July 2008Table of contentsArtur Mas reelected leader of Convergncia ELDR encourage LGBT rights discussion in the Swedish Parliament Enric Pujal Areny new president of Liberal Party of Andorra ELDR: A new era for the Balkans can finally start Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha awarded the Prix de la Fondation at the Crans Montana Forum Heide Schmidt returns to the political arena in Austria ELDR mourns the death of Lord Russell-Johnston   Artur Mas reelected leader of Convergncia with the 95% of votesELDR FamilyThe European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR Party) brings together 55 political parties with common liberal, democratic and reform ideals. In 2007 the European Liberal Democrat political family achieved many successes in the various elections around the EU member states, bringing the total number of liberal democrat voters to 30 million Europe-wide. Five EU prime ministers, one third of the members of the European Commission, 73 MEPs in the ALDE Group of the European Parliament and ministers in more than 20 governments in Europe belong to the liberal family. Artur Mas reelected leader of ConvergnciaArtur Mas, leader of Convergncia Democratica de Calatulnya (CDC), was reelected, during the National Congress which took place on July 11-12 and13 2008, with the 95% of votes. The Congress allows promoting CDC in front of the Tripartit (socialists, independents and the old communists) which is governing Catalonia nowadays. The President of ELDR Party, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, greeted the delegates and the Congress ratified widely the work between CDC and ELDR Party.ELDR encourage LGBT rights discussion in the Swedish ParliamentPersecution of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Persons in Europe: A Question of Human Rights will be the subject of the seminar organised by the Folkpartiet on Wednesday 30th July 2008 in the in the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm. This project will take place in the framework of the ELDR Political and Information Activities scheme.Among the other topics, Human rights for LGBT persons and the enlargement process of the European Union; The situation for LGBT persons in European countries; and Challenges for European countries and for the European Union.Enric Pujal Areny new president of Liberal Party of AndorraThe Liberal Party of Andorra (Partit Liberal dAndorra) has recently elected the third president of the LPD and the new Executive Committee, following its 16th National Congress. President: Enric Pujal Areny; Vice-presidents: Juli Minoves Triquell, Cristina Lozano Bonet and Marc Pintat Forn; General Secretary: Josep Anton Bardina Pau; Organisation Secretary: Sergi Balielles Sagarra; International Affairs Secretary: Sergi Valds Alemany and the Economic Affairs Secretary: Marta Bonell Tusset.ELDR: A new era for the Balkans can finally startFollowing the capture of Radovan Karadzic Bosnia and Herzegovina is slowly but surely reaching the end of a very dark period Lamija Tanovic, President of Liberal Democratic Party of Bosnia-Herzegovina commented. Slobodan Miloević is dead. Radovan Karadić has been arrested. Ratko Mladić will certainly be next. However, it is regrettable that while these men may face justice individually the product of their actions, the Republic of Srpska, lives on. We would like that not only the creators, but also the creation, will be judged.Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha awarded the Prix de la Fondation at the Crans Montana ForumThe Leader of the Bulgarian liberal party NMSS Simeon-Saxe Coburg Gotha received the 29th of June the international award Prix de la Fondation at the Crans Montana Economic Foru, award dedicated to the modern instigators of Peace, Liberty and Democracy. The decision that King Simeon took to accept the fair play and to make a coalition with the socialists is one of the critical reasons of the prize.Heide Schmidt returns to the political arena in AustriaThe founder of the Liberal Forum Austria, Heide Schmidt, will lead the party as the frontrunner to the early national elections on 28 September. Heide Schmidt stepped down from the party leadership when the party was not reelected in the elections 1999.The breakdown of the grand coalition in Austria and voters disappointment with the political elites offer a unique opportunity for the Liberals to return to the parliament.ELDR strongly supports its member party in its efforts to give Liberalism a voice in parliament again.ELDR mourns the death of Lord Russell-JohnstonThe death of Lord Russell-Johnston confronts us, for the second time in two weeks, with the loss of a beacon of integrity, rectitude and tolerance, says ELDR President Annemie Neyts. We will only gradually realise how much we have lost with the untimely demise of both Bronislaw Geremek and Lord Russell-Johnston. When I shyly participated in my first international liberal meetings, Russell was a prominent participant and I always have looked up to him as one of my seniors. I vividly remember a conversation we had way back then during which he predicted the fall of Margaret Thatcher as leader of her party. As always, his analysis was a fascinating mix of humour and extreme clarity. He would not make compromises when standing for human rights and democracy, recalled Kristiina Ojuland, First Vice-President of the Riigikogu and Vice President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. He was not afraid to pose a challenge to the political figures in Europe whose whole life is realpolitik. We have lost a great friend, an uncompromised Liberal whose life consisted of fair politics, who was a colleague and close friend of Russell-Johnston for decades. The ALDE Group in the Council of Europe has opened an opportunity to leave messages of condolences. The address is http://www.alde-pace.org/. 04/08/2008 : ELDR offices closed for holidays 29/08/2008 : Liberal Democracy of Slovenia Electoral Convention 15/10/2008 : Prime Minister meeting in Brussels 30/10/2008 : ELDR Congress in Stockholm 11/12/2008 : ELDR Leaders Meeting 11/12/2008 : European Council 18/06/2009 : ELDR Leaders and Ministers meeting ELDR Partyrue MONTOYERstraat 31 (7th floor)1000 BruxellesBelgiumT +32 2 237 01 40F +32 2 231 19 07 info@eldr.euwww.eldr.eu