ALDE Party member VVD held its Spring Congress on 13 June 2026 at the Fokker Terminal in The Hague. The weekend brought together sessions on technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and combating political violence.
Alongside it, the European Liberal Forum Partnership Days ran in parallel, with members of the ALDE Party Secretariat joining vital debates on AI and economic competitiveness.
ALDE Party had the privilege of connecting directly with VVD Ministers, analysing the national context of the Draghi Report and diving into the Wennink Report with Vincent Karremans, alongside sessions exploring AI-Driven Healthcare Solutions with Sophie Hermans and Sara Zibrat, and AI-Driven Defense Solutions with David van Weel.
It was particularly inspiring for liberals to hear during this session on defence from Oleksandr Korniyenko, the leader of Servant of the People party, who brought critical, first-hand insights to the table. He also spoke about technology’s importance in security matters today:
“We must expand cooperation, particularly in the field of technology. Russia continues to attack critical infrastructure. Logistics and energy facilities are coming under enemy strikes, making it extremely important to strengthen financial assistance.”
Parallel to these intense policy tracks, the VVD Congress shattered the stereotype of dry political gatherings; with a setup mimicking a high-energy live television show, the atmosphere expertly balanced humour with weight, topped off by excellent, inspiring speeches from Party Leader Dilan Yeşilgöz and Parliamentary Group Leader Ruben Brekelmans.
You can watch the full conference here.
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Tess' take:
“These days were an incredible reminder of what modern liberalism looks like in practice. During the Partnership Days, we tackled the big competitiveness challenges facing our continent head-on. Meanwhile, the VVD Congress brought an innovative environment that felt more like a dynamic TV broadcast than a traditional congress, proving that serious political discourse can be both engaging and deeply inspiring."
Tess Meijerink, Political Intern 
*Tess Meijerink contributed to this piece