“Europe’s strength lies in unity.” That message resonated through Brussels on Friday, 24 October, as the 45th ALDE Party Congress opened with powerful calls for bold leadership.
ALDE Party President Svenja Hahn led a Welcome Session featuring two Estonian liberals: Kaja Kallas, High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission and Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Estonia.
Kallas urged Europe to bolster economic power and efficient decision-making:
“Europe is more capable of playing the geopolitical game if we are working together, this is why enlargement is crucial. As we know from history the windows of opportunity open for a short time, so we need to use this short time frame to push progress.”
“Our geopolitical power only comes from being able to adopt decisions. But we are hitting the point where unanimity voting allows one country to block the other 26 member states, which means we have a problem. If we don't have a common European position, then we don’t have a role in the global sphere.”
Michal reiterated the importance of European cooperation:
“Innovation is our best weapon. Economic strength is the backbone of geopolitical power. We need clear, clever and practical decisions not endless paperwork.”
“EU enlargement is not a charity, it’s a strategy. It strengthens both economy and security. If Ukraine loses, Europe loses.”
The Council Meeting reviewed resolutions and proposed amendments, aligning members on strategic priorities ahead of the wider Congress sessions. Seven urgency resolutions were agreed for discussion on Saturday.
It was announced that the next Council Meeting will take place at the ALDE Party Congress in Vienna, Austria in June 2026.