The European Liberal Forum (ELF), political foundation of the ALDE Party, in cooperation with NOVUM has launched a podcast series entitled ‘Human Rights in the 21st Century’. In the series, different politicians from across Europe share their views on the current humanitarian situation.

ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen was the guest speaker of the inaugural episode of the podcast. In his intervention, President van Baalen focused on the challenge that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed for democracies and shared his views on the EU member states which violate human rights.

“Like in The Netherlands, we ask ourselves whether we should oblige people to vaccinate or not. This situation poses new questions about our civil liberties and freedoms. Next to this, old dictatorships misuse the pandemic and push for more control with totalitarian measures,” President van Baalen noted.  

President van Baalen also criticised the current developments in Poland and Hungary, which are unlawfully implementing LGBTIQ+-free zones and limiting abortion laws. These unacceptable measures must be linked to financial consequenses, van Baalen says.

To hear more on ALDE President van Baalen’s take on populism, equality and Islamist fundamentalism, listen to the podcast episode in full here.

🗣 “In the end we should be tough and not pay subsidies to countries who do not respect equality, Human Rights and civil liberties.” ⚖️🇪🇺
👇Listen to my contribution to the podcast series on Human Rights by @ALDEParty think tank @EurLiberalForum https://t.co/ZHkJG5VTPl

— Hans van Baalen (@hansvanbaalen) November 30, 2020