European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
Encyclopedia
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party
mainly active in the European Union
, composed of 56 national-level liberal
and liberal-democratic
parties from across Europe. Having developed from a loose confederation of national political parties in the 1970s, the ELDR is now a recognised European political party incorporated as a non-profit association under Belgian law. Despite this legal status, the ELDR party has yet to achieve significant grassroots
involvement and retains much of the character of a mere confederation
of national political parties
. ELDR is affiliated to the Liberal International
.
As of 2010, the ELDR is the third largest political party represented in European Union institutions, with 75 Members of the European Parliament and 8 members of the European Commission
. Of the 27 member states of the European Union, there are two with ELDR-affiliated Prime Ministers: Andrus Ansip
in Estonia (Reform Party
), and Mark Rutte
in the Netherlands (VVD
)). Furthermore, the leader of the German Free Democratic Party
(FDP), Philipp Rösler
, serves as Vice-Chancellor of Germany
and the leader of the British Liberal Democrats
, Nick Clegg
, serves as Deputy Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom. Liberals are also in government in eight other EU member states: Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
Since 20 July 2004, ELDR is politically represented in the European Parliament
by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
(ALDE) parliamentary group, formed in conjunction with the European Democratic Party
. The ALDE parliamentary group is led by Guy Verhofstadt
, a former Prime Minister of Belgium. The ELDR party was previously attached to the ELDR Group
.
The youth wing of ELDR is the European Liberal Youth
(LYMEC), which is predominantly based upon youth and student liberal organisations from across Europe but also contains a small number of individual members. LYMEC is led by German politician Alexander Plahr (FDP, Germany), who was elected to a two-year term as LYMEC President in May 2010, and has a collective membership of over 200,000 young liberal Europeans.
MEP. He was elected President for a two-year mandate on 25 November 2011 at the Congress in Palermo
, Italy. Following his election, Sir Graham said: "I am honoured that ELDR has chosen me to lead our great party. I pledge to strengthen European Liberalism, support Liberal parties across our continent and build up the ELDR by opening its doors to new members."
"My three main goals will be to expand our Party, to update its campaign techniques and to build it into a party which is truly pan-European in its thinking."
"The multiple crises we are currently mired in - economic, political and environmental - are an opportunity for Liberals to show what we are made of."
"It is our job as Liberals to explain how we offer a real, principled and economically responsible alternative to the behemoths of conservatism and socialism. And as President of ELDR I intend to do just that."
The voting members of the ELDR Congress number around 600–700, and are composed of:
In addition to the voting members of the ELDR Congress, the following are entitled to attend as non-voting members:
, meeting in between meetings of the ELDR Congress, and is empowered to:
The voting members of the ELDR Council number around 100–150 members and are composed of:
In addition to the voting members of the ELDR Council, the following are entitled to attend as non-voting members:
and more general views on the European political situation.
The members of the Political Leaders' Meeting are:
.
At an extraordinary Congress in Brussels held on 30 April 2004 the day before the enlargement of the European Union
, the ELDR Party incorporated itself under Belgian law and later became a European political party
.
The ELDR Europarty allied with the European Democratic Party
in 2004 to form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
, with a matching group in the European Parliament
.
:
Republic of Kosovo
European political party
A European political party, formally a political party at European level, informally a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe and in the institutions of the European Union. They are regulated and funded by the European Union and are usually made up...
mainly active in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, composed of 56 national-level liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and liberal-democratic
Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
parties from across Europe. Having developed from a loose confederation of national political parties in the 1970s, the ELDR is now a recognised European political party incorporated as a non-profit association under Belgian law. Despite this legal status, the ELDR party has yet to achieve significant grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
involvement and retains much of the character of a mere confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
of national political parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. ELDR is affiliated to the Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
.
As of 2010, the ELDR is the third largest political party represented in European Union institutions, with 75 Members of the European Parliament and 8 members of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. Of the 27 member states of the European Union, there are two with ELDR-affiliated Prime Ministers: Andrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of Estonia, and chairman of the market liberal Estonian Reform Party .-Early life and career:...
in Estonia (Reform Party
Estonian Reform Party
The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature...
), and Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
in the Netherlands (VVD
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
)). Furthermore, the leader of the German Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
(FDP), Philipp Rösler
Philipp Rösler
Philipp Rösler is a German politician, who, since 2011, has been the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology and the Vice Chancellor of Germany...
