, strategic thinking and the chance to really embed my skills across the board.The team was fantastic and have continued to support me remotely, the speakers were also inspirational and I have made friends for life.” Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen MP Liberalai, Lithuania “I am different to most of the EWA participants – I came to politics at a relatively late stage as I started a career as a professional chess player. That is why I consider myself very lucky to have been part of the EWA programme, as it gave me a unique chance to get expert political advice and fill in some gaps. As a consequence, I was elected to a high position in my party and the journey there was a lot more straightforward thanks to what I learnt at the European Women’s Academy. I ran in the national elections in Lithuania in October 2016 with confidence and I got elected. I am convinced that the European Women’s Academy can make a difference to hundreds of women in politics so I hope to see it continue.” SECOND issue 2017 13 liberal bulletin
A manifesto that works for all INTERVIEW
Taavi Rõivas Chair of the ALDE Party 2019 European elections manifesto Taavi Rõivas is the Chair of the Drafting Committee of the ALDE Party manifesto for the 2019 European elections at the last ALDE Party Council in Ljubljana. He is an engaged liberal having previously been the Prime Minister of Estonia and the leader of ALDE member Reform Party. Though the European Parliament elections are more than a year away, in this interview Rõivas explains to us how he has already started to talk to as many European liberals as possible to get their input on what they believe is important to include in the manifesto.
liberal bulletin 14 SECOND issue 2017
“The ideas and
At the latest ALDE Party Council in Ljubljana, you were appointed the Chair of the ALDE Party 2019 European elections manifesto. What have been the first steps in your position and what’s next? The first steps in my position as the Chair of the ALDE Party 2019 European elections manifesto have been to put together the ALDE Party Manifesto Committee. I am hoping that we can confirm the committee at the ALDE Congress in Amsterdam. The next step - which I am working on already - is to meet with as many ALDE member party representatives in Europe as possible, to get their input on what they believe is important to go in the manifesto.
In your view as an engaged liberal both in your country and in Europe, what should be the main topics of the ALDE campaign ahead of the European elections? When we look at the world around us, it is clear that what is needed, is more Europe, not less. We cannot let fear mongers - terrorists, populists, extremists - get the best of us, get the best of the European values we have worked hard to achieve. We need to keep in mind, and perhaps even remind ourselves of the liberal values our way of life is based on. We need to also be agile and adjust to the changing world around us to stay competitive - technology is evolving fast, and changing how we work, communicate, and live irreversibly. We can either stand in the way of progress and innovation, watch it go past, or harness it and make it the competitive edge of Europe’s economy. I think the latter is reasonable. Europe should be the forefront of openness for innovation if we want our economy to remain relevant.
“ We can either stand
in the way of progress and innovation and watch it go past or harness it and make it the competitive edge of Europe’s economy.
”
ALDE Party Pre-Summit 17 March 2016
Back in 2014 ALDE was mostly only strong in small EU Member States, but this situation has changed with solid member parties emerging also in large countries like Nowoczesna in Poland or Ciudadanos in Spain. How do you think this could potentially affect the formation of the 2019-2014 ALDE Group MEPs? I hope that the new ALDE member parties, as well as old members, will do well in the 2019 elections. We will work do everything for a good result in Estonia too.
When you were elected as Prime Minister of Estonia, you were also the youngest elected government leader in the European Union. How do you plan to include the youth’s vision in the ALDE manifesto? During my work as the Prime Minister of Estonia and also as the Vice President of the Estonian Parliament, I have met a lot of young people in schools that I have spoken at, also at universities that I have given guest lectures at. One thing I have noticed in all places is that young people are extremely interested and aware of politics and the world around us. The ideas and concerns that have arisen in our conversations do not differ much from the older generations’ - they value personal freedom and security, as well as opportunities for growth. One red thread I have noticed is that young people consider the state on both their country level, and as EU, to be an entity that enables, enhances, and supports, in all other matters it is better if it was invisible - that it works seamlessly. For that we need to harness the power of technological innovation, not stand in the way of inevitable changes around us.
concerns that have arisen in my conversations with young people do not differ much from the older generations: they value personal freedom and security as well as opportunities for growth.
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Will the ALDE Party individual members be involved in the drafting of the manifesto? If so, in what way? ALDE Party individual members will absolutely be involved in drafting the manifesto. My idea is to meet with as many liberals in Europe as possible when I am travelling - to hear their ideas on what will be the most important issues to drive Europe forward. All ideas are welcome, anyone can contact me directly on either social media or via email taavi@reform.ee
Finally, let’s talk numbers. ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen MEP has pledged to win at least 100 seats in the next European Parliament. How many seats do you expect the ALDE Group to obtain in the 2019 elections? I think Hans van Baalen is absolutely right - ALDE Group should get over 100 seats in the 2019 elections!
