The central feature of this Congress was the drawing up and adoption of the second ELD election manifesto with the title "For a Liberal and Democratic Europe".

This programme, based on the liberal and democratic principles of freedom, individual responsibility and tolerance, underlined the Liberal and Democrat belief that these principles are vital to a European society, drawing much of its strength from its diversity and its plurality. At the same time, liberal principles ensure the flexibility a society needs in order to respond to necessary changes.

Second direct elections, June 1984

In the second elections to the European Parliament the Liberal and Democratic parties obtained 31 seats and 9.7% of the votes. The F.D.P., with 4.8% of the votes, failed to pass the 5% threshold required by German electoral law. Consequently, the F.D.P. was not represented.

The Liberal Group then consisted of the following parties:

FRANCE - UDF (Union pour la Démocratie Française): including representatives of the Parti Social Démocrate, the Parti Radical and the Parti Républicain.

ITALY - P.L.I. (Partito Liberale Italiano/Liberali e Democratici Europei)

ITALY - P.R.I. (Partito Repubblicano Italiano)

BELGIUM - PRL (Parti des Réformes et de la Liberté)

BELGIUM - PVV (Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang)

THE NETHERLANDS - VVD (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie)

DENMARK - VENSTRE (Danmarks Liberale Parti)

LUXEMBOURG - DP (Demokratesch Partei - Parti Démocratique)

IRELAND - Thomas J. Maher (Independent)

Change of Secretary General

In February 1985 Mechthild von Alemann (F.D.P.) took over the post of Secretary-General from Jens Nymand Christensen (Venstre).