30^th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Seminar & Photo Exhibition
Friday 8 November 2019 – ALDE Party headquarters, Brussels

Summary

At the initiative of Belgium’s Federal Minister for SME’s, Agriculture and Social Integration Denis Ducarme, the ALDE Party and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation office in Brussels are organizing an event to commemorate the 30^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a pivotal moment in Europe’s history, which led to the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the reunification of Europe. In 2004, 2007 and 2013, the European Union welcomed new member states that used to be “behind the curtain.” European integration has continued, and more than 500 million citizens now benefit from the four European Union freedoms – goods, services, people and capital. Yet, in recent years, across the European Union there are forces on the extreme fringes of the political spectrum that question our freedoms.

This seminar aims to understand where we come from since 1989 and how to fight the extremes – from the liberal perspective.

Venue: ALDE Party HQ, rue d’Idalie 11 (6th floor), 1050 Brussels

Programme:

Friday 8 November 2019 – “Fighting the extremes – the liberal answer” seminar

15.30 – 15.45 Welcome coffee

15.45 – 16.00 Welcome by Minister Denis Ducarme

16.00 – 16.15 “Firsthand experience of the fall of the Berlin Wall”

by Mechthild von Alemann, former MEP and Secretary General of the European Liberals

16.15 – 16.30 “Born behind the former curtain"

by Katalin Cseh, Member of the European Parliament, Vice President of the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament

16.30 – 17.00 Q&A

17.00 Inauguration of the picture exhibition and cocktail reception

The full programme is available as a download.

This event is organized by the ALDE Party - the European Union political party of Liberals and Democrats for Europe – and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Europe – the Brussels office of the foundation for liberal politics in the Federal Republic of Germany which aims to promote the goal of making the principle of freedom valid for the dignity of all people and in all areas of society.