Parliamentary elections will be held in Sweden on 19 September. For the first time in history two coalition blocks, i.e. government alternatives, have been formed before the elections giving the voter the opportunity to choose which administration it wants for the following four years, resulting in a fierce campaign for undecided voters.

The liberal influence of ELDR parties Centerpartiet and Folkpartiet could be key in determining the shape of the new government.

To know more read our bulletin.

The European success stories of the main Liberal campaigns run in the last year will be the focus of a two-day seminar co-hosted by ELDR member parties FDP (Germany) and Venstre (Denmark). This event, which will take place in Berlin on 29-30 October as part of the ELDR Party Political and Information Activities scheme, will also explore new means on political communication.

For more details about this event and to register your participation, please contact Helmut Metzner, Head of International Relations for FDP, helmut.metzner@fdp.de.

The annual ELDR Congress is just around the corner.  
The event will convene the major European liberal personalities and decision makers on  13-15 October.
This year for the first time it will be possible to follow us on line on our home page and comment on the articles and videos. The blog and the ELDR Facebook profile will offer you the possibility to stay tuned and follow events and gossip from Helsinki!
So spread the word! See you all in Helsinki … and on line!  Visit the Congress website for more details and to download the draft programme.

The UN General Assembly adopted on 8 September the resolution on Kosovo submitted by Serbia. This concludes the process begun by requesting the International Court of Justice to deliver an opinion on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence. The resolution’s text was harmonised with the views of the EU; only the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), ELDR member, which supports Kosovo's independence, hailed the agreement with the EU, saying it should mark a new era of “realistic policy” towards Kosovo.

“The European Union's high representative for foreign affairs [Ashton] should now encourage those member states that have not yet formally recognised Kosovo to do so and to facilitate a more constructive approach to the dispute in the broader context of deeper EU relations,” Annemie Neyts MEP, President of the ELDR Party said.

The ELDR party will organise a seminar for local and national press on 10-11 November 2010.
This will be a two-day event in Brussels dedicated to journalists wanting to know more about liberalism in Europe, European institutions and the function and role of European parties.
ELDR will reimburse travel costs and one night room in the hotel under a ceiling price of 350 euro + a lunch.
A programme will be available soon.
For more information, please call Chiara Puletti at +32 2 237 01 43 or by email at cpuletti@eldr.eu.

This weekend sees ELDR member parties, the Liberal Democrats (UK) and Italia dei Valori (Italy) convene for their annual conferences in Liverpool and Vasto respectively. The ELDR Party will be present at both events with information stands to promote the work and role of ELDR and of our member parties at the European level.
Please click here to know more about the Lib Dems conference and IDV Congress.

On Monday 6 September in Amsterdam, the Dutch liberal party VVD, in their series of ELDR political and information activities, will organise a “political café” on “the Danish model – an example for the Netherlands?” Christopher Arzrouni (photo) from ELDR sister party Venstre in Denmark will discuss with VVD members and supporters the position of Danish liberals in a minority government. The event takes places while VVD Liberals and Christian Democrats (CDA) negotiate to form a minority government that will have support from the populist Freedom Party (PVV).

On the occasion of the General Council of the Nonviolent Radical Party, which will take place in Barcelona on 3-5 September, ELDR member parties Radicali Italiani and Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC), will organise two round table discussions. These round tables, which take place in the framework of the ELDR political and information activities scheme, have the over-arching titles “European governance” and a “European motherland VS a Europe of fatherlands”. The themes will explore topical European debates, including the need for structural reforms for a Europe that is running the risk of losing its political clout on the world stage, and the economic and monetary challenges of a strong Euro.
ELDR Vice President and CDC member, Marc Guerrero, will introduce the works. To know more, please refer to the I Radicali website.

The summer school of ELDR member, Italia dei Valori, will take place in Avigliana, near Turin, from 10 to 12 September in the framework of the ELDR political and information activities scheme. The objective of the Summer School is to exchange ideas about the political process from a liberal perspective, focusing on subjects, such as “the management of power” and the “institutional system” from a comparative perspective with specific focus on the construction of the European Union and its institutional asset.
Furthermore, the seminar will deal with the techniques and methodologies of modern political communication - how to build consensus, conduct electoral campaigns and what lessons can be learned from the recent European elections.ELDR Vice President and IdV MP Leoluca Orlando, will play an active role in the summer school.
Three days later IdV will open its National Congress in Vasto (Italy) for three days of interesting debates. Please click here for more details.

Rarely have expectations been so low but European Liberals welcome the resuming of direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine. Upon US President Barack Obama’s initiative, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet in Washington to later continue formal negotiations in the region itself. As firm promoters of human rights issues, European Liberals re-iterate their concern for the citizens of the region and sincerely hope that the negotiations will bring the parties closer.

“It is of great importance that we do not let this issue become forgotten, despite a lengthy standstill in negotiations between the two parties. Both Israelis and Palestinians should be allowed to live in peace and prosperity – and a status quo is nothing but unacceptable”, said ELDR Party President Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, coordinator for Foreign Affairs in the liberal group in the European Parliament.

Christina Gestrin, MP of Finnish ELDR member, Svenska Folkpartiet, will continue as chairperson for the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in 2011, when the BSPC will convene for their annual conference in Helsinki, Finland.
The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference is a forum for political dialogue between parliamentarians from the Baltic Sea Region that brings together MPs from 11 national Parliaments, 11 regional Parliaments and 5 Parliamentary organisations around the Baltic Sea and aims at raising awareness of issues of relevance in the Baltic Sea Region.
Christina Gestrin is also member of the Nordic Council’s Presidium. Please click here for more info.