Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
President	Sir Graham Watson MEP
Founded	March 1976 (as "Federation of Liberal and Democrat Parties in Europe") 30 April 2004 (as "European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party")
Headquarters	Rue Montoyer 31, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Youth wing	European Liberal Youth
Ideology	Liberalism (European) Internal factions:  • Classic liberalism  • Social liberalism  • Conservative liberalism  • European federalism
International affiliation	Liberal International
European Parliament group	Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Colours	Gold and Blue
European Parliament	75 / 754
European Council (Heads of Government)	2 / 27
Council of the European Union (Participation in Government)	12 / 27
National Upper House Seats	493 / 2,273
National Lower House Seats	716 / 7,124
Website
www.aldeparty.eu

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party) is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 52 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe. Having developed from a loose confederation of national political parties in the 1970s, the ALDE Party is recognised European political party incorporated as a non-profit association under Belgian law.^{[citation needed]} Despite this legal status, the ALDE Party has yet to achieve significant grassroots involvement and retains much of the character of a mere confederation of national political parties.^{[citation needed]} The ALDE Party is affiliated to the Liberal International.

Until 10 November 2012, the party was known as European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR).

As of 2010, ALDE is the third largest European-wide political party represented in European Union institutions, with 75 Members of the European Parliament and 8 members of the European Commission. Of the 27 member states of the European Union, there are two with ALDE-affiliated Prime Ministers: Andrus Ansip in Estonia (Reform Party), and Mark Rutte in the Netherlands (VVD). Furthermore, the leader of the German Free Democratic Party (FDP), Philipp Rösler, serves as Vice-Chancellor of Germany and the leader of the British Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, serves as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Liberals are also in government in nine other EU member states: Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.

Since 20 July 2004, the ALDE Party is politically represented in the European Parliament by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) parliamentary group, formed in conjunction with the European Democratic Party. The ALDE parliamentary group is led by Guy Verhofstadt, a former Prime Minister of Belgium. The party was previously attached to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) Group prior to the 2004 European elections.

The youth wing of ALDE is the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC), which is predominantly based upon youth and student liberal organisations from across Europe but also contains a small number of individual members. LYMEC is led by Dutch politician Jeroen Diepemaat (VVD, The Netherlands), who was elected to a two-year term as LYMEC President in May 2012, and has a collective membership of over 200,000 young liberal Europeans.

Leadership

Graham Watson.

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The leader of the ALDE Party is Sir Graham Watson MEP.

Structure

Bureau

The day to day management of the ALDE Party is handled by the Bureau, the members of which are:

President

• Graham Watson MEP (Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom): ALDE Party President

Vice-Presidents

• Marc Guerrero (CDC, Spain)
• Lousewies van der Laan (Democrats 66, Netherlands)
• Alexander Graf Lambsdorff MEP (FDP, Germany)
• Ramona Mănescu MEP (PNL, Romania)
• Leoluca Orlando MP (Italy of Values, Italy)
• Dick Roche (Fianna Fáil, Ireland)
• Astrid Thors MP (Swedish People's Party of Finland, Finland)

Treasurer

• Roman Jakic (Zares, Slovenia)

ALDE Group leaders

• Guy Verhofstadt MEP (OpenVLD, Belgium): ALDE Group Leader, European Parliament
• Anne Brasseur (DP, Luxembourg): President of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (ALDE-PACE)
• Flo Clucas (Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom): ALDE Group Leader, EU Committee of the Regions

Other party officials

• Jacob Moroza-Rasmussen (Venstre, Denmark): ALDE Party Secretary-General
• Alexander Beels (VVD, Netherlands): ALDE Group Secretary-General
• Jeroen Diepemat (JOVD, Netherlands): President, European Liberal Youth (LYMEC)
• Hans van Baalen MEP (VVD, Netherlands): President, Liberal International

Leaders

• 1978–1981: Gaston Thorn
• 1981–1985: Willy De Clercq
• 1985–1990: Colette Flesch
• 1990–1995: Willy De Clercq
• 1995–2000: Uffe Ellemann-Jensen
• 2000–2005: Werner Hoyer
• 2005–2011: Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
• 2011– now: Graham Watson

History of pan-European liberalism

Main article: History of pan-European liberalism

ELDR Party logo (2009-2012).