, serves as Vice-Chancellor of Germany
Vice-Chancellor of Germany
The Vice-Chancellor of Germany is, according to protocol, the second highest position in the Cabinet of GermanyIn case of the Chancellor's absence, the vice-chancellor acts in his or her place, for instance by heading cabinet meetings...
and the leader of the British Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
, serves as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
of the United Kingdom. Liberals are also in government in eight other EU member states: Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
Since 20 July 2004, ELDR is politically represented in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the current liberal/centrist political group of the European Parliament...
(ALDE) parliamentary group, formed in conjunction with the European Democratic Party
European Democratic Party
The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
. The ALDE parliamentary group is led by Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
, a former Prime Minister of Belgium. The ELDR party was previously attached to the ELDR Group
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (European Parliament group)
The Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party was a liberal political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1994 and 2004. The group comprised the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and its constituent national-level parties.Its predecessors have existed since...
.
The youth wing of ELDR is the European Liberal Youth
European Liberal Youth
European Liberal Youth is an international organisation of Liberal youth movements - mostly the youth wings of members of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party....
(LYMEC), which is predominantly based upon youth and student liberal organisations from across Europe but also contains a small number of individual members. LYMEC is led by German politician Alexander Plahr (FDP, Germany), who was elected to a two-year term as LYMEC President in May 2010, and has a collective membership of over 200,000 young liberal Europeans.
Leadership
The leader of ELDR is Sir Graham WatsonGraham Watson
Sir Graham Robert Watson is a European politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was leader of the liberal group in Parliament for seven years between 2002 and 2009.-Early life:Graham Watson was born in Rothesay...
MEP. He was elected President for a two-year mandate on 25 November 2011 at the Congress in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Italy. Following his election, Sir Graham said: "I am honoured that ELDR has chosen me to lead our great party. I pledge to strengthen European Liberalism, support Liberal parties across our continent and build up the ELDR by opening its doors to new members."
"My three main goals will be to expand our Party, to update its campaign techniques and to build it into a party which is truly pan-European in its thinking."
"The multiple crises we are currently mired in - economic, political and environmental - are an opportunity for Liberals to show what we are made of."
"It is our job as Liberals to explain how we offer a real, principled and economically responsible alternative to the behemoths of conservatism and socialism. And as President of ELDR I intend to do just that."
Bureau
The day to day management of the ELDR Party is handled by the Bureau, the members of which are:President
- Graham WatsonGraham WatsonSir Graham Robert Watson is a European politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was leader of the liberal group in Parliament for seven years between 2002 and 2009.-Early life:Graham Watson was born in Rothesay...
MEP (Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, United Kingdom): ELDR Party President
Vice-Presidents
- Marc Guerrero (CDCDemocratic Convergence of CataloniaThe Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia, it forms part of the Convergence and Union coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International...
, Spain) - Lousewies van der LaanLousewies van der LaanLouse Wies Sija Anne Lilly Berthe van der Laan is a former Dutch politician and the leader of the parliamentary group of the social liberal Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives for six months in 2006...
(Democrats 66Democrats 66Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
, Netherlands) - Alexander Graf LambsdorffAlexander Graf LambsdorffAlexander Graf Lambsdorff is a German politician and Member of the European Parliament with the Free Democratic Party of Germany, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.Lambsdorff is a...
MEP (FDPFree Democratic Party (Germany)The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
, Germany) - Leoluca OrlandoLeoluca OrlandoLeoluca Orlando , is an Italian politician, who was mayor of Palermo in 1985-1990 and 1993-2000. He is best known for his strong opposition to the Sicilian Mafia.-Biography:Orlando was born in Palermo...
MP (Italy of ValuesItaly of ValuesItaly of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give...
, Italy) - Vesna PusićVesna PusicVesna Pusić is a member of Croatian Parliament and one of the main speakers of the opposition Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats in the Parliament...
MP (HNS, Croatia) - Dick RocheDick RocheDick Roche is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency, and also served in Seanad Éireann from 1992 to 1997.-Early and private life:...
(Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
, Ireland) - Astrid ThorsAstrid ThorsAstrid Thors is a Finland-Swedish politician of the Swedish People's Party. Thors is a Candidate of Law and had several white-collar high-position jobs before being elected into the European Parliament. She served there between 1996 and 2004. She was elected into the Parliament of Finland in 2003...