ALDE Party Congress in Warsaw, 1-3 December 2016
SECOND issue 2017 15 liberal bulletin
OPINIONS A liberal Europe is not a centralised Europe Europe is at a crossroads. For some, Brexit was the culmination of long-accumulating frustrations among European citizens. And while many of the dark political clouds that threatened European cohesion only a year ago now seem to have vanished, the underlying challenges to the legitimacy of the European Union remains. People in Europe still question why the union does not seem to effectively address the challenges that concern them: migration, security and growth. The peoples of Europe see EU Member States that do not shoulder their share of the burden and live up to their responsibility to the community. When human rights suffer in Poland and Hungary, when France and Germany ignore our financial agreements, when Greece and Italy let thousands of migrants through their borders without adhering to our rules, then the legitimacy of the community suffers. When we see the European Court of Justice adjudicating beyond the boundaries of the commonly agreed rules, this challenges the legitimacy of the union. Many - also liberals - see the current junction as the moment to fulfil ambitions for a more centralised Europe, a United States of Europe if you will. But I have a word of caution: consolidating power within an increasingly centralised European governance structure is not the cure-all for the challenges of Europe. Pushing for further centralisation of power will not stop migration, it will not guard us against terrorism, nor will it increase growth. What a discussion on grand institutional reforms in Europe will do is to bog us down in political in-fights for a decade, and it will only serve to expose our differences. The answer to deteriorating legitimacy is not more centralisation. It is not pushing for more majority decisions or joint institutions. It is, rather, making the current distribution of competences work better and ensuring adherence to our shared obligations. In true liberal tradition, we, in Venstre, see strength in diversity. We have a vision of a free, democratic, prosperous, and united Europe. A Europe with a firm base upon the four freedoms of movement; people,
goods, services and capital. A Europe where human rights, the rule of law and democracy apply equally to all. We see a Europe of Member States that all benefit from the great advantages that our union offers, while at the same time shouldering each their share of its weight. We want a European Union that provides added value and gives us instruments to succeed in the global competition. Our European community gathers 27 Member States with each their unique cultural, historical and societal backgrounds, offering all of us a multitude of ideas, best practices and benefits. However, while it is a key strength for our union, we must also acknowledge that not all efforts to converge standards and structures towards European unification are fruitful. Member States bear the main responsibility for servicing citizens, and states’ failures to shoulder this responsibility is not in itself a justification for all-European solutions. The basis for finding common European solutions must be a clear added value compared to national solutions and responsibilities. The EU needs to continue the European Commission’s REFIT programme, which evaluates the purpose, usefulness and effect of both current and established legislation. The EU must re-focus its efforts and demonstrate that we can find solutions to our global and common concerns. Obviously, the continued implementation of the internal market and of free trade is of profound importance. In addition, strengthened cooperation in the fields of international and development-related affairs, energy, the environment, space, and the private finance sector would all be of added value to our citizens. However, areas relating to the educational, social and health policies are often better dealt with closer to the affected citizens. A basic liberal principle is the decentralisation of responsibilities and decision-making to the lowest possible level. This is the liberal approach to European governance, on which we have built our union, and, similarly, it must be the future of liberalism in Europe. Morten Løkkegaard
Member of the European Parliament for Venstre, Denmark liberal bulletin 16 SECOND issue 2017
FACE TO FACE Towards a bottom-up European Republic During the European elections of 2014, NEOS campaigned with the slogan “We love Europe*”. In the small print, the asterisk read: “But there is relationship work to be done.”
The European Union not only needs a clear vision on what the institutional and constitutional destination might be. It desperately needs a common narrative that gives identity and ownership to the citizens.
To this day, this very much embodies our approach to Europe. At NEOS, we are convinced that the solutions for increasingly global issues such as migration, terrorism, climate change or trade can only be solved on a European level. NEOS is convinced that a bright future for Europe only lies within a stronger political union that provides the needed answers to the challenges of the present and the future. That is why we support a common European asylum system, a European Army, and European free trade agreements like TTIP and CETA.
Political decisions nowadays cannot be made behind closed doors as a project of elites, instead they must be brought to life by the people. That is why we aim for a European Republic that is considered a public matter and is given the power by the citizens.
But the current institutional set-up is too far removed from our citizens. While most people roughly know what the European Parliament and the European Commission do, the fact that the most important decisions are taken by the soon 27 heads of state at the European Council escapes the attention of the wider public. The EU is a handy scapegoat for national politicians, allowing them to either come back to their respective countries to take all the credit for a unanimous decision or blame “the EU” for a decision that they supported behind closed doors in the Council. A few weeks after the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom, I had a long talk with a dear friend who does business in the UK. He referred to the picture of a bus driving up a windy road. The people on the bus want to get to the designated destination, but the road is not only windy but bumpy, and the driver is driving too fast. The people on the bus get increasingly sick and at one point they just yell “Stop!” and rush out of the bus. Now they are there – outside the bus – trying to get fresh air.
