Artur Mas leads CDC to good election result    ELDR congratulates its member party Convergencia Democràtica de Catalunya and its leader Artur Mas for their result in yesterday’s national elections in Spain, which makes them the only realistic option for the socialists to create a stable majority in parliament. Convergencia increased their presence in the Spanish parliament from 10 to 11 seats making them the only partner that can guarantee Prime Minister Zapatero with stability, after his party obtained 169 seats, just short of the 176 required for an absolute majority.   Hungarian Liberals to support reforms despite referendum defeat    On Sunday 9th March 2008, the main Hungarian opposition conservative party, Fidesz, overwhelmingly won a referendum on the abolishment of new fees for health care and higher education. The socialist-liberal government, which includes ELDR member party the Alliance of Free Democrats (SzDSz), was defeated with more than 80% of participants voting to scrap the fees supported by the government. The SzDSz campaigned for a ‘no’ vote believing that a referendum is not the most appropriate way to settle issues of such great technical, financial and budgetary complexity. Following the result of Sunday’s poll the SzDSz said they respect the results and will contribute to the ongoing legislative process to implement the decision of the citizens.“I thank those who supported the notions of responsibility and self-reliance that form the core of our liberal agenda” said Janos Koka, leader of SzDSz. “Despite the referendum outcome, SzDSz is committed to continuing the indispensable reforms, and will not be a partner in diluting or slowing down the process. At the same time, I condemn efforts on behalf of the opposition to turn referenda into a tool to disrupt meaningful and responsible governance and create a permanent political crisis in Hungary”, Koka concluded.   Local elections in France: Centrists gain pivotal role in parts of the country    The centre right UMP, the party of President Sarkozy, suffered a set back in France’s local elections that took place on Sunday 9th March 2008. The opposition Socialist Party was on course to take control of several city governments after the first round of the local elections. While nationwide the centrist MoDem Party, led by François Bayrou, failed to live up to its expectations, in some cities it may play a pivotal role in the run-off round that will be held on Sunday 16th March 2008.François Bayrou obtained 32.61% in Pau (South-West France), ALDE MEP Marielle De Sarnez obtained 13.93% in the fourteenth district of Paris and ALDE MEP Jean-Marie Cavada, leader of ELDR candidate party Alliance Citoyenne pour la Democratie en Europe, who led a UMP list in the twelfth district of Paris scored 24.31%.   Spanish elections, no place for violence  ELDR condemns the despicable assassination by ETA of a socialist local councillor on Friday 7 March, only 48 hours before the general election in Spain. On behalf of the European Liberal and Democrat Party, the President of ELDR, Annemie Neyts, said: "I extend my condolences to the family and friends of the victim, as well as to his colleagues of the Spanish socialist party. There is no place for violence in a democracy. Pursuing a political objective through violence deligitimises it. This heinous crime, clearly intended to shock voters in Spain just 48 hours before the general election, demonstrates that ETA has still not understood what all other violent groups in the EU understood some time ago: that there is no justification for their acts in today's democratic Europe."   ELDR Prime Ministers meet ahead of EU summit    In advance of the European summit, the Prime Ministers of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) will meet during a lunch hosted by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt on 13th March 2008 in his official residence to discuss European current affairs. Mrs Annemie Neyts, ELDR Party President, will chair the meeting in the presence of the Prime Ministers Andrus Ansip, Estonia; Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark; Ivars Godmanis, Latvia; Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Romania; Matti Vanhanen, Finland and Guy Verhofstadt, Belgium. The summit will also gather Graham Watson, President of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament; Karel de Gucht, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Belgium; Gergana Grancharova, Minister for European Affairs, Bulgaria ; Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, Estonia and Cecilia Malmström, Minister for European Affairs, Sweden.   New Liberal Commissioner    The ELDR Bureau welcomes the news that Androula Vassiliou has been proposed as the European Union’s Health Commissioner until 2009, subject to European Parliament approval, following the resignation of Commissioner Markos Kyprianou. Former Vice-President of ELDR and previous Chair of the European Liberal Women’s Network, Androula Vassiliou was a Member of Parliament for two mandates and participated in the Convention for the Future of Europe. She is a member of the United Democrats Party of Cyprus and a strong supporter of the negotiations for the re-unification of the ethnically divided island.Upon hearing the news, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, ELDR President, said: “I deeply trust Mrs Vassiliou as a colleague and as a dedicated liberal. I am convinced that she is the ideal person for this important position”.   