ALDE Party Liberal Bulletin 01 2016 by ALDE Party

liberal We’re #InTogether Determined to fight a positive campaign Interview with UK Liberal Democrats leader, Tim Farron A new reality needs modern trade deals Commissioner Malmström on TTIP and its benefits As long as human rights are violated, liberals cannot rest Interview with Jordi Xuclà, leader of ALDE-PACE

FIRST ISSUE 2016

first issue 2016 01 liberal bulletin

calendar 26 March 2016 40th Anniversary of the ALDE Party 14-17 April 2016 Istanbul, Turkey IFLRY 39th General Assembly

contents

16 April 2016 Arnhem, The Netherlands D66 Congress 23-24 April 2016 Sofia, Bulgaria MRF Congress

Editorial by ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen

Interview Tim Farron on Brexit

29 April – 1 May 2016 Vienna, Austria LYMEC Spring Congress

Article Cecilia Malmstrom on TTIP

Interview Timmy Dooley on political situation in Ireland

20-22 May 2016 Tbilisi, Georgia Liberal International 196th Executive Committee

Interview Jordi Xucla re-elected as ALDE-PACE President

Meet the new Bureau

Article Julie Cantalou - Boosting the ALDE Party

Best from Congress

Best from social media

Movers and Shakers

15-17 May 2016 Berlin, Germany 66th FDP Congress 21 May 2015 Leeuwarden, The Netherlands VVD Congress 4 June 2016 Vilnius, Lithuania ALDE Party Council meeting

Save the date ALDE Party Congress 2016 1-3 December Warsaw, Poland

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 nearly 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. Liberal Bulletin is a publication of the ALDE Party. It is published three times 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 Diaz, Andrew Burgess, ALDE Party Publisher: Didrik de Schaetzen, ALDE Party Layout: Mardi.be Printing: ZwartOpWit.be With the support of the European Parliament.

editorial Liberals must unite. That was my election slogan at the ALDE Party Congress in Budapest, at the end of last year, where you elected me as your President. That message is just as valid today as it was then. Working together, we can become stronger. Strengthening liberalism and liberal parties across Europe allows us to present solutions to counter today’s political stagnation in Europe. At recent ALDE Party Pre-summit meetings, where we bring together the Prime Ministers and European Commissioners from our political family, and a number of leading personalities, we have done exactly that. Crucial topics were addressed such as the refugee crisis, the forthcoming referendum in the United Kingdom on the country’s EU membership and the political situation in Poland and Spain. My most important task as ALDE Party President is to bring people together, so that they can discuss and find compromise. In the Netherlands, we call this person “the oilman”, the man who makes the machines work.

Hans van Baalen MEP ALDE Party President

One of the participants at the most recent Pre-Summit was UK Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron MP. His is the only party in the UK that’s united in their campaign to keep Britain in the European Union. In this issue of the Liberal Bulletin, he shares his view on the recent EU-UK deal and updates us on the latest developments of the LibDems INtogether campaign. Another prominent liberal politician that works hard to put our liberal values into practice is European Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström. She talks about how free trade not only brings growth and jobs, but also fosters cultural exchange and common understanding. Her key task is to make trade agreements adapted to modern times. Fresh from the campaign trail, ALDE Party Vice President Timmy Dooley TD showcases the recent success of his political party in Ireland, Fianna Fáil. His party struck a chord with the Irish voter with an optimistic message that Ireland should be a country for all. Safeguarding human rights around the world is also our fundamental duty as liberals. As described by Jordi Xuclà, recently re-elected as President of the ALDE Group at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, “as long as human rights are violated, liberals cannot rest.” Last but not least, the chair of the Individual Members’ Steering Committee, Julie Cantalou, outlines how they work to make individual membership an integral part of the ALDE Party and a strong voice for liberalism in Europe. I am looking forward to work with them in this endeavour. I have always wanted to fight for freedom and for people. This fight is my passion and that is why I am in politics. Being the ALDE Party President is a great chance to put it, together with you, into practice.

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INTERVIEW

Tim Farron Tim Farron MP is the leader of the ALDE party member party Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom, which is the only party in the UK united in the campaign to keep Britain in the European Union. In this interview, Tim Farron shares his view on the recent EU-UK deal and updates us on the latest developments of the LibDems campaign.

