As the ALDE Party marked the second day of its 50th anniversary Congress in Vienna, delegates focused firmly on the future.
The 2026 Congress concluded with the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and a series of policy resolutions aimed at strengthening democracy, security, competitiveness and European cooperation.
Presented by ALDE Party President Svenja Hahn MEP and NEOS Leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger, the Vienna Declaration sets out the liberal movement’s priorities for the years ahead.
Liberals across Europe are already delivering in government: from the Netherlands, Ireland and Estonia to many more - but the Vienna Declaration pledges to build on that work, with a clear message: where liberals lead, reforms follow.
Ahead of the closing session, delegates heard from the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and D66 leader Rob Jetten:
“Growing up people thought democracy had reached its destination but today we know better, democracy does not defend itself it must be protected. Authoritarians can sell fear, populists can sell anger, but as liberals we can sell progress. I believe Europe’s liberals are ready to answer. Let's show Europe what liberal leadership looks like.”
Adopted resolutions
This year’s Congress focused on future-oriented policy debates. With 50 years of experience behind us, liberals used the moment to push forward with renewed ambition.
Delegates adopted five urgency resolutions and seven regular resolutions aimed at shaping Europe’s future.
Key themes included digital resilience, economic competitiveness, women’s rights, enlargement, climate action and continued support for Ukraine, Georgia and other partners.
Liberal awards
The Liberal Awards were co-hosted with the European Liberal Forum, alongside the Friedrich Naumann Foundation – Europe and LYMEC - European Liberal Youth, recognising three individuals for their contribution to liberal politics.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by Jan-Christoph Oetjen MEP to former German Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, in recognition of her lifelong defence of freedom and civil liberties.
She said: “We must fight to ensure that the enemies of freedom and liberal democracies do not gain ground. We want to contribute to a strong FDP in Germany so the party returns to the Bundestag in 2029.”
The Rising Star Award, presented by Yannick Shetty (NEOS, Austria), went to Yi-Pei Chou Turvey, the first Member of the Scottish Parliament of Taiwanese and East Asian descent.
She said: “More than ever we must fight violence and division because we owe that to our young people and our communities. We need peaceful and productive debates.”
The Liberal of the Year Award was presented by ALDE Party President Svenja Hahn MEP to Dutch Prime Minister Jetten.
Jetten, the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay Prime Minister, was recognised for helping restore confidence in liberal politics and broadening its appeal among younger voters. He said: “We showed that we can win elections by running a positive campaign, and now other liberal parties are doing the same across Europe.”
Click here to see all photos from the Congress weekend. Thank you to everyone who joined us this weekend in person and online, we had a great time celebrating ALDE Party’s 50th anniversary with you all.
We choose the future!