MP (Swedish People's Party of Finland, Finland)
ALDE group leaders
- Guy VerhofstadtGuy VerhofstadtGuy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
MEP (OpenVLD, Belgium): ALDEGroup of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for EuropeThe Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the current liberal/centrist political group of the European Parliament...
Group Leader, European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... - Anne BrasseurAnne BrasseurAnne Brasseur is a Luxembourgian politician.Brasseur was born in the city of Luxembourg. She obtained a graduate degree in psychology in 1975 after studies at the universities in Tübingen and Mannheim...
(DPDemocratic Party (Luxembourg)The Democratic Party , abbreviated to DP, is the major liberal political party in Luxembourg. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre-right, holding moderate market liberal views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties, human rights, and internationalism.Founded in...
, Luxembourg): President of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (ALDE-PACE) - Flo Clucas (Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom): ALDEAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for EuropeThe Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
Group Leader, EU Committee of the RegionsCommittee of the RegionsThe Committee of the Regions is European Union's assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities with a direct voice within the EU's institutional framework....
Other party officials
- Federica Sabbati (Italy): ELDR Party Secretary-General
- Alexander Beels (VVDPeople's Party for Freedom and DemocracyThe People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
, Netherlands): ALDE Group Secretary-General - Alexander Plahr (FDP, Germany): President, European Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal Youth is an international organisation of Liberal youth movements - mostly the youth wings of members of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party....
(LYMEC) - Hans van BaalenHans van BaalenJohannes Cornelis "Hans" van Baalen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands since July 14, 2009. He was a Member of the House of Representatives from September 28, 1999 until May 23, 2002 and from...
MEP (VVD, Netherlands): President, Liberal InternationalLiberal InternationalLiberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
ELDR Congress
The ELDR Congress is the sovereign body of the ELDR corporation, usually meeting on an annual basis, and as such its primary purposes are to:- Elect members of the ELDR Bureau
- Debate, and adopt, resolutions on matters of policy;
- Adopt the ELDR Party's electoral manifesto for European Parliament elections
- Make amendments to the ELDR Party Statutes
The voting members of the ELDR Congress number around 600–700, and are composed of:
- Members of the ELDR Council
- A number of representatives nominated by each of the Member Parties based on the number of votes that Party received at the last set of European Parliament elections,
- 2 representatives nominated by each of the Affiliate Parties, and
- 10 representatives nominated by the European Liberal Youth.
In addition to the voting members of the ELDR Congress, the following are entitled to attend as non-voting members:
- ELDR members of the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, - ELDR members of the EU Committee of the RegionsCommittee of the RegionsThe Committee of the Regions is European Union's assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities with a direct voice within the EU's institutional framework....
, - One delegate nominated by each of the liberal-democratic groupings in other European parliamentary assemblies, and
- One delegate nominated by Liberal InternationalLiberal InternationalLiberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
ELDR Council
The ELDR Council acts as the ELDR Party's de facto executive committeeExecutive Committee
Executive Committee may refer to:* The Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland, a government body in the United Kingdom 1921–1972* The Northern Ireland Executive, a government body in the United Kingdom...
, meeting in between meetings of the ELDR Congress, and is empowered to:
- Approve the budget of the ELDR Party;
- Approve ELDR membership applications; and
- Speak and act on behalf of the ELDR Party in between meetings of the ELDR Congress.
The voting members of the ELDR Council number around 100–150 members and are composed of:
- Voting members of the Bureau,
- Two or more representatives nominated by each of the Member Parties based on the number of votes that Party received at the last set of European Parliament elections, and
- One representative nominated by each of the Affiliate Parties, and
- One representative nominated by the European Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal Youth is an international organisation of Liberal youth movements - mostly the youth wings of members of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party....
In addition to the voting members of the ELDR Council, the following are entitled to attend as non-voting members:
- Non-voting members of the Bureau,
- One representative nominated by each of the liberal-democratic groups in European parliamentary assemblies (including the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and the Committee of the RegionsCommittee of the RegionsThe Committee of the Regions is European Union's assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities with a direct voice within the EU's institutional framework....
), and - One representative nominated by Liberal InternationalLiberal InternationalLiberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
ELDR Political Leaders' Meeting
In addition to the formal structure of the ELDR Party, there are convened at least two Political Leaders' Meetings a year in order to exchange views on the items on the agenda of the European CouncilEuropean Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
and more general views on the European political situation.