Already during the European elections campaign in 2014, NEOS called for citizen-led European Conventions across the continent to develop a joint vision that breaks the current institutional deadlock. We believe that politics in the 21st century needs to be bottom-up and led by the citizens instead of a top-down approach led by bureaucracies. This very much embodies our “NEOS-DNA”: we were founded as a liberal citizen movement in 2012, with thousands of volunteers that developed our political programme in over 100 thematic taskforces, transparent finances to show that politics can be different. We want to see this approach of co-creation also happening on a European level. Chances are high as Emmanuel Macron and En Marche think in similar patterns and with our friends and colleagues from our European family, the ALDE Party, we are willing to move forward. Last month, we founded a new platform called New Central Europe together with our friends from Poland (Nowoczesna), Hungary (Momentum), and Slovakia (Progressive Slovakia) in order to counter the populism and backwardness that the Visegrad group spreads in our region. United in diversity, let us move forward towards a common European narrative and stand strong together as liberals against nationalism and protectionism.
Beate Meinl-Reisinger
Deputy Leader of NEOS and Member of the Vienna City Parliament, Austria SECOND issue 2017 17 liberal bulletin
New Individual Members’ Steering Committee The mandate of the current ALDE Party individual members Steering Committee comes to an end at the ALDE Party Congress in Amsterdam. To ensure a smooth transition, members participated in online elections to choose a new Steering Committee. Congratulations to the newly elected Steering Committee: Chris Pyak, Thalia Ntoka, Ashmita Krishna, Enrico Cappelletti and Robert Schliessler.
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aldeparty.eu/individual-members liberal bulletin 18 SECOND issue 2017
Who will represent Individual Members at the ALDE Party Congress? At the end of July and beginning of August, ALDE Party individual members had the chance to elect their three delegates for the ALDE Party Congress 2017 and their Council delegate. After an intense campaign and a great exchange of ideas on how to further develop individual membership as well as the European Union and how to promote freedom and democracy across our content, members chose Francesca Mercanti from Italy, Amélie Pans from Belgium and Wolf Achim Wiegand from Germany as their Congress delegates. Steering committee member Chris Pyak was elected as the Council delegate.
We talked to elected delegate Francesca Mercanti, who obtained the most votes and who is currently also the country coordinator of Individual Members in Italy.
What motivated you to run for Congress delegate? I had been a delegate at the ALDE Party Congress, as an Italian political party delegate, for some years and I found it extremely interesting. I loved working with other ALDE Party colleagues for common projects and values. I learned a lot from that experience and I would like to offer my skills to Individual Members. In the last years, as ALDE individual member and after as Italian national coordinator, I made some efforts to enlarge membership and to increase their visibility, especially in Italy. I am very proud to be part of this family and I want to work to empower our values in Europe.
What impact do you believe individual members can make at the ALDE Party Congress? Individual Members are expanding and in a certain way reflecting on the crisis of political parties across Europe. As a pan-European and transnational organisation, it can unite people in the name of liberal values and not in the name of some party’s interest. We probably have a different vision of making politics and it could have a positive impact on the Congress: we are fresh new people very determined about creating a liberal Europe.
Individual members believe strongly in transnational lists for the European elections. What is the novelty in the draft resolution proposed by the individual members? The draft resolution we propose is, first of all, a genuine result of an open and democratic debate. As a transnational organisation it’s quite natural to think about a transnational list. This year we have even heard President Macron talking about it. Maybe it’s time to make it a reality and ALDE Individual Members want to be in the front line. SECOND issue 2017 19 liberal bulletin
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SECOND issue 2017 21 liberal bulletin
Movers & shakers Christian Lindner Christian Lindner is the leader of the German Liberal party FDP, which obtained 10.7% of the vote in the federal elections at the end of September making a strong return to the German Parliament. Commenting on the triumphant comeback, Lindner said: “There is now again a fraction of freedom in the Bundestag.”
Věra Jourová Věra Jourová is the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. She recently closed her Facebook account in protest to online extremism and hate speech: “My Facebook account was a highway for hatred and I am not willing to support it.” The decision came after the EU warned Facebook to tackle online abuse or risk being subjected to new regulations.
Lydie Polfer
Vince Cable Vince Cable is the new leader of the UK Liberal Democrats since July 2017. Sir Vince, who served as UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2010-2015 during the coalition government, has a widely-appreciated reputation for talking sense on economic matters and recently re-won his MP seat back in the UK Parliament.
liberal bulletin 22 FIRST issue 2017
Lydie Polfer is the Mayor of Luxembourg City since 2013 and a long-standing member of Demokratesh Partei (DP). In the recent local elections in Luxembourg, DP stayed number one in the capital city, where Polfer received the most preference votes ensuring she kept the mayorship.
More and more citizens think and act across borders. ALDE Party’s individual membership allows us to engage and involve individuals to help us build a stronger pan- European party. Join us today! NOT YET A MEMBER joinus.aldeparty.eu
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ALDE Party - Produced: November 2017 - With the support of the European Parliament
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