December 2008
Contents LYMEC News LYMEC and YDE debate about immigration issues LYMEC Extraordinary Congress: towards a political Europe European young liberals make proposals on mobility in the regions of Europe
Blog Liberal News Forum - Progressive Democrats of Ireland Elect New Leader
Links Calendar  Last week the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) together with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) organised a two-day Winter Academy in the European Parliament. About 90 young liberals and democrats from 27 European countries met to discuss issues related to migration, integration and the situation of refugees. The Winter Academy was co-organised with the Young Democrats for Europe (YDE). Dr. Marlou Schrover of Leiden University provided an overview of the history of migration, while Prof. Gerald Willmann from the University of Leuven and Prof. Dr. Marc de Vos from the Itinera Institute gave an insight into the economics of migration. The meeting created a significant contact opportunity for young liberals & democrats with Members of the European Parliament, as they had a meeting with the ALDE group where they discussed with Graham Watson MEP, group leader, and many other distinguished MEPs. Note: On the picture: Winter Academy participants at the European Parliament
 European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) held its Executive Committee as well as an Extraordinary Congress in Brussels from November 21st to November 23rd. Over 100 delegates from all over Europe discussed and adopted a comprehensive Action Plan aimed at highlighting the political priorities and key issues that will drive LYMEC’s political action in the upcoming year. Its main aim is to contribute to the creation of a political Europe and winning seats in the European Parliament elections in June 2009.
 Preceding its 2008 EC and extraordinary congress in Brussels, LYMEC together with its member organisation Jeunes MR organised a seminar in Liege entitled “Mobility in the Europe of Regions: A key to integration” from November 18th – 21st. The event was co-organised and sponsored by the ALDE Group in the Committee of the Regions. What are the added values and future role of the Committee of the Regions in Europe? What is the liberal vision for the Europe of regions and for the Committee of the Regions? What are the obstacles to interregional mobility in Europe? Is local politics only practical politics? Those were among the questions discussed by about 40 young liberals from across Europe present at the seminar.  Presov, 7th December 2008 – Mladi liberali (ML) wishe to inform the European liberal organisations about the founding of a new liberal political party Sloboda a solidarita (SAS) – Freedom and Solidarity. Richard Svihura, president of ML, member of preparatory committee of SAS commented: “After long considerations about the future existence of liberal politics in Slovakia, we decided to closely cooperate with a new party Sloboda a solidarita. We knew that if a respectable subject is to come into existence, it should be associated with the author of the flat tax, which accomplished positive changes in Slovakia. Specifically with Richard Sulik, with whom we concluded a cooperation. Today we participate in the founding of a party and gathering of signatures required for its registration.” ML, member of the European Liberal Youth intends to provide basis for the foreign cooperation of this emerging liberal party. We are convinced, that the Slovak liberals have a real opportunity to obtain at least one seat in the EP elections next year. For full article, click on the title
Climate package must be maintainedEuropean Liberal Democrats from all over Europe gathered for the bi-annual ELDR Leaders and Ministers meeting, on Thursday 11th December 2008, which saw the participants reach a common position on the EU's ambitious climate change and energy 'package' of legislation on the eve of a two-day EU summit.
"The main commitments in the climate and energy package must be maintained", reiterated Annemie Neyts, ELDR Party President, opening the summit. "We do not want to scale down the targets", she added.
Graham Watson, Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, stated: "If member states cannot agree on effective emissions trading targets, they must agree on a method for carbon capture and storage." Confident of the outcome he said: "I believe we can reach agreement at this summit". Watson also strengthened the support of the group for the Commission's economic stimulus package and called on member states to tread with care when bending rules they have themselves set out with good reason.
On the Lisbon Treaty, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish Prime Minister, said: "We must do our upmost to facilitate the ratification of the Treaty before the end of the present Commission. If Ireland can secure ratification of the Treaty, I am prepared to accept one commissioner per country."
Referring to the rising anti-European movements, Watson intervened: "The European elections will be challenging, but they are challenges we can meet. The main aim is to stop the spread of anti-European messages and we must work to counter this.
"The leader of the Liberal Democrats (UK), Nick Clegg also attended the Liberal summit. "We are strongly pro Europe and are for a strong and united Europe and collective action" he said. Commenting on the financial crisis, Clegg highlighted that it is "an acid test for the EU to provide stability and security at a time of recession and rising unemployment." ALDE launches civil liberties campaign
As Liberals and Democrats in Europe we believe that security is the guardian of liberty
Marking yesterday's 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European Liberals and Democrats doubt this is justified and have launched a campaign highlighting the value of civil liberties and raising awareness about possible infringements of fundamental rights such as the freedom of speech, the right to privacy or the right to transparent lawmaking. You will find more information about the campaign "Making the case for a proper balance between security and liberty" on www.alde.eu/civil-liberties
Initiator of the campaign Alexander Alvaro (FDP, Germany), ALDE-coordinator on Civil Liberties, explains: "Governments are collecting more and more data from its citizens. They argue that it is necessary in the fight against terrorism but often the collected data are used for all sorts of purposes which are not remotely related to terrorism. Legal safeguards are not in place which makes citizens very vulnerable vis-à-vis an ever more powerful government.
As Liberals and Democrats in Europe we believe that security is the guardian of liberty. With this campaign we want to make European citizens aware of the dangers of governments behaving like Big Brother. It took a long time before people won their freedom over governments in western societies. We should not allow administrations, with the argument of fighting terrorists, to interfere disproportionately in people's lives. Europeans have the right to be free." Simple Language Campaign
The ALDE group in the Committee of the Regions recently launched a Simple Language Campaign. Citizens often find the language which is used in Brussels extremely difficult to understand, but so too do many politicians and officials in national, regional and local authorities. The Simple Language Campaign is aimed at all who work for and with the European Union, in Brussels and beyond, with the objective of encouraging the use of simple and clear language in all EU documents, official or not. Any interested individual can freely post examples of complex sentences or jargon that they have encountered in EU documents. Although not compulsory, individuals contributing to the website will be encouraged to suggest a citizen-friendly alternative. The campaign was launched in English and will soon be available in other language versions. Visit www.SimpleLanguage.eu
Progressive Democrats of Ireland Elect New Leader PaddyTCarroll : Liberal Friends,
It is with deep regret, that I am compelled to inform you of the demise of Ireland’s Progressive Democrats (PDs). On 16th September 2008, the Parliamentary Party of the PDs, announced its belief that the party could no longer sustain an existence. This view was subsequently vindicated by a majority of members. At a Special National Conference of the Party, over 250 members declared that they no longer saw the party as a viable entity. This proved to be a sufficient majority to bring the party to an end. marjukka: I thought that the Progressive Democrats gave up rather easily. They still had two TDs and two senators. In New Zealand, a very similar party than the PDs, ACT New Zealand, also dropped from 9 to 2 seats in parliament in 2005, yet it was able to turn its fortunes this year and gain 5 seats, and will probably participate to the governing coalition.
In Norway, the liberal party Venstre was outside the parliament from 1985 to 1993, but was able to retunrn. In Austria the Liberal Forumhas been outside the parliament from 1999, but still hasn't given up the hope to return, like the Liberals (former Liberal People's Party), which last time had a MP in 1995, but still hasn't given up.
I wish luck to your effort to keep liberalism alive in Ireland.
www.alde.eu/civil-liberties www.SimpleLanguage.eu
January 1: Euro introduction in Slovakia; Switzerland partly joins Schengen 6: ALDE New Year's Reception in Brussels
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