The members of the Political Leaders' Meeting are:
- The President and Vice-Presidents of the ELDR Party
- ELDR Members of the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
- ELDR Heads of Government
- The political leaders of ELDR Member Parties
- Other ELDR Ministers
- The President of the European Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal Youth is an international organisation of Liberal youth movements - mostly the youth wings of members of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party....
Leaders
- 1978–1981:
Gaston ThornGaston ThornGaston Egmond Thorn was a Luxembourg politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally... - 1981–1985:
Willy De ClercqWilly De ClercqWilly Clarisse Elvire Hector, Viscount De Clercq was a Belgian liberal politician.De Clercq was born in Ghent... - 1985–1990: Colette FleschColette FleschColette Flesch is a Luxembourgian politician and former fencer.As a fencer she participated in the Individual foil events at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics....
- 1990–1995: Willy De Clercq
- 1995–2000:
Uffe Ellemann-JensenUffe Ellemann-JensenUffe Ellemann-Jensen was Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark in the Conservative led Poul Schlüter Administration 1982–1993. He was leader of the Danish Liberal Party, Venstre 1984–1998 and President of the European Liberals 1995–2000... - 2000–2005:
Werner HoyerWerner HoyerWerner Hoyer is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party of Germany , currently serving as the Minister of State at the Foreign Office in the Second Cabinet Merkel under Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle... - 2005–2011: Annemie Neyts-UyttebroeckAnnemie Neyts-UyttebroeckAnne-Marie Cécile J. Neyts-Uyttebroeck is a Belgian politician andMember of the European Parliament for Flanders with the Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.She is for the...
- 2011– now:
Graham WatsonGraham WatsonSir Graham Robert Watson is a European politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was leader of the liberal group in Parliament for seven years between 2002 and 2009.-Early life:Graham Watson was born in Rothesay...
History of pan-European liberalism
Pan-European liberalism has a long history dating back to the foundation of Liberal International in April 1947. In March 1976, the Federation of Liberal and Democrat Parties in Europe was established, which gradually evolved into the ELDR Party with a matching group in the European Parliament, the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform PartyEuropean Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (European Parliament group)
The Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party was a liberal political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1994 and 2004. The group comprised the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and its constituent national-level parties.Its predecessors have existed since...
.
At an extraordinary Congress in Brussels held on 30 April 2004 the day before the enlargement of the European Union
Enlargement of the European Union
The Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
, the ELDR Party incorporated itself under Belgian law and later became a European political party
European political party
A European political party, formally a political party at European level, informally a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe and in the institutions of the European Union. They are regulated and funded by the European Union and are usually made up...
.
The ELDR Europarty allied with the European Democratic Party
European Democratic Party
The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
in 2004 to form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
, with a matching group in the European Parliament
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the current liberal/centrist political group of the European Parliament...
.
European Commissioners
ELDR Member Parties contribute 8 out of the 27 members of the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
:
- Siim KallasSiim KallasSiim Kallas is an Estonian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Transport. He is also one of five vice-presidents of the 27-member Barroso Commission...
(ERP, Estonia): Vice-President, European Commissioner for TransportEuropean Commissioner for TransportThe Commissioner for Transport is the member of the European Commission. The current commissioner is Siim Kallas.The portfolio is responsible for the development of transport infastructure in the European Union such as road and rail networks but also navigation systems such as the Galileo... - Neelie KroesNeelie KroesNeelie Kroes is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . She served as a Member of the House of Representatives from 3 August 1971 until 28 December 1977 when she became State Secretary for Transport, Public Works and Water Management from 28 December 1977 until 11...
(VVD, Netherlands): Vice-President, European Commissioner for Digital AgendaEuropean Commissioner for Digital AgendaThe Commissioner for Digital Agenda is a member of the European Commission responsible for media and information issues such as telecoms and IT... - Olli RehnOlli RehnOlli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs. He had previously served as Commissioner for Enlargement...
(Keskusta, Finland): Vice-President, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs - Máire Geoghegan-QuinnMáire Geoghegan-QuinnMáire Geoghegan-Quinn is an Irish politician, and is the current European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. She previously served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency from 1975 to 1997...
(Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
, Ireland): European Commissioner for Science and Research - Karel De GuchtKarel De GuchtKarel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is a Belgian politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade since 2010...