Pan-European liberalism has a long history dating back to the foundation of Liberal International in April 1947. In March 1976, the Federation of Liberal and Democrat Parties in Europe was established, which gradually evolved into the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) with a matching group in the European Parliament, the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.

At an extraordinary Congress in Brussels held on 30 April 2004 the day before the enlargement of the European Union, the ELDR Party incorporated itself under Belgian law and became a European political party.

The ELDR Party allied with the European Democratic Party in 2004 to form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), with a matching ALDE group in the European Parliament. The ELDR Party adopted its current name on 10 November 2012 in order to match the pan-European alliance and parliamentary group.

European Commissioners

ALDE Member Parties contribute 8 out of the 27 members of the European Commission:

State	Commissioner	Portfolio	Political party	Photo
Estonia	KallasSiim Kallas	Vice-President, European Commissioner for Transport	Estonian Reform Party
Netherlands	KroesNeelie Kroes	Digital AgendaVice-President; European Commissioner for Digital Agenda	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Finland	RehnOlli Rehn	Economic and Financial AffairsVice-President; European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs	Centre Party
Ireland	Geoghegan-QuinnMáire Geoghegan-Quinn	European Commissioner for Science and Research	Fianna Fáil
Belgium	DeGuchtKarel De Gucht	European Commissioner for Trade	Flemish Liberals and Democrats
Sweden	MalmströmCecilia Malmström	European Commissioner for Home Affairs	Liberal People's Party
Slovenia	PotočnikJanez Potočnik	European Commissioner for the Environment	Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
Cyprus	VassiliouAndroulla Vassiliou	European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth	United Democrats

Elected Representatives of Member Parties

European institutions

Guy Verhofstadt.

Organisation	Institution	Number of seats
European Union	European Commission	8 / 27
European Union	European Council (Heads of Government)	2 / 27
European Union	Council of the EU (Participation in Government)	12 / 27
European Union	European Parliament	75 / 736
Council of Europe	Parliamentary Assembly	28 / 318

National Parliaments of European Union member states

Mark Rutte.

Andrus Ansip.

Margrethe Vestager.

Nick Clegg.

Country	Institution	Number of seats	Member parties
Belgium	Chamber of Representatives Lower house	41 / 150	MR, VLD
	Senate Upper house	11 / 40	MR, VLD
Bulgaria	National Assembly	38 / 240	MRF
Czech Republic	Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic	8 / 200	LIDEM
Denmark	Folketing	64 / 175	V, RV
Estonia	State Council	59 / 101	ER, EK
Finland	Parliament	45 / 200	Kesk., SFP
Germany	Bundestag Lower house	93 / 622	FDP
Ireland	Dáil Lower house	19 / 166	FF
	Senate Upper house	14 / 60	FF
Italy	Chamber of Deputies Lower house	00 / 630	IdV, Radicali
	Senate of the Republic Upper house	00 / 315	IdV, Radicali
Lithuania	Seimas	39 / 141	LRLS, LCS, DP
Luxembourg	Chamber of Deputies	9 / 60	DP
Netherlands	House of Representatives Lower house	53 / 150	VVD, D66
	Senate Upper house	21 / 75	VVD, D66
Poland	Sejm Lower house	0 / 460	PD
Romania	Chamber of Deputies Lower house	102 / 412	PNL
	Senate Upper house	51 / 176	PNL
Slovakia	National Council	11 / 150	SaS
Slovenia	National Assembly	7 / 90	Civic List, Zares, LDS
Spain	Congress of Deputies Lower house	10 / 350	CDC
	Senate Upper house	10 / 266	CDC
Sweden	Riksdag	47 / 349	C, FP
United Kingdom	House of Commons Lower house	58 / 650	Lib Dems, Alliance
	House of Lords Upper house	72 / 704	Lib Dems, Alliance

