ELDR Party elects new leadership and adopts 10 objectives to make Europe more competitiveAnnemie Neyts was elected ELDR Party President by 300 delegates representing the Liberal Democrat parties in Europe during the ELDR Party Congress in Bratislava, Slovakia, on 24 September 2005.

“The most fundamental tenets of ELDR, liberalism, the spread of freedom, democracy and economic development by virtue of integration into the EU and the EU herself are being questioned as seldom before. The need for a strong, well-articulated, future-oriented answer from ELDR, the European political party that embodies liberalism has never been greater. I intend to spend a large amount of my time helping ELDR meet the huge challenges it is faced with”, declared Annemie Neyts in her mission statement for the party presidency.

Annemie Neyts Uyttebroeck, 61, is member of the European Parliament and spokesperson on Foreign affairs, security and defense for the ALDE group. Former President of Liberal International between 1999 and 2005, she was Belgian State secretary for Foreign Affairs in 2000-2001 and Deputy Minister for foreign Affairs in charge of European Affairs, International trade and Agriculture between 2001 and 2003.

Together with the other Bureau members, the ELDR President sets the direction for the European Liberal Democrats and is the voice of the party.

The ELDR party bureau counts one President, seven Vice-Presidents and a treasurer. Four Vice-Presidents and a treasurer were also elected during the ELDR Congress in Bratislava on 24 September.
- Mr. Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, Prime Minister of Romania (PNL),
- Mr. Markus Löning, MP (FDP, Germany),
- Mrs. Katarína Glončáková – Golev, ANO Deputy Chairperson responsible for Foreign Affairs (ANO, Slovakia)
- Mr. Wilfried Derksen, member of the Supervisory Council of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD), (D66, Netherlands)
- Bas Eenhoorn (VVD, The Netherlands) was elected ELDR party treasurer.
The Congress adopted a theme resolution containing 10 objectives to make Europe more competitive. In this document, the European Liberal Democrats recognize that the future prosperity of the EU depends upon how well it can compete globally and noted that the newly joined countries have much to offer the EU in their dynamic approach to reform and potential to promote competitiveness. “The policies and institutions of the Union should respond positively to the needs of business, assuring the good functioning of the European internal market, and the internal market of financial services. A radical reform of the EU budget should be implemented’, states the resolution.

The ELDR Party also adopted a resolution on the European Constitution calling on governments to adopt the rules allowing the council to legislate in public, introducing the “subsidiarity check” and involving national parliaments earlier in the EU legislation process. Aiming at improving democracy, efficiency and transparency, these proposals should be launched without delay as they can be undertaken without changes to the treaties.
European Liberal Democrats also called on governments to put “the Strasbourg issue” on the agenda in order to decide on single seat for the European Parliament, as the forced monthly moves between Brussels and Strasbourg result in a serious waste of taxpayers’ money and contribute to the lack of legitimacy for the EU.
For the ELDR party, it is crucial that further European integration is backed by public support. Europe’s Liberal Democrat parties therefore support a broad debate with citizens on the role and future orientation of the EU to listen to citizens’ concerns and ideas and to disperse information explaining EU enlargement, policies and the advantages of an EU Constitution in making the EU more democratic, effective and transparent.
During their annual congress, the European Liberal Democrats also reaffirmed that the enlargement process must continue as planned and according to agreements made with the candidates Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey. They welcomed the start of accession negotiations with Turkey in October 2005 and want the EU to develop the support to and cooperation with future Member States in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans.
During the Bratislava Congress, ELDR also adopted resolutions on the services directive, the democratization process in Azerbaijan, the rights of the Kurdish population in Turkey, the full participation of women in politics, Kosovo and freedom of scientific research, the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and the terrorist attacks.