The European Liberal Democrats celebrated the 30th anniversary of their political movement in Stuttgart, Germany, on 17 March 2006. This anniversary was organised with a view of energizing Europe.

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Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, ELDR Party President, Silvana Koch-Mehrin, ALDE Group Vice-President, Graham Watson, ALDE Group Leader, Guido Westerwelle, FDP Party Leader, Lord Alderdice, President of Liberal International, Siméon Saxe-Coburg, former Prime Minister, Bulgaria, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, Prime Minister, Romania, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister, Denmark and Pat Cox, European Movement President explained why liberalism is key for a society’s progress and development.

ELDR Party President, Annemie Neyts, asked the audience if Europe was sufficiently liberal in the sense of willing to share, willing to give, and prepared to do it generously. “We might still believe that, but we are deluding ourselves: each debate over new financial perspectives has seen more money pinching and Euro crunching than the previous one. I am not pleading for spending just for the sake of it. I am actually arguing that generosity in giving and sharing presupposes confidence in oneself, hope for the future and trust in the others,” she said.

She sees eengaging a dialogue with citizens on the positive effects of European integration as a key task for ELDR member parties. Highlighting why European integration remains now as valid a solution as it was 30 years ago, she explained that: "Carving up the single market is not the answer, closing our borders is not the answer, and slamming the door of the European Union in the face of those who are so eager to join us, is certainly not the answer; All of that has been done before, in the first half of the century and the result has been worldwide disaster and terrifying and misery and tragedy".

ALDE Group Leader Graham Watson recalled the difference 30 years have made and the strong presence of ELDR in EU institutions with five prime ministers, seven EU Commissioner and 64 MEPs at the heart of the European Parliament. “European Liberals, Democrats and Reformers are energising Europe like never before. Not only do we swing the vote on issues of crucial importance, we put the demos back into democracy. We have exposed backroom deals by Poettering and Schulz designed to put the brakes on free market reform. We have flown the flag of transparency, and successfully challenged the Council on closed-door decision making. And we've radicalised the reform agenda with a political programme that paves the way to European revival. It's all a far cry from 1976,” he stressed.

Referring to the recent crisis over the Danish Cartoons, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated: “ No one can be exempt from having his/her viewpoint challenged in a free and open society. Without challenging, without questioning, the crucial dynamism of a society will wither away. Free speech and free debate have secured our prosperous evolution in Europe. Through them new horizons are opened new discoveries are made, and new ideas see the light of day. Old systems and outdated ideas fade from view. No wonder totalitarian regimes will do whatever it takes to suppress a free and open debate”.

Guido Westerwelle, FDP Party Leader , who expressed his full support to Mr Rasmussen, stated:” When a European country is attacked, all European countries are attacked. Questioning freedom of expression is questioning democracy. Tolerance against the intolerance is stupidity”.

Taking stock of some European countries’ “malaise”, former Parliament President Pat Cox said: “ Neo-protectionist policies, promoting national champions, stopping enlargement is the contrary of what an ageing Europe needs. Reforms yield positive dividends. When Liberal Democrat cut the welfare excess in the much-praised Nordic countries, they released energy and made these countries competitive”.

Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Romanian Prime Minister said liberals have been the most enthusiastic Europeans and believe in the European dream. “Liberalism is the only political movement capable of meeting the challenges of a post-modern globalized world. It encompasses solutions to overcome economic, political and social deficits. This is only natural, since liberalism is the true foundation of the spirit of initiative and entrepreneurship, the catalyst of creative competition,” he stressed.

The anniversary celebrations started with a conference on the role of the regions in the EU during which regional leaders expressed their attachment to subsidiarity and the need to give a bigger say to regional and local authorities in the European decision-making.

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