In 2008 the European Liberal Democrat political family achieved many successes in the various elections around the EU member states, bringing the total number of liberal democrat voters to 30 million Europe-wide. Representing these millions of voters on a European level, the ELDR party provides an increasingly vital link between citizens and the EU institutions and is continuously growing in size and significance.

ELDR currently consists of 57 member parties across Europe. The Liberal Democrats were the first to create a European political family in 1976 in view of the first European elections. In 1993 ELDR was established as a true transnational political party, which has its seat in Brussels (Belgium).

ELDR brings together 75 MEPs from among its member parties sitting in the ALDE Group of the European Parliament. Together with the MEPs from the “European Democratic Party” they from the 3rd largest political force, the 100-strong Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
44% of the MEPs representing the ELDR family are women. In the whole European Parliament that same figure is 31%.

4 European Prime Ministers belong to ELDR member parties:

• Mr. Andrus Ansip, Estonia;
• Mr. Lars Lykke Rasmussen, Denmark;
• Mr. Matti Vanhanen, Finland;
• Mr. Brian Cowen, Ireland;

10 out of 27 EU Commissioners represent liberal democrats:

• Mrs. Meglena Kuneva, Consumer Policy;
• Mrs. Mariann Fischer Boel, Agriculture and Rural Development;
• Mr. Siim Kallas,Vice President Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud;
• Mrs. Neelie Kroes, Competition;
• Mr. Louis Michel, Development and Humanitarian Aid;
• Mr. Leonard Orban, Multilingualism;
• Mr. Janez Potocnik, Science and Research;
• Mr. Olli Rehn, Enlargement;
• Mrs. Androula Vassiliou, Health;
• Mr. Charlie McCreevy, Internal Market.

On the national level 64 ministers in more than 20 governments across Europe belong to the liberal family.

Mission statement

We are the party for liberal democrat values in Europe. Together with our liberal member parties across the European continent we are translating the principle of freedom into politics, economics and all other areas of our societies.
In 60 years of European integration, the European Union has served us well in achieving peace, stability and prosperity. The EU has promoted and extended to half a billion people the four freedoms: the free movement of people, services, capital and goods across borders. We want the Union to play a key leadership role in tackling today’s and tomorrows global challenges.

• We strengthen the Liberal Democrat movement in the EU and throughout Europe;
• We assist Liberal Democrat politicians across Europe to become better acquainted and to define a common political vision;
• We draw up and adopt a common manifesto for the European Parliament elections.

Values & Messages

> Democracy, the rule of law, human rights, tolerance and solidarity
The ELDR Party believes in a Europe based on the fundamental Liberal principles of liberty, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, tolerance and solidarity.

> A fair, free and open society
We believe in a fair, free and open society which harnesses the abilities of each and every one of its citizens to participate fully in society, presenting them with the opportunities to fulfill their potential, free from poverty, ignorance, and discrimination.

> A prosperous Europe
To achieve these goals, we are striving to complete the internal market as a truly common economic area without internal frontiers and to reform Europe’s economy to make it more prosperous and competitive, with more jobs and stable prices for consumers, based on the principle of globally inclusive international free trade.

> Sustainable development and peace in the world
We are working to promote sustainable development and to protect our environment. We are campaigning for a safe and just society, ensuring a more peaceful and stable world.

> EU enlargement
As the most consistent and long-standing advocates of an early and wide enlargement of the European Union, we are delighted to have welcomed into the Union our friends from the new Member States. We are firmly resolved to further deepen, reinforce and enlarge the European Union.

> A transparent, democratic and accountable Europe
We campaign for a more transparent, democratic and accountable Europe, taking decisions only on those matters which require European solutions. We are in favour of a systematic application of the subsidiarity principle in order to bring decision-making as close to the citizen as possible.

> A European Constitution

ELDR supports a constitutional settlement for Europe. Liberal Democrats all over Europe have always campaigned for a strong constitution as the basis of democracy.