Debate in Brussels on the European Union's policy against terrorism  Today at 19.30 the Brussels based branch of the FDP organised a debate about the European Union's fight against terrorism, under the title “Agenda and Impact of the European Union's counter-terrorism policy”.Speakers included Gilles de Kerchove, Coordinator of the work of the Council of the EU in the field of counter-terrorism. The aim of the meeting is to increase the understanding and promotion of the counter terrorism instruments at the Union's disposal, the implementation of the EU counter-terrorism strategy, and the active role of EU in the fight against terrorism.   Next Events  06/03/2008 : LYMEC Seminar“What future for the Council of Europe in the context of EU enlargement?” in Chisinau, MoldovaFor more info: www.lymec.org  07/03/2008 : Lib Dems spring conferenceLib Dems spring conference in Liverpool.Click on the draft timetable and agenda.For more info: www.libdems.uk  13/03/2008 : ELDR Party Prime Ministers LunchELDR Party Prime Ministers Lunch at Lambermont 13 h 00 - 14  h 25             Lunch 14 h 25 - 14  h 30             Family photo14 h 30 – 15 h 00             Press ConferenceFor more info, please contact us at ostrzelczyk@eldr.eu  01/04/2008 : LYMEC EC and CongressLYMEC EC and Congress in BarcelonaFor more info: www.lymec.org  11/04/2008 : ELDR Council 11 April 2008, Tallinn, Estonia  Our annual Council meeting will take place from 11 to 12 April 2008 in Tallinn, Estonia. For more info, please click here or contact us at info@eldr.eu  12/04/2008 : ELDR campaigning seminarThe ELDR will organise a workshop focusing on European election campaigning (in view of the European elections in June 2009) in the SAS Hotel in Tallinn, Estonia.For more info: info@eldr.eu  29/04/2008 : LYMEC seminarLYMEC seminar on EU-Africa relations  in BarcelonaFor more info: www.lymec.eu  24/05/2008 : European Movement 60th Anniversary CongressEuropean Movement 60th Anniversary CongressFor more info:http://www.europeanmovement.com  19/06/2008 : ELDR Leaders MeetingELDR will held a Leaders Meeting in Palais Egmond.For more info: info@eldr.eu   20/06/2008 : ELDR Bureau MeetingThe ELDR will hold the Bureau meeting in the ELDR Headquarters.FOr more info: info@eldr.eu  30/10/2008 : ELDR Congress in StockholmThe ELDR will hold the next in Stockholm.For more info, contact us at info@eldr.eu  18/12/2008 : ELDR Leaders MeetingThe ELDR will held the Leaders Meeting in Palais Egmond in Brussels.For more info: info@eldr.eu     ELDR Partyrue MONTOYERstraat 31 (7th floor)1000 Bruxelles BelgiumT +32 2 237 01 40F +32 2 231 19 07 info@eldr.orgwww.eldr.orgwith the support of the European parliament  

To ensure proper delivery of this newsletter, please add newsletter@eldr.eu to your email address book.   A liberal heads the negotiations for the access of the Croatia into the EU  Vesna Pusic, ELDR vice-president and current leader of HNS became president of the National Committee for Monitoring the Accession Negotiations of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union. The National Committee is the most significant parliamentary body established as a means of parliamentary oversight of the process of Croatian EU accession. Vesna Pusic will chair the Committee for the next four years. “HNS was the first Croatian party to strongly advocate European values – commented Vesna Pusic - and can take a lot of credit of building consensus on the necessity of EU accession in Croatian society. The National Committee for Monitoring the Accession Negotiations is the result of the achieved consensus on EU integration, which guarantees Croatia’s long-term stability and high standards.”   Liberal Movement elects new party chairman  Eligijus Masiulis was elected the new chairman of the Liberal Movement of the Republic of Lithuania during the third general congress held in Kaunas on February 9th 2008. Purposeful pursuit of the results, planning the actions of the party and timely decision making are the main objectives Masilius proposed for the success of the party. After the election the former chairman of the Liberal Movement Petras Austrevicius said: “The elections were democratic. Time and concrete actions will show if the new leader of the party is worthy of the trust put in him by the general congress”. The general congress also elected the new board of the party and the deputy chairmen. Gintaras Steponavicius was elected to be the first deputy chairman, Algis Kaseta, Dalia Teiserskyte, Arunas Staras and Rimantas Mikaitis were also elected as members of the board of the party.   