(OpenVLD, Belgium): European Commissioner for TradeEuropean Commissioner for TradeThe European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy... - Cecilia MalmströmCecilia MalmströmAnna Cecilia Malmström is a Swedish politician currently serving as European Commissioner for Home Affairs in the Barroso Commission...
(Liberal People's Party (Sweden)Liberal People's Party (Sweden)The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
, Sweden): European Commissioner for Home Affairs - Janez PotočnikJanez PotocnikJanez Potočnik is a Slovenian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Environment. He was formerly the Slovenia's Minister for European Affairs....
(LDSLiberal Democracy of SloveniaLiberal Democracy of Slovenia is a liberal political party in Slovenia. It is led by Katarina Kresal and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party...
, Slovenia): European Commissioner for the Environment - Androula Vassiliou (United DemocratsUnited DemocratsThe United Democrats is a liberal political party in Cyprus. The party was founded by former President of Cyprus George Vasiliou in 1993 as "Kinima Eleftheron Dimokraton"...
, Cyprus): European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth
European institutions
| Organisation | Institution | Number of seats |
|---|---|---|
| European Commission European Commission The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union.... |
||
| European Council European Council The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy... (Heads of Government) |
||
| Council of the EU Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers... (Participation in Government) |
||
| European Parliament European Parliament The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... |
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 Council of Europe |
Parliamentary Assembly Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an... |
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National Parliaments of European Union member states
| Country | Institution | Number of seats | Member parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber of Representatives Lower house |
MR, VLD Flemish Liberals and Democrats ' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999... |
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| Senate Belgian Senate The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:... Upper house |
MR, VLD Flemish Liberals and Democrats ' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999... |
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| National Assembly | MRF Movement for Rights and Freedoms The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland... |
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| Folketing | V Venstre (Denmark) VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark... , RV Det Radikale Venstre The Danish Social Liberal Party is a social liberal political party in Denmark. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Origin:... |
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| State Council Riigikogu The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu... |
ER Estonian Reform Party The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature... , EK Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members.... |
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| Parliament Parliament of Finland The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :... |
Kesk. Centre Party (Finland) The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament... , SFP |
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| National Assembly Lower house |
PRG Left Radical Party The Radical Party of the Left is a minor social-liberal, and in opposition to its common understanding of its name, a moderate centre-left political party in France advocating radicalism, secularism to its french extend known as laïcité, progressivism, pro-Europeanism, individual freedom and... |
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| Bundestag Bundestag The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier... Lower house |
FDP Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
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| Hellenic Parliament Hellenic Parliament The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece.... |
DI.SI. Democratic Alliance (Greece) The Democratic Alliance is a centrist-liberal political party in Greece. It was founded on 21 November 2010 by Dora Bakoyannis, a few months after she was expelled from the centre-right party New Democracy for voting in support of an European Union-International Monetary Fund backed financial... |
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| Dáil Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote... Lower house |
FF Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| Senate Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by... Upper house |
FF Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| Chamber of Deputies Italian Chamber of Deputies The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A... Lower house |
IdV Italy of Values Italy of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give... , Radicali Italian Radicals Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was... |
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| Senate of the Republic Italian Senate The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848... Upper house |
IdV Italy of Values Italy of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give... , Radicali Italian Radicals Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was... , PRI Italian Republican Party The Italian Republican Party is a liberal political party in Italy.The PRI is party with old roots that originally took a left-wing position, claiming descent from the political position of Giuseppe Mazzini... |
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| Seimas Seimas The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation... |
LRLS, LCS Liberal and Centre Union The Liberal and Centre Union , abbreviated to LiCS, is a centre-right, liberal and conservative liberal political party in Lithuania. The party has thirteen seats in the Seimas, making it the fourth-largest party in the legislature.... |
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| Chamber of Deputies Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg The Chamber of Deputies , abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which the Hôtel de la Chambre is located.... |
DP Democratic Party (Luxembourg) The Democratic Party , abbreviated to DP, is the major liberal political party in Luxembourg. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre-right, holding moderate market liberal views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties, human rights, and internationalism.Founded in... |
