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13 Dec, 2023

Liberals deliver: Our 2023 in numbers

2023 has been a pivotal year for Europe’s liberals. Across the continent, we have fought challenges coming from the rise of populist and anti-democratic forces, threats to human rights and fundamental freedoms. But once again, liberals have risen to the occasion.

On their visits across Europe, our co-Presidents travelled to Ukraine, to show our continued and unwavering support and condemnation of Putin’s war of aggression, and Türkiye, to stand side by side with the victims of the devastating earthquake.

Keep reading to discover our liberal year "in numbers", from key achievements to a look ahead at next year's European elections.

15 – Elections contested by ALDE Party members

As liberals, we strive to change Europe one election at a time. Some of our 2023 highlights include:

  • Progresívne Slovensko entering the Slovak Parliament with the best-ever result for liberals (17.96%)
  • Eesti Reformierakond winning the parliamentary elections in Estonia
  • The coalition including Nowoczesna garnering the most votes in Poland
  • DP gaining more seats in Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies and local councils
  • MRF remaining among the leading Bulgarian parties
  • LPG winning a fourth consecutive election in Gibraltar
  • Memorable gains for the Alliance Party and Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom

6 – Liberal parties forming new governments

Six countries affirmed that liberals in government are the best possible solution for a sustainable and prosperous future for all. Take Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Naša Stranka leader Edin Forto became the party’s first minister in the national government, as did Petros Xenoponthos from DEPA in Cyprus and Nowoczesna party leader Adam Szłapka in Poland.

Eesti Reformierakond continued their leadership in Estonia with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas; DP remained in the Luxembourgish government as a strong partner; and three SFP Ministers took office in Finland following elections in April.

4 – New ALDE Party members

This year, the liberal family grew by four new members: Fokus from Croatia and CUB from Moldova joined us in May, while Italian parties Azione and libdem europei were welcomed in October.

10 – EU election lead candidates (so far)

We are gearing up for next year’s European elections, and 10 of our member parties have already picked the leaders which will top their electoral lists come June 2024.

6 – Manifesto town halls to shape our liberal vision for 2024

Over the past months, we have organised town hall meetings across Europe, bringing together citizens and liberal leaders for debates on key topics for our shared future.

From security and defence, to European enlargement, artificial intelligence and transport, we were happy to receive