Gathering in Barcelona on 11 November to discuss the Mediterannean cooperation and the policies needed for this region in the years to come, the President of European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) Annemie Neyts Uyttebroeck, the Secretary General of the Morrocan Constitutional Union Mohamed Abied and the Secretary General of Convergencia Democratica of Catalunya, Artur Mas, all three members of the liberal family, expressed their refusal of the attacks that happened on 9 November in Amman, capital of Jordan, a country that actively participates in the “Barcelona Process”. They jointly stated: “The most awful barbarity has hit again. It is the barbarity of terrorism that is only satisfied when the dead and injured are above two digits, or possibly three. The same barbarity was expressed in New York, London, Casablanca, Pakistan and Indonesia… Read more ...

 Annemie Neyts was elected ELDR Party President by 400 delegates representing liberal democrat parties from all over Europe during a Congress in Bratislava, Slovakia, on 24 September. “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. Read more ...

 Commissioner Louis Michel (MR, Belgium) gave a speech on 21 October to highlight his vision of a new contract between the EU and its citizens. He is convinced that a political project based on two axes : growth for solidarities and security for our freedoms can put the EU back on the right track and bring back citizens’ trust in the EU institutions.UK Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff, has written a report with Green colleague Johannes Voggenhuber to give a clear focus to the period of reflection on the future of the EU and to define methods. He suggests re-launching the constitutional project on the basis of a large public debate about the future of European integration. Read more ...

 Liberal Democrat Prime ministers, European Commissioners and party leaders discussed the EU constitutional crisis and the EU financial perspectives for 2007-2013 during their meeting on 16 June in Brussels prior to the European Council. In summarising the debates, ELDR Party President Werner Hoyer stated : “If the European Council fails to secure more investment in education, research and innovation, we will be on completely the wrong track.  Read more ...