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| House of Representatives Lower house |
VVD People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in... , D66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... |
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| Senate Upper house |
VVD People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in... , D66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... |
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| Sejm Lower house |
Ruch Palikota | ||
| Chamber of Deputies Chamber of Deputies of Romania The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house in Romania's bicameral parliament. It has 315 seats, to which deputies are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms... Lower house |
PNL National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
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| Senate Senate of Romania The Senate of Romania is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 137 seats , to which members are elected by direct popular vote, using Mixed member proportional representation in 42 electoral districts , to serve four-year terms.-Former location:After the Romanian... Upper house |
PNL National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
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| National Council National Council of the Slovak Republic The National Council of the Slovak Republic , abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 MPs, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation every four years.... |
SaS Freedom and Solidarity Freedom and Solidarity , abbreviated to SaS, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Slovakia. The party was established in 2009 and is led by its founder, the economist Richard Sulík, who designed Slovakia's flat tax system... |
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| National Assembly National Assembly (Slovenia) The National Assembly is the general representative body of the Slovenian nation. According to the Constitution of Slovenia and the Constitutional Court of Slovenia, it is the major part of the distinctively incompletely bicameral legislative branch of the Republic of Slovenia. It is unicameral... |
Zares Zares Zares – Social Liberals is a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Its president is Gregor Golobič, former Secretary General of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and former close advisor to the late Janez Drnovšek, who had previously abandoned active political involvement due to... , LDS Liberal Democracy of Slovenia Liberal Democracy of Slovenia is a liberal political party in Slovenia. It is led by Katarina Kresal and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party... |
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| Congress of Deputies Lower house |
CDC Democratic Convergence of Catalonia The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia, it forms part of the Convergence and Union coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International... |
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| Senate Spanish Senate The Senate of Spain is the upper house of Spain's parliament, the . It is made up of 264 members: 208 elected by popular vote, and 56 appointed by the regional legislatures. All senators serve four-year terms, though regional legislatures may recall their appointees at any time.The last election... Upper house |
CDC Democratic Convergence of Catalonia The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia, it forms part of the Convergence and Union coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International... |
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| Riksdag Parliament of Sweden The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years... |
C Centre Party (Sweden) The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social... , FP Liberal People's Party (Sweden) The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006... |
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| House of Commons Lower house |
Lib Dems, Alliance Alliance Party of Northern Ireland The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons.... |
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| House of Lords House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster.... Upper house |
Lib Dems, Alliance Alliance Party of Northern Ireland The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons.... |
National Parliaments outside the European Union
| Country | Institution | Number of seats | Member parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Council | PLA Liberal Party of Andorra The Liberal Party of Andorra is a centre-right, conservative-liberal, political party and the largest party in Andorra. It was founded in 1992 by Marc Forné, who became Head of Government in 1994... |
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| National Assembly National Assembly of Azerbaijan The National Assembly , also transliterated as Milli Majlis is the legislative branch of government in Azerbaijan. The unicameral National Assembly has 125 deputies: previously 100 members were elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies and 25 were members elected by proportional... |
Musavat | ||
| Sabor Parliament of Croatia The Parliament of Croatia or the Sabor is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia and legislature of the country. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, represents the people and is vested with the legislative power... |
HNS, IDS Istrian Democratic Assembly The Istrian Democratic Assembly is a Croatian regional and social liberal political party in Istria. The hyphenated abbreviation IDS-DDI is most commonly used.... , HSLS Croatian Social Liberal Party Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS is a conservative liberal political party in Croatia. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Its current president is Darinko Kosor, elected to that post in November 2009.-Chronology:The HSLS was... |
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| Parliament Parliament of Georgia Parliament of Georgia is the supreme legislature of Georgia. It is unicameral and has 150 members, known as deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies... |
Republican Republican Party of Georgia The Republican Party of Georgia , commonly known as the Republicans , is a political party in Georgia active since 1978. It is currently in opposition to Mikheil Saakashvili’s government... |
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| Republic of Kosovo |
Assembly Assembly of Kosovo The Assembly of Kosovo was originally established by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in 2001 to provide 'provisional, democratic self-government'.... |
