ELDR Party President Annemie Neyts welcomes and endorses Graham Watson's candidacy for the Presidency of the European Parliament.
ELDR Family The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR Party) brings together 57 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, 75 MEPs in the ALDE Group of the European Parliament and ministers in more than 20 governments in Europe belong to the liberal family.
Europe must help ending the fighting in Gaza The war between Israel and Hamas following the six-month ceasefire must be brought to a real end.
"Even a crushing Israeli military victory would not inevitably translate into a political win for Israel", said ELDR President Annemie Neyts. "The current dreadful situation in the Gaza strip is a consequence of a common failure since the Islamist's electoral victory over the Fatah Movement led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas two year ago", President Neyts continued. Hamas failed to act as a responsible political actor, Israel continued to strengthen the Islamists by economically isolating the Gaza strip, the PA leadership did not accept the consequences of a democratic process and last but not least the international community completely failed to facilitate a negotiated outcome between the local actors.
Mr Watson, keep up the good work! ELDR Party President Annemie Neyts welcomes and endorses Graham Watson's candidacy for the Presidency of the European Parliament.
"I believe - she said - that he is the ideal candidate to lead the parliament in working to revive the reform of Europe's institutions, provide a much needed stimulus to the economy and ensure Europe plays a leading role in addressing climate change and the EU's energy needs". "Mr Watson, keep up the good work!"
Bigger member states, better EU presidencies? Nothing than praise was what one could hear in the European Parliament before the Christmas break. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his EU presidency that ended on 31st December 2008 received a positive evaluation from most sides of the political spectrum.
Now it's the turn of the Czech Republic. They are a newer member state, with a less experienced administration in dealing with EU affairs and a smaller diplomatic corps. But the current focus on the perceived incapacity of the Czech Republic has much more to do with other reasons than the size of a smaller member state. As a matter of fact it is not true at all that bigger member states make better EU presidencies. The leadership of the Danes in 2003 made it clear that better presidencies do not always require a bigger member state.
Belgium - a new liberal Minister of Interior ELDR welcomes the four designated liberal ministers in the new Belgian Government: Karel De Gucht, Minister Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, Annemie Turtelboom, Minister for Migration, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Minister for Economic Affairs, Guido De Padt, Minister of the Interior, Didier Reynder, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Charles Michel, Minister of External Aids and Sabine Laruelle, Minister of SME.
"La Belgique est entrée dans une année électorale qui ne manquera pas d'être animée! " Louis Michel (MR), European Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, commented.
"Et le Mouvement Réformateur est prêt à réaffirmer ses valeurs et ses convictions, avec une énergie nouvelle. Tant pour les élections européennes que pour les élections régionales prévues à la même date, sans parler d'un scrutin fédéral toujours possible même si personne ne le souhaite...! " Patrick Dewael (OpenVLD), the former Minister of Interior became President of Parliament and Armand Dedecker (MR) is still the President of the Senate. Olivier Chastel is the Secretary State for European Affairs.
Kasyanov - Russia gas halt was irresponsible "The actions of the Russian leadership to halt gas deliveries to European consumers via Ukraine were inadequate and irresponsible" Mikhail Kasyanov, Chairman of the Russian People's Democratic Union and ELDR member, commented the Russia gas crisis. "These actions have caused great damage to the long-term national interests of the Russian Federation. The leadership of Russia must immediately resume gas supplies to Europe in full. The time of murky secretive transactions in the gas sector has passed; all terms of these contracts should become public".
MIDEM festival in Cannes - music and business The warm welcome of one of the most elegant cities in the Mediterranean Sea will be the backstage of the 2009 edition of the MIDEM festival that will host a growing list of industry talent and live concerts. From 18-21 January artists like Donovan, Jamie Cullum, Paolo Nutini, Groove Armada, Bomb Squad will take the stage.
This year's MIDEM conferences will bring together around 200 key decision-makers to talk about the industry's different areas of expansion such as live performance; independents; managers; images and brands; artist development; and for the first time this year, publishers, with a special dedicated event - the International Publishing Summit
Next events • 19/03/2009 : Prime Ministers lunch (informal EU summit), Brussels • 20 & 21/03/2009 : ELF Winter Academy "Europe in Practice", Brussels • 3 & 4/04/2009 : ELF Spring Academy "Europe in Practice", Brussels • 20 & 21/03/2009 : ELF Winter Academy "Europe in Practice", Brussels • 15/04/2009 : Electoral Rally, Brussels • 16/04/2009 : Council meeting, Brussels, • 24 & 25/03/2009 : ELF Spring Academy II "Europe in practice" • 18/03/2009 : Leaders meeting (EU Summit), Brussels
Contact ELDR Party Rue MONTOYERstraat 31 (7th floor) BE - 1000 Bruxelles - Belgium T +32 2 237 01 40 F +32 2 231 19 07 info@eldr.eu - www.eldr.eu
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