National Parliaments outside the European Union

Country	Institution	Number of seats	Member parties
Andorra	General Council	11 / 28	PLA
Azerbaijan	National Assembly	5 / 125	Musavat
Croatia	Sabor	17 / 151	HNS, IDS, HSLS
Georgia	Parliament	19 / 150	Republican, FD
Kosovo	Assembly	13 / 120	AKR
Macedonia	Assembly	5 / 120	LDP, LPM
Moldova	Parliament	12 / 101	PL
Norway	Storting	2 / 169	Venstre
Serbia	National Assembly	11 / 250	LDP
Switzerland	National Council Lower house	31 / 200	FDP.The Liberals
	Council of States Upper house	12 / 46	FDP.The Liberals

Member parties

Proportion of ELDR MEPs per country as of 2004

Country or Region	Party	MEPs	MPs
Austria	Liberal Forum (LiF)	0 / 19	0 / 183
Belgium ( Flemish speaking)	Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD)	3 / 22 3 / 13	13 / 150 13 / 88
Belgium ( French speaking)	Reformist Movement (MR)	2 / 22 2 / 8	18 / 150 18 / 62
Belgium ( German speaking)	Party for Freedom and Progress (PFF)	0 / 22 0 / 1	N/A
Bulgaria	Movement for Rights and Freedoms (ДПС/DPS)	3 / 17	35 / 240
Bulgaria	National Movement for Stability and Progress (НДСВ)	2 / 17	0 / 240
Cyprus	United Democrats (EDI)	0 / 6	0 / 56
Czech Republic	LIDEM	0 / 22	8 / 200
Denmark	Danish Social Liberal Party	0 / 13	17 / 179
Denmark	Venstre - Liberal Party of Denmark	3 / 13	47 / 179
Estonia	Estonian Centre Party	2 / 6	21 / 101
Estonia	Estonian Reform Party	1 / 6	33 / 101
Finland	Finnish Centre	3 / 13	35 / 200
Finland	Swedish People's Party (SFP)	1 / 13	9 / 200
Germany	Free Democratic Party (FDP)	12 / 99	93 / 620
Hungary	Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ)	0 / 22	0 / 386
Ireland	Fianna Fáil	3 / 12	19 / 166

Italy

• Italian Radicals
• Italy of Values

Lithuania

• Labour Party
• Liberal and Centre Union
• Liberals' Movement of the Republic of Lithuania

Luxembourg

• Democratic Party

Netherlands

• Democrats 66
• People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

Poland

• Democratic Party – demokraci.pl

Romania

• National Liberal Party

Slovakia

• Freedom and Solidarity

Slovenia

• Civic List
• Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
• Zares

Spain

• Democratic Convergence of Catalonia
• Liberal Democratic Centre

Sweden

• Centre Party
• People's Party – Liberals

United Kingdom

• Liberal Democrats
• Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

Outside the EU

Andorra

• Liberal Party of Andorra

Armenia

• Pan-Armenian National Movement

Azerbaijan

• Müsavat Party

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Liberal Democratic Party

Croatia

• Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats
• Croatian Social Liberal Party
• Istrian Democratic Assembly

Georgia

• Our Georgia – Free Democrats
• Republican Party of Georgia

Kosovo

• New Kosovo Alliance
• Liberal Party of Kosovo

Macedonia

• Liberal Party of Macedonia
• Liberal Democratic Party

Moldova

• Liberal Party

Norway

• Liberal Party of Norway

Russia

• People's Democratic Union
• Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko"

Serbia

• Liberal Democratic Party

Switzerland

• FDP.The Liberals

Ukraine

• European Party of Ukraine

See also

• European Liberal Youth
• Liberal International
• Political parties of the world

External links

• Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party official site
• European Liberal Youth (LYMEC)