AKR New Kosovo Alliance New Kosovo Alliance is a political party in Kosovo which is in the current coalition government made up by the PDK and AKR. The party was founded on 3 May 2006, by Behgjet Pacolli the founding owner of Mabetex,the Swiss based project engineering firm responsible for some of the most significant... |
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| Assembly Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia The Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia, the Assembly , has 123 members, elected for a four year term, by proportional representation from 6 electoral districts, each contributing 20 MPs.- Result :... |
LDP Liberal Democratic Party (Republic of Macedonia) The Liberal Democratic Party is a liberal party in the Republic of Macedonia. The Liberal Democratic Party was launched in April 1997 as a merger between the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party... , LPM Liberal Party of Macedonia The Liberal Party of Macedonia is a liberal party in the Republic of Macedonia. It was formed in December 1999 after the split of some former members of the old Liberal Party from the Liberal Democratic Party. The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party... |
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| Parliament Parliament of the Republic of Moldova The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova is a unicameral assembly with 101 seats. Its members are elected by popular vote every 4 years. The parliament then elects a president, who functions as the head of state... |
PL Liberal Party (Moldova) The Liberal Party is a conservative-liberal political party in Moldova.The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu. His nephew Dorin Chirtoacă is its vice-president.-History:... |
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| Storting | Venstre | ||
| National Assembly National Assembly of Serbia The National Assembly of Serbia is the unicameral parliament of Serbia. It is composed of 250 proportionally elected deputies elected in general elections by secret ballot, on 4 years term. The National Assembly elects the President of the National Assembly who presides over the sessions... |
LDP | ||
| National Council National Council of Switzerland The National Council of Switzerland is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. With 200 seats, it is the larger of the two houses.... Lower house |
FDP.The Liberals FDP.The Liberals FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States.... |
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| Council of States Swiss Council of States The Council of States of Switzerland is the smaller chamber of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, and is considered the Assembly's upper house. There are 46 Councillors.... Upper house |
FDP.The Liberals FDP.The Liberals FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States.... |
Member parties
- Liberal ForumLiberal ForumThe Liberal Forum is a small classical liberal party in Austria. The party is currently led by Angelika Mlinar, and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Founding:...
- Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats
- Reformist Movement
- Movement for Rights and FreedomsMovement for Rights and FreedomsThe Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland...
- National Movement for Stability and Progress
- United DemocratsUnited DemocratsThe United Democrats is a liberal political party in Cyprus. The party was founded by former President of Cyprus George Vasiliou in 1993 as "Kinima Eleftheron Dimokraton"...
- Danish Social Liberal Party
- Venstre – Liberal Party of DenmarkVenstre (Denmark)VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
- Estonian Centre PartyEstonian Centre PartyThe Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members....
- Estonian Reform PartyEstonian Reform PartyThe Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature...
- Finnish CentreCentre Party (Finland)The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
- Swedish People's Party
- Radical Party of the Left
- Free Democratic PartyFree Democratic Party (Germany)The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
- Democratic AllianceDemocratic Alliance (Greece)The Democratic Alliance is a centrist-liberal political party in Greece. It was founded on 21 November 2010 by Dora Bakoyannis, a few months after she was expelled from the centre-right party New Democracy for voting in support of an European Union-International Monetary Fund backed financial...
- Alliance of Free DemocratsAlliance of Free DemocratsThe Alliance of Free Democrats – Hungarian Liberal Party is a liberal party in Hungary, led since July 2010 by Viktor Szabadai . The SZDSZ is a member of the ELDR and of Liberal International...
- Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
- European Republicans Movement
- Italian RadicalsItalian RadicalsItalian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was...
- Italy of ValuesItaly of ValuesItaly of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give...
- Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way
- Liberal and Centre UnionLiberal and Centre UnionThe Liberal and Centre Union , abbreviated to LiCS, is a centre-right, liberal and conservative liberal political party in Lithuania. The party has thirteen seats in the Seimas, making it the fourth-largest party in the legislature....
- Liberals' Movement of the Republic of LithuaniaLiberals' Movement of the Republic of LithuaniaThe Liberal Movement , formally the Liberals' Movement of the Republic of Lithuania and abbreviated to LRLS, is a centre-right, liberal and conservative liberal political party in Lithuania....
- Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (Luxembourg)The Democratic Party , abbreviated to DP, is the major liberal political party in Luxembourg. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre-right, holding moderate market liberal views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties, human rights, and internationalism.Founded in...
- Democrats 66Democrats 66Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
- People's Party for Freedom and DemocracyPeople's Party for Freedom and DemocracyThe People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
- Democratic Party - demokraci.pl
- National Liberal PartyNational Liberal Party (Romania)The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
- Freedom and SolidarityFreedom and SolidarityFreedom and Solidarity , abbreviated to SaS, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Slovakia. The party was established in 2009 and is led by its founder, the economist Richard Sulík, who designed Slovakia's flat tax system...
- Liberal Democracy of SloveniaLiberal Democracy of SloveniaLiberal Democracy of Slovenia is a liberal political party in Slovenia. It is led by Katarina Kresal and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party...
- ZaresZaresZares – Social Liberals is a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Its president is Gregor Golobič, former Secretary General of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and former close advisor to the late Janez Drnovšek, who had previously abandoned active political involvement due to...
- Democratic Convergence of CataloniaDemocratic Convergence of CataloniaThe Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia, it forms part of the Convergence and Union coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International...
- Liberal Democratic CentreLiberal Democratic CentreThe Liberal Democratic Centre is a liberal political party in Spain.It was launched in February 2008 and since January 2008 it is led by Manuel Alonso, a former leading member of the Union of the Democratic Centre and the Democratic and Social Centre...
- Centre PartyCentre Party (Sweden)The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social...
- People's Party – LiberalsLiberal People's Party (Sweden)The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
- Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
- Alliance Party of Northern IrelandAlliance Party of Northern IrelandThe Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
Outside the EU
- Liberal Party of AndorraLiberal Party of AndorraThe Liberal Party of Andorra is a centre-right, conservative-liberal, political party and the largest party in Andorra. It was founded in 1992 by Marc Forné, who became Head of Government in 1994...
- Pan-Armenian National MovementPan-Armenian National MovementThe Pan-Armenian National Movement or Armenian Allnational Movement is a political party representing Armenian national movement in Armenia Presently without parliamentary representation.It was founded by Levon Ter-Petrossian in 1989 and became the ruling party when it swept the 1990 elections...
- Müsavat Party
- Liberal Democratic PartyLiberal Democratic Party (Bosnia and Herzegovina)The Liberal Democratic Party is a liberal party in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party....
- Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats
- Croatian Social Liberal PartyCroatian Social Liberal PartyCroatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS is a conservative liberal political party in Croatia. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Its current president is Darinko Kosor, elected to that post in November 2009.-Chronology:The HSLS was...
- Istrian Democratic AssemblyIstrian Democratic AssemblyThe Istrian Democratic Assembly is a Croatian regional and social liberal political party in Istria. The hyphenated abbreviation IDS-DDI is most commonly used....
- Republican Party of GeorgiaRepublican Party of GeorgiaThe Republican Party of Georgia , commonly known as the Republicans , is a political party in Georgia active since 1978. It is currently in opposition to Mikheil Saakashvili’s government...
Republic of Kosovo- New Kosovo AllianceNew Kosovo AllianceNew Kosovo Alliance is a political party in Kosovo which is in the current coalition government made up by the PDK and AKR. The party was founded on 3 May 2006, by Behgjet Pacolli the founding owner of Mabetex,the Swiss based project engineering firm responsible for some of the most significant...
- Liberal Party of KosovoLiberal Party of KosovoThe Liberal Party of Kosovo is a liberal party in the Republic of Kosovo.The party is an observer at Liberal International and member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party....
- Liberal Party of MacedoniaLiberal Party of MacedoniaThe Liberal Party of Macedonia is a liberal party in the Republic of Macedonia. It was formed in December 1999 after the split of some former members of the old Liberal Party from the Liberal Democratic Party. The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party...
- Liberal Democratic PartyLiberal Democratic Party (Republic of Macedonia)The Liberal Democratic Party is a liberal party in the Republic of Macedonia. The Liberal Democratic Party was launched in April 1997 as a merger between the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party...
- Liberal PartyLiberal Party (Moldova)The Liberal Party is a conservative-liberal political party in Moldova.The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu. His nephew Dorin Chirtoacă is its vice-president.-History:...
- Liberal Party of Norway
- Russian People's Democratic Union
- YablokoYablokoThe Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" (Russian: Росси́йская объединённая демократи́ческая па́ртия «Я́блоко» Rossiyskaya obyedinyonnaya demokraticheskaya partiya "Yabloko"; is a Russian social...
- Liberal Democratic Party
- FDP.The LiberalsFDP.The LiberalsFDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
See also
- European Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal YouthEuropean Liberal Youth is an international organisation of Liberal youth movements - mostly the youth wings of members of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party....
- Liberal InternationalLiberal InternationalLiberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
- Political parties of the world