ELDR President Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP speaks on the European way for Russia - a delusion or natural choice?

Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner

Yesterday MEP Kartika Liotard asked me to do more to adapt computer technologies to the needs of people with low literacy levels. I am writing here to say that I fully support the principle, and that is why digital literacy issues form one of the seven pillars of the Digital Agenda for Europe. I want to assure you that I take digital literacy seriously. Your background, current lack of skills and other factors like a disability should not be a permanent barrier to enjoying the benefits of the digital era.

Having said that, lack of literacy often does exclude people from the digital world. The difficult question is not whether to take action, but who is best placed to address Europe’s digital literacy deficit. And how do we mobilise the resources to make real changes, and not merely nice promises? Read the rest of this entry »

Creating the European public sphere - Europeanisation of the political party system: our task for the coming years.

Today’s challenges deserve a coherent response from the Institutions that govern the world’s largest internal market. Euro-barometers show that voters also demand European action on climate, energy and security.

The EU is the level to address these challenges. National parties should be honest about the fact that it is at that level where solutions should be found. We believe political parties should organise themselves at the level where major political issues need to be solved.

The recent EP-elections showed a low turnout of voters. Voters have little enthusiasm for the political level that is responsible for the solution of their key problems. We believe this turnout was caused by national political parties campaigning with two struggling souls in their breast: one soul that knows that we need to Europeanise to solve today’s problems and the other soul that tries to stick to its national focus. The resulting campaigns lack a convincing message to inspire voters. Read the rest of this entry »

Liberal Member of the European Parliament, Sophie in ‘t Veld on equality for LGBT people.

UD Leader Kyriacou with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and FNF's Joerg Denhert

“Political will is what is at need for the attainment of an agreement for the reunification of Cyprus and for the normalization of relations between Greece and Turkey,” said Prime Minister Papandreou during his recent visit to Cyprus.

“We also need to create conditions of trust between Greece and Turkey and between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots, for without trust no legal form of an agreement will survive through time.” He also emphasized that without the prospect of accession to the European Union, Turkey will have no incentive to move towards the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

Prime Minister Papandreou said that time is of the essence, since the nature of a problem gets more complicated as time progresses. Read the rest of this entry »

LYMEC Vice President Alexander Plahr

On 29 March, Commissioner Cecilia Malmström published proposals for a directive to block access to websites that show images of child abuse. While the fight against this cruel and loathsome crime deserves the support of every righteous individual, this recent initiative of is deeply worrying. The approach of blocking websites is counterproductive and outright dangerous. Read the rest of this entry »

CDL President Sean O'Curneen and ELDR Vice President Marc Guerrero

In the week-end of 21 March 2010, an interesting conference adressed the situation and future of liberalism on the Iberian peninsula. The event, which took place in the southern Spanish city of Cadiz, was organized by the European Liberal Forum (ELF), in cooperation with the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation (Germany), the Movimiento Liberal Social (Portugal) and the Catalanist and Democrat Foundation from Catalonia. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr Gashi MP (right) and Shpend Kallaba

The importance of this topic is crucial and a challenge to any democratic regime, whether it is well-consolidated or transitional, therefore we would like to bring in mind one sensational proverb by Napoleon Bonaparte: “I fear from the newspapers more than a hundred thousand bayonets.” Apparently, in politics this concept remains prevailing even today, but in a much more sophisticated manner. Read the rest of this entry »

ELDR Vice President Van der Laan and Commission Vice President Kallas and Finnish Europe Minister Thors

The Netherlands will have a snap general election on Wednesday June 9, following the collapse of Prime Minister Balkenende’s fourth government since 2002. Whereas changing governments on average every two years is generally not something I would applaud, the early demise of this Christian Democrat - Labour coalition (with protestant conservatives thrown in for the majority), is probably a blessing in disguise. This coalition has achieved very little in their three years in office. Read the rest of this entry »