ELDR denounces the grave attacks to Jovanoviæ’s headquarter  ELDR deplores the attacks against four municipalities’ offices of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Serbia on Sunday 17th and Monday 18th February and the assaults at the embassies of the US Turkey and Croatia after Kosovo proclaimed its independence. Following acts of vandalism against the residence of LDP leader Cedomir Jovanovic in Belgrade, ELDR President Annemie Neyts said that the European liberal democrat party is calling “for an investigation into the inciting of violence as well as an investigation into who has produced acts of destruction against the people and the property of the Liberal Democratic Party in Belgrade”. “There is a climax of aggression – added President Neyts - instigated by anti-European lobbies which obstructed during the last Serbian presidential elections the job of the liberal democratic candidate Mr Jovanovic, who strongly supported an effective pro-European solution to the Kosovo status issue”. ELDR, LDP and Liberal International appeal to all Serbia’s friends in the EU and in the international community as a whole to strongly support the democratic future of Serbia, to encourage Serbia to advance the current standards of human rights and democratic development, and to repeat a clear message to Serbia and the Western Balkan states that their future belongs in the EU.   ELDR Welcomes Declaration of Independence  Following the 17th February declaration the ELDR Party is ready to support the process of the independence of Kosovo. ELDR sees the deployment of an EU law and order mission as essential to the process of managing Kosovo’s independence and guaranteeing the rule of law, security, peace, democratic development, and the full respect of human, religious and minority rights of all ethnic communities. "I am convinced that only through bringing stability to the Western Balkans will Serbia and Kosovo progress along the path towards European integration,” commented ELDR President Annemie Neyts.Pointing to the €3 billion invested by the EU in Kosovo to date and the need for more, she expressed her hope that the citizens of the region will soon be "able to enjoy normal relations."   Free speech essential for a true democracy A number of Danish newspapers have reprinted several of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad which received widespread condemnation and resulted in violent reactions throughout Muslim countries in 2005.The decision to reprint some of these caricatures was taken by a number of newspapers as they looked to show their belief in and commitment to freedom of speech in light of Danish police uncovering an alleged plot to murder one of the cartoonists.Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Leader of the ELDR member party Venstre and Danish Prime Minister, is adamant “we must oppose any attempt to restrict free speech in the name of religion….and through the United Nations we must combat any resolution that attempts to limit freedom of expression.”    Reporters without Borders: “serious situations in Russia and Belarus”  87 journalists and 20 assistants killed; 123 journalists and 64 cyber dissidents imprisoned in 2007. These are the startling facts revealed by the “Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Barometer” which conveys the dangerous situations faced by media professionals working in conflict areas throughout the world. The Barometer noted particularly serious situations in Russia and Belarus. “Through our member parties and partners, ELDR is continuously monitoring the delicate situation in Russia and in Belarus” stated Federica Sabbati, ELDR General Secretary. Ms Sabbati continued, “ELDR strongly believes that the right to freedom of expression is fundamental to the existence and consolidation of democracy. Central to freedom of expression, is the freedom of the press. Sadly though, it is this critical aspect of democracy that is so frequently undermined and attacked by various governments in our European neighbourhood.” The report’s introduction also listed potential problems in 2008, namely physical attacks on journalists during key elections in Pakistan (18 February), Russia (2 March), Iran (14 March) and Zimbabwe (29 March).  Next Events 29/02/2008 : ELDR Bureau MeetingThe ELDR will hold the next Bureau meeting on Friday 29 February from 14.00 till 17.00 in the ELDR Headquarters.For more info: info@eldr.org  06/03/2008 : LYMEC Seminar“What future for the Council of Europe in the context of EU enlargement?” in Chisinau, MoldovaFor more info: www.lymec.org 07/03/2008 : Lib Dems spring conferenceLib Dems spring conference in Liverpool.Click on the draft timetable and agenda.For more info: www.libdems.uk 13/03/2008 : ELDR Party Prime Ministers LunchELDR Party Prime Ministers Lunch at Lambermont 13 h 00 - 14 h 25     Lunch 14 h 25 - 14  h 30             Family photo14 h 30 – 15 h 00             Press ConferenceFor more info, please contact us at ostrzelczyk@eldr.eu  29/03/2008 : LYMEC seminarLYMEC seminar on EU-Africa relations  in BarcelonaFor more info: www.lymec.eu 01/04/2008 : LYMEC EC and CongressLYMEC EC and Congress in BarcelonaFor more info: www.lymec.org 11/04/2008 : ELDR Council 11 April 2008, Tallinn, Estonia Our annual Council meeting will take place from 11 to 12 April 2008 in Tallinn, Estonia. For more info, please click here or contact us at info@eldr.eu  12/04/2008 : ELDR campaigning seminarThe ELDR will organise a workshop focusing on European election campaigning (in view of the European elections in June 2009) in the SAS Hotel in Tallinn, Estonia.For more info: info@eldr.eu   ELDR Partyrue MONTOYERstraat 31 (7th floor)1000 Bruxelles BelgiumT +32 2 237 01 40F +32 2 231 19 07 info@eldr.orgwww.eldr.orgwith the support of the European parliament Click here to unsubscribe