The recent draft reform deal between the UK and the EU is on the spotlight of the Brussels bubble these days. What is the Liberal Democrats view on this reform package? The Liberal Democrats’ position has always been that David Cameron’s renegotiation has been a distraction from the bigger issues at stake. While Cameron did get some worthwhile concessions for the UK, this has always been above all an exercise in internal party management. So it is now up to the Prime Minister to convince his party to get on board and join him in campaigning to remain in the EU. Liberal Democrats do not need convincing. As Liberals we recognise that when it comes to the major global challenges like terrorism, migration and climate change, our country is safer and more secure when we work with our European allies.

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Perhaps one of the most contentious proposals in the draft reform is the possibility to limit welfare payments to EU migrants. In the case that the package will be approved, what consequences do you think it could have for the freedom of movement of European citizens? People move around the EU primarily to work, not to claim benefits. But the UK does not have a contributory system like most other EU countries. So some changes were necessary in this area, which is why Liberal Democrats supported for example, indexing child benefits for children of EU nationals living overseas.

David Cameron has finally accepted the long-standing invitation to speak at the European Parliament, where he will appear briefly before EU leaders discuss his proposal at EU summit. How do Liberal Democrats perceive this political move from the UK’s Prime Minister?

Liberal Democrats also recognise the huge value that EU migrants bring to the UK. EU freedom of movement is a two-way street, with 2.2 million other EU nationals in the UK and around 2 million British citizens in other EU countries. We celebrate the fact that thanks to being in the EU, UK citizens have the opportunity to live and work freely across the continent.

A wide range of MEPs have expressed their concerns over the draft proposal, considering that some items could undermine the European Parliament’s power. How do Liberal Democrats see this aspect of the draft reform and what consequences could it have for the notion of ‘an ever closer Union’? Liberal Democrats believe it is vital to hold power accountable at all levels. We support more scrutiny by national parliaments as well as greater engagement with the European Parliament. One major step forward in the UK would be for Members of the Parliament to hold ministers more accountable for the decisions they take on behalf of their country in the EU Council.

“David Cameron is now finally making the case for EU membership to the British public. This is a welcome development.”

David Cameron is now finally making the case for EU membership to the British public. This is a welcome development.

At the end of September yourself and Catherine Bearder MEP launched the Stay In campaign for the UK to ‘lead and not leave’. How is the campaign progressing? The Liberal Democrats are the only party united in the campaign to keep Britain in the EU. We are determined to fight a positive campaign, focusing on how being in the EU brings prosperity, opportunity and security to the people of the UK. The European Union is the world’s most successful ever peace project, bringing stability to a continent once beset by war. That is a huge achievement that we should not take for granted.

ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen MEP has explicitly expressed his support for the Stay In campaign. What message would you give to Liberals across Europe who also want the UK to stay in? I was delighted to meet with Liberal Prime Ministers and leaders at the ALDE pre-summit in February. We were united in our belief that Britain is better off in Europe and Europe is better off with Britain in it. There are many ways Liberals across Europe can help us at this critical time for the UK. You can donate to the Liberal Democrat referendum campaign (up to £500 for people outside the UK per donation and £1500 a year), UKIP donors are putting millions of pounds into their campaign to drag Britain out of Europe, so we need every pound we can get to fight their message of fear and division.

“We are determined to fight a positive campaign, focusing on how being in the EU brings prosperity, opportunity and security to the people of the UK.” We also would welcome volunteers to come to the UK and help us on the ground. I believe it could be very powerful for UK voters to speak to someone coming all the way from their own country and urging them to remain part of the European family. On social media too Liberals can get involved and make the case for why we are stronger in. A final way is to mobilise the 2 million British expats living around the EU. British citizens who have been overseas for less than 15 years still have the right to vote in the referendum. So go out and speak to those in your country and make sure they understand the consequences that leaving the EU could have for their right to freedom of movement, as well as their pension and healthcare rights. If you have any questions or ideas please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our excellent campaign coordinator Iain Gill, who is also head of the Liberal Democrat International Office. This will be a oncein-a-generation fight. We need your help to secure Britain’s future in Europe. > www.libdems.org.uk

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TTIP Benefits for workers,

consumers and companies on both sides of the Atlantic Cecilia Malmström European Commissioner for Trade

ARTICLE

In these times of tremendous global and European challenges, from unprecedented migration flows and the rise of extremism to the slow economic recovery and increased geopolitical tensions, it is vital to stand up for our shared liberal ideas that underpin our democracies in Europe. Free trade is one of the fundamental liberal ideas that need to be vehemently defended in times when populists mistakenly claim that we can protect the freedom and prosperity of European countries by shutting borders and isolating ourselves from the world.

“Free trade is one of the fundamental liberal ideas that need to be vehemently defended in times when populists mistakenly claim that we can protect the freedom and prosperity of European countries by shutting borders and isolating ourselves from the world.” liberal bulletin 06 first issue 2016

We know that is not true. In fact, trade brings not only growth and jobs, the cross-border flows of goods, services and investment also fosters cultural exchange and understanding. By trading we realise mutual gains and can move away from the zero-sum politics of war and aggression, creating a stable international environment. The evolution of the European Union, from the days of the Treaty of Paris until today, is a case in point. So why is trade policy still important in this globalised age, when container ships criss-cross the high seas with unprecedented flows of goods being traded? Indeed, the GATT and WTO have been successful in lowering tariffs and facilitating trade. But, over recent decades, trade has changed. It’s not just about finished products anymore. Trade and investment are part of the production process itself. And the most successful economies are those that connect to the global value chains that result from that. In this paradigm, the task of trade policy cannot be to maximise exports and minimise imports. Tariffs can be reduced further or eliminated, and we need to continue cutting red tape at the border. On top of this, the economic content of cross-border flows is changing. In the past, goods were far and away the most significant component. They are still vital today. But services -from transport, to finance, to technical support- are increasingly important. The investments embodied in financial flows are also clearly crucial to the way countries interact with one another. The dramatic rise of the digital economy means that data flows also clearly need to be part of the equation. And we cannot forget that trade today also involves people moving across borders to provide services or support sales of goods. Are trade agreements adapted to this new reality? This new reality necessitates modern trade deals. The multilateral track in WTO remains important, and the recent deals on Trade Facilitation and Agricultural Export Subsidies show that results can once again be achieved multilaterally. But we need to complement the multilateral track with an ambitious bilateral agenda, with deals that will create jobs and growth by addressing the new issues in trade policy mentioned above. These bilateral deals can then inspire the multilateral agenda by showing what can be done with modern trade. Today we go further than before on areas such as services, investment, digital trade and government procurement, adapting the rulebook to

the realities of 21st century trade. And it has effects; EU exports to South Korea have increased by 55% since the Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2011, creating thousands of jobs. The European Commission and myself are involved in no less than 20 trade negotiations with countries and regions across the world. The biggest deal, and the most controversial, is the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which will bind the world’s two biggest markets –the EU and the US– even closer together. Cutting red tape, eliminating most tariffs and increasing access to government procurement and service markets will result in tangible benefits for workers, consumers and companies on both sides of the Atlantic. But, as you are aware, it also creates worries. Many people are concerned about the protection of consumer standards or the autonomy of their governments to regulate in the public interest. That is not what we are trying to do, and I try to communicate this as clearly as possible. TTIP is about finding ways to reduce bureaucracy when we have the same level of protection, avoiding expensive double certification by mutually recognising each other’s quality stamps in areas where our scientists and independent regulators think they are the same. We will have strong clauses safeguarding the right to regulate and protecting public services. And the TTIP negotiations are the most transparent in history, almost all of our textual

proposals are available online so that anyone can see what we are trying to do. Every day I engage in the public debate on TTIP, trying to explain and reassure the people who worry. And I know that you, my liberal friends, do the same. Because you know how important free trade is to the EU and your Member States. This is important and I appreciate that since I can only be in one place at the time and I do not speak 24 languages, I count on your continued support in standing up for this cause, by explaining the benefits and countering the protectionist and isolationist arguments out there.

“Cutting red tape, eliminating most tariffs and increasing access to government procurement and service markets will result in tangible benefits for workers, consumers and companies on both sides of the Atlantic.” first issue 2016 07 liberal bulletin

INTERVIEW

Timmy Dooley Timmy Dooley TD is a member of the Irish Parliament for the Clare constituency since 2007 and he is one of Fianna Fáil‘s Vice Presidents. In this interview, Dooley shares his view on the latest election campaign in Ireland, where he was re-elected with the most first preference votes and topped the poll in his constituency. He also offers his perspective on the refugee crisis and the forthcoming referendum in the United Kingdom as well as his plans for his mandate as ALDE Party Vice President.

Under the pledge of “An Ireland For All”, Fianna Fáil obtained very good results in the latest elections in your country, doubling your number of members of the Parliament. What was the core message your party wanted to convey to the Irish population in the campaign? As our economy recovers, we want the recovery to be spread around the entire country, rather than just in and around the capital city. We want the recovery to benefit people across the demographic divide, also people on middle and lower incomes should do better than they have been doing. We want a fairer society. The economic data looked good, growth rates were strong, but people didn’t feel it, except the very wealthy. The average person wasn’t feeling any benefit from the recovery. We had picked that up from our own research and candidates on the ground. We want the recovery to be fair, and recognise that middle to lower incomes had suffered from job losses. We want to see the creation of more decent jobs, we want to ensure that communities kept safe, we want to invest in families with young children. Our overall message was that a recovering economy would benefit all segments of society, not just the well-off.

Following the elections, Fianna Fáil’s party leader said the new Dáil “should involve a decisive move towards reformed politics.” Could you elaborate on this idea? What kind of reforms does FF put forward in this regard? Our parliament is very weak, in the sense that the executive which is formed by the winners, whoever wins the election or whichever coalition is put together, has the power; they appoint all the chairs of the committees, they dictate the pace of legislation, they control the business of Parliament. The Parliament is somewhat subservient to the executive. The order of business is dictated by the executive. So our view is that Parliament should be more independent from liberal bulletin 08 first issue 2016

implications for this trade in terms of tariffs or restrictions. In addition, we share a border with the six counties. Any decision would have an implication along the border region. We are concerned from those two perspectives.

“Our overall message was that a recovering economy would benefit all segments of society, not just the well-off.” government and therefore play a greater role in the ordering of the business of the Parliament, it should play a greater role in the early stages of initiation of legislation, the appointment of state boards, and generally speaking should be giving smaller parties and independent parliamentarians more speaking rights. So our overall objective is to strengthen Parliament and make the executive more answerable to Parliament.

You have been re-elected in the constituency of Clare, with the most first preference votes and topped the poll. What was the key message that resounded in your constituency and how would you like to take up this issue in the Dáil? My constituency is on the Western seaboard where we have seen a decline in employment. We have seen a level of rural isolation. We have seen some of the rural communities thrift of services. We haven’t seen investments in roads and infrastructure and in broadband. We have seen lower to middle incomes struggling, families in difficulties in relation to the mortgage crisis. The recovering economy should not so much benefit, but rather support the middle to lower incomes in a much stronger way and in a much fairer way. That message resonated with my voters and showed a strong showing for my party.

As a member of the Irish Parliament’s (Oireachtas) Committee on European Affairs during the last mandate you travelled to Calais and witnessed the scale of the problem there first-hand. Europe’s response to the migration and refugee crisis is

likely to fill the agenda in 2016, but what is you and your party’s view on the situation and how in your view should Europe act? We are very aware of the humanitarian crisis that exists at the moment. We believe that all member states should play a much more pro-active role. We recognise that the European Commission has made efforts to try to set quotas and even that countries are failing in their responsibility in this regard. We strongly believe that collectively we need to do much more. We certainly recognise that Italy and Greece, because of their geographic setting, should not have to carry the burden to the extent that they do. As a community, we have to do more to deal with the crisis that’s there and to support the member states that are grappling with the enormity that’s happening on their doorsteps.

This year, we will see a referendum take place in the United Kingdom and British citizens will vote on whether the country should remain or leave the European Union. What is your view on this referendum and what impact would a decision to leave the EU have on Ireland?

You are one of the key members of Fianna Fáil and now also one of the Vice Presidents of the ALDE Party. What are your main priorities and goals you would like to achieve as an ALDE Party Vice President? It is important for me to bring to our member parties around Europe some of the experiences that I have gathered as ALDE Party Vice President and senior member of Fianna Fáil in rebuilding our party network around the country and driving towards a very successful election which we have had. Some of the experience I have garnered there can surely be helpful with the member parties around Europe with their quest. In some cases, especially for those who have suffered electoral defeat, I can help to rebuild and rejuvenate the organisation and go on to become successful yet again.

“As a community, we have to do more to deal with the refugee crisis and to support the member states that are grappling with the enormity that’s happening on their doorsteps.”

It’s a matter for the British people to decide. While we don’t tell them how they should react to that particular referendum, we are concerned from an Irish perspective about any decisions the British people would take to exit Europe. We have a significant amount of trade between our countries and we’re an exporting nation and a lot of our employment depends on the sale of goods to the United Kingdom. Any exit from the European Union would have first issue 2016 09 liberal bulletin

INTERVIEW

Jordi Xuclà

President of ALDE-PACE Jordi Xuclà MP is the President of the ALDE Group at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (ALPE-PACE). In January, he was re-elected for another two-year mandate. In this interview, Xuclà reviews the crucial moments of his first mandate leading the ALDE-PACE, such as the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, the violation of human rights in Azerbaijan and the good cooperation with former PACE President Anne Brasseur.

In January you were re-elected for another two-year mandate as President of the ALDE Group at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). What have been the main achievements during your first mandate as President of the ALDE-PACE? The last two years were particularly challenging for the European project and for the liberal values on our continent: migration crisis, terrorist attacks and security shift of many governments, war in the heart of Europe and rise of illiberal populisms and religious fundamentalisms. Liberal colleagues in Russia, Belarus and Azerbaijan are under threat. These urgent problems call for more unity of the European liberal family. I am proud that during these two years, ALDE-PACE has been able to hold the line. Leading a group of liberals is never easy. But leading a group in the Council

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of Europe with 47 member states is an especially complex task. On top of all, I am proud to say that, during these two years, cohesion inside our group and communication and trust between members have not weakened. Finally, I am glad that my presidency allowed me to support the tremendously important work done by Anne Brasseur as PACE President.

The ALDE-PACE’s main goal is to give support to liberals facing difficulties in member states of the Council of Europe. What kind of actions does the ALDE-PACE take to do so? The support of liberals is just one of our objectives, but it is obviously a very important one. In many Council of Europe states, liberal parties are not represented in their national Parliaments and their members cannot sit in the

PACE. Therefore, ALDE-PACE does not only work with liberal parties, but also with individual politicians who are ready to adopt liberal ideas and to spread them in their countries. At the same time, our objective is to support civil society initiatives in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, which can create the right environment for liberal ideas and parties to thrive.

27 February marked the one-year anniversary of the murder of the Russian liberal political opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. With the Russian Federation being a member of the Council of Europe, what is the ALDE-PACE stand on the current Russian political climate? The murder of Boris was a shock and a terrible tragedy, not only for his family and friends and not only for Russia,

“ALDE-PACE does not only work with liberal parties, but also with individual politicians who are ready to adopt liberal ideas and to spread them in their countries.”

but also for European liberals. At the plenary session of the PACE following Boris Nemtsov’s assassination, our group organised a debate to pay tribute to the courage of our friend and partner. Now we are trying to push for a report on the investigation of his murder. If the motion is accepted, a special rapporteur will follow this case. We do not expect to be able to substantially improve the dire situation of the rule of law and independence of justice in Russia. However, such a report could at least allow us to keep this case on the agenda. Boris’s murder must not be forgotten and we will do everything we can to make sure that the organisers are brought to justice. This year, the Russian parliament has chosen not to appoint a delegation to PACE, fearing the renewal of sanctions. I remind that since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, certain rights of the Russian delegation, including voting and representation in the executive bodies,

have been suspended. Liberals have consistently supported this approach to say that there can be no unilateral border changes in Europe and that military aggression is not acceptable. As co-rapporteur on Ukraine, I see the awful consequences of the irresponsible behaviour of the Russian authorities. This situation is the product of the undemocratic regime, but it also exacerbates the regime’s darkest sides: violence, repression of dissent and disdain for justice and human rights. The parliamentary elections this year will be a test: we will see whether the Russian authorities are willing to come back to the European values and standards of democracy. On our side, we will continue to support our liberal colleagues and hope they can bring about hope. To us, Russia is a European country and that is exactly why it must behave like one.

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The ALDE-PACE has repeatedly expressed their concerns over the functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan. How does the ALDE-PACE go on safeguarding human rights in Azerbaijan? The human rights situation in Azerbaijan is one of the worst in Europe. Today most of the Azerbaijani human rights defenders we worked with are in prison. Their release is our most urgent concern; it is the common goal of all Council of Europe bodies. In January, Mailis Reps, ALDE-PACE bureau member from Estonia, presented a very critical report on human rights defenders in Europe, where the situation in Azerbaijan was given special attention. As President of ALDE-PACE and on behalf of our group, I have repeatedly asked for the freedom of Ilgar Mammadov, a political prisoner whose release was ordered by the European Court of Human Rights but who still remains in jail. Following the recent parliamentary elections, I insisted that the results should be invalidated in district 90 due to numerous violations – that was indeed done. But regretfully, I have to admit that the powers of the Council of Europe are limited.

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Long-standing liberal Anne Brasseur has just finished her mandate as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. How was your cooperation with Ms Brasseur and what landmark moment would you highlight from her time as PACE President? Anne Brasseur was elected President of PACE twelve years after another prominent liberal Lord Russell-Johnston. Needless to say, it was a big honour for our group. We were right to present Anne to this position and lucky that she accepted it. During her mandate, which occurred during an exceptionally difficult period, Anne did her job in an exemplary manner. Not for one moment did she turned away from the Council of Europe’s mission; she spoke to everybody but never compromised over liberal values. Our cooperation has always been excellent. Today she continues working with us and remains ALDE-PACE’s Honorary President. We are happy to count on her wisdom and political expertise. It is really difficult to choose one landmark moment of her mandate – so intense it was. She gave a strong and diplomatic response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine; she granted the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize to Azerbaijani and Russian human rights defenders and she organised a high-level visit to refugee camps on the TurkishSyrian border. Moreover, her unfailing commitment to fight against intolerance, hatred and xenophobia convinced many opinion leaders to join the Council of Europe “No hate” campaign, of which Anne Brasseur is currently an Ambassador.

“As long as human rights are violated, liberals cannot rest.”

Now looking to the future, what will be the ALDE-PACE priorities for this new mandate? Very briefly: firstly, we need to increase membership, both in geographic and numeric terms. Our cooperation with the ALDE Party is crucial in this regard. Secondly, in order for liberals to be strong, we need to act in a coherent manner in different institutions and on different levels. Therefore, I would like to see the cooperation between the international liberal organisations strengthened. Thirdly, we need to make sure that there are efficient instruments to protect human rights and reinforce democracy everywhere in Europe: there should be no black holes on our continent. As long as human rights are violated, liberals cannot rest. Finally, we need to prevent European states from falling into populisms, from getting back to fortress mentality and from turning on each other. This was the main goal of the founders of the Council of Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War and it is still relevant today.

4 june 2016

ALDE Party Council meeting

Vilnius, Lithuania

Get to know your ALDE Party Bureau Timmy Dooley TD Vice President

Fredrick Federley MEP

Timmy Dooley is a member of the Irish Parliament for the Clare constituency since 2007 and he is one of Fianna Fáil’s Vice Presidents as well as spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport. In February’s elections in Ireland, he was re-elected with the most first preference votes and topped the poll in the constituency of Clare.

Vice President

Fredrick Federley is a member of the European Parliament, where he is ALDE Group’s coordinator for the Industry, Research and Energy Committee. He is also Second Vice Chairman of the Swedish Centerpartiet and a member of EU40.

Markus Löning Vice President

Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP Vice President

Ilhan Kyuchyuk is a member of the European Parliament for the Movement of Rights and Freedoms (MRF) of Bulgaria. Since 2005 he is President of the Youth MRF and he is also a member of Liberal International Human Rights Committee.

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Markus Löning is a member of the German FDP and Vice President of Liberal International. He is highly committed to the defence of human rights as he is currently the Chair of Liberal International’s Human Rights Committee and he was the delegate of the German Federal Government for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid from 2010 to 2014. Previously, from 2002 to 2009 he was a member of the German Bundestag.

Marta Pascal MP Vice President

Marta Pascal is a Member of the Catalan Parliament for Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) and spokesperson of the party. She was greatly involved as President of the youth branch of CDC, Joventut Nacionalista de Catalunya, from 2012 to 2015, and she is an expert in foreign affairs as the party’s spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Parliament.

Angelika Mlinar MEP Vice President

Angelika Mlinar is a Member of the European Parliament and Vice President of the Austrian party NEOS. She is also the President of NEOS Lab, the party’s academy. In her work as MEP, she is fighting for the strengthening of women’s rights as ALDE Group’s coordinator for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality committee and as rapporteur of the Parliament’s report on gender mainstreaming.

Roman Jakič Treasurer

Baroness Ros Scott Vice President

Ros Scott is a member of the House of Lords from the United Kingdom since 2000. She is an expert on agriculture, energy and environment as she chairs the House of Lords’ EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee, including Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies. She represented the UK in the Committee of the Regions from 1999 to 2001 and she was President of the UK Liberal Democrats from January 2009 to June 2011.

Roman Jakič is a member of the Alliance of Alenka Bratušek (ZaAB) from Slovenia. He was Minister of Defence of Slovenia and he is expert in human rights as he was highly committed to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, being Vice President of the ALDEPACE. He started politics at an early age as he was already a member of the Slovenian Parliament at the age of 23.

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Individual membership is boosting the ALDE Party Julie Cantalou Chair of the ALDE Party individual members Steering Committee

When the Individual Membership was introduced in 2011 and later on, when the Steering Committee was created and first elected in 2014, it seemed pretty much an experiment. The success of this experiment has been a surprise to all: big increases in membership, more and more activities across Europe, cross-border events, among many other achievements. The individual membership of the ALDE Party has moved from being an experiment to becoming an integral part of the party and a strong voice for liberalism in Europe.

challenges The first Steering Committee has been very active in recruiting new members and setting up local structures with over 40 coordinators. Coordinators have been able to attract members by organising events in the local language, focusing on local topics of European dimension and building up relationships to key multipliers. In the upcoming years, it will be key to keep up these efforts in attracting more members, but we also want members to be active. For that to happen, the individual membership has to offer a platform to influence change, develop political proposals and create a sense of belonging. However, it is also crucial to offer clarity about what individual membership entails in order to avoid generating expectations we would not be able to meet.

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To build trust in the ALDE Party is crucial to increase our say within party structures. At the same time, we will need to develop a distinctive voice and maintain our independence, both within the ALDE Party as well as at national level. We thus need to be professional and more importantly contribute with political proposals. However, generating a pan-European debate that is both relevant and sufficiently coherent to come up with concrete resolutions and amendments to present at Congresses is one of our biggest challenges. For that to happen, we need to improve our structure both geographically and thematically. We need to create an accountable system, in which all members have a voice while at the same time being able to generate common positions. It will be challenging to set up communication channels that work both ways: for members to be able to participate and for the Steering Committee, coordinators and other decisionmakers to present and explain actions.

vision We envision a pan-European community of liberals committed to making the ALDE Party a stronger, truly transnational, more democratic and more transparent organisation. We want to: ● Bring to life a truly pan-European party ● Offer a home for liberals across Europe ● Build communities based on ideas therefore creating an identity for liberals across Europe The individual membership is built on fundamental values of participation, initiative, commitment and the will to build a pan-European community of liberals. It was never envisaged as a hierarchical party structure. It relies on the ideas and initiative of each and every member to be successful. We envision the individual member as a progressive force that excels at drawing from the knowledge of its members to develop shared positions. For these reasons we want Individual Membership to be structured to allow all members to participate. At the same time participation comes with responsibility – the responsibility of every member to contribute to the development of individual membership and to find common positions.

objectives In the next two years, the Steering Committee is committed to strengthing the structure and processes that govern the Individual Membership. This will be achieved through the implementation of a broad range of activities and by working closely with the ALDE Party Bureau, the Secretariat and other key actors. We will also be reaching out to organisations outside the sphere of the ALDE Party and build new partnerships.

Bigger 01 Increase membership and empower individual members and coordinators through regular training 02 Improve internal and external communication 03 Set up an efficient structure at a geographical level and in the thematic working groups that will allow decentralisation to avoid bureaucracy 04 Increase engagement (i.e. bottomup projects, questionnaires, ballots, competitions, etc)

Stronger

In this picture in the yellow shirt, Julie Cantalou, chair of the individual members Steering Committee

01 Make the voice of individual members heard through panEuropean, regional and national campaigns 02 Strengthen thematic working groups and enhancing participation. 03 Make use of delegations at ALDE Party Congress and Council to successfully adopt resolutions 04 Secure necessary resources to further develop individual membership 05 Strengthen ties between members in different countries through crossborder events and online tools

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ALDE Party Congress 2015 in Budapest, Hungary Report from the

Over 800 people came together in Budapest, Hungary from 19 to 21 November to take part in the 36th ALDE Party Congress.

During the Congress, Hans van Baalen MEP (VVD, The Netherlands) was elected as the new President of the ALDE Party, succeeding Sir Graham Watson. Hans van Baalen is currently a Member of the European Parliament for VVD since 2009 and he was also President of Liberal International between 2009 and 2014. However, his political career started earlier in his home country, the Netherlands, where he was a Member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands from 1999 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2009. Hans van Baalen was not the only person to be elected during the Congress in Budapest. The delegates also elected six new Vice Presidents -Timmy Dooley TD (Fianna Fáil, Ireland), Fredrick Federley MEP (Centerpartiet, Sweden), Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP (MRF, Bulgaria), Markus Löning (FDP, Germany), Marta Pascal MP (CDC, Catalonia, Spain) and Ros Scott (Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom)- while Angelika Mlinar (NEOS, Austria) remained as Vice President and Roman Jakic (ZaAB, Slovenia) as Treasurer. The ALDE Party Gender Equality Network (ALDE GEN) also had elections with Mireia Canals (CDC, Catalonia, Spain) and Anna Jungner-Nordgren (SFP, Finland) elected as the new Vice Presidents.

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The Congress was also a good chance for delegates to adopt policy resolutions on a range of important topic matters, such as defending democratic values against terrorism following the terrorist attack in Paris, responding to the refugee crisis, defining a modern liberal approach to migration and asylum, making TTIP a comprehensive agreement, developing the global fight against tax havens and tax and evasion, defining a modern liberal policy for economic justice, furthering European Integration of the Western Balkans and reacting to the situation in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. You can find and download all adopted resolutions at http:// policycentre.aldeparty.eu and find out more about the ALDE Party’s stand on several current topics on the European agenda. The ALDE Party continued to grow as the Council approved the membership applications of Liberalisok Hungary and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Party (ALDE) Romania. It was also announced that the next ALDE Party Council meeting will take place on 4 June 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania, hosted by the Liberal Movement Lithuania. The Congress was also historic for individual members and their contribution to the ALDE Party, as they were granted voting rights.

1. Former ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson 2. Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel 3

3. Newly elected ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen MEP with LYMEC members 4. ALDE Group leader Guy Verhofstadt with an individual member

5. Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš 6. ALDE Party Secretary General Jacob MorozaRasmussen 7. Member of the Hungarian Parliament Zsuzsanna Szelenyi 8. Candidate for ALDE Party President Siim Kallas

Sir Graham Watson officially opened the 36th ALDE Party Congress, his last as ALDE Party President saying: “We face supranational challenges which need supranational answers. A global politics for a global age. So we must step up co-operation between intelligence services, police forces, judiciaries. Unite in a common purpose to enforce the rule of law. Not have the criminal half way round the world while the bobby is still getting his boots on.”

Given the political situation of the host country, a debate discussed the challenges of the “illiberal state” in Hungary with the participation of Anne Brasseur, then then President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Sophie in ‘t Veld MEP (D66, Netherlands) and Hungarian liberal MPs Gábor Fodor (Liberalisok), Zoltán Kész, and Zsuzsanna Szelényi (Együtt), moderated by Markus Löning (FDP, Germany).

Other speakers during the opening ceremony were Vera Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, holding then the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Andrej Babis, Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, and Zsuzsanna Szelenyi, Member of the Hungarian Parliament.

During the Congress, the ALDE Group in the Committee of the Regions launched the 2016 edition of the LeaDeR Awards and held the first meeting of the Liberal Mayors Network.

The leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, offered a report from the EP during the Opening Ceremony. He clearly addressed the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orban, saying: “It is not a coincidence that the ALDE Congress is in Budapest, our presence is a clear ‘no’ to the ‘illiberal state’ of Orban. Mr Orban is not a problem for the Hungarians, it is a problem for Europeans and we tolerate it.”

All in all, the ALDE Party Congress in Budapest was a great success with a high-profile line-up of speakers, topical discussions and strong resolutions adopted, more rights granted to individual members and a newly elected Bureau, who is already working on how to further develop the ALDE Party in the future. See you in Warsaw from 1-3 December for the ALDE Party Congress 2016!

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Social media highlights Facebook

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Twitter

Instagram

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Liberal movers and shakers Anne Brasseur stepped down as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after her two-years mandate came to an end in January. Her presidency priorities included combating intolerance, hate and radicalisation leading to violent extremism, the refugee crisis and the conflict in Ukraine. At the end of her mandate she said: “Human rights, democracy and the rule of law know no borders and never should.”

Emilia Slabunova

Anne Brasseur

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Carles Puigdemont is the new President of the Government of Catalonia after months of negotiations, succeeding Artur Mas, who will remain as party leader of Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC). Puigdemont was up until now the Mayor of Girona and since 2006 he had been a Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for Convergència. The new composition of the Catalan government includes seven Ministers from CDC.

Carles Puigdemont

Emilia Slabunova is the new leader of YABLOKO, ALDE Party member party in Russia, becoming the first female stand-alone leader of a political party in Putin’s Russia. She is currently a MP of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia and a YABLOKO member since 2003. Former leaders Grigory Yavlinsky and Sergei Mitrokhin could not run again, but both endorsed Slabunova’s candidacy for Party Chair.

Kaja Kallas MEP has co-drafted the report recently adopted by the European Parliament pushing for completion of EU’s Digital Single Market. The report, strongly supported by ALDE Group MEPs, calls on the EU and its Member States to embrace digital innovation while removing barriers for innovative companies to start and scale up. “We say no to over-regulation, but yes to removing the artificial barriers in Europe which are hindering the growth of the digital economy,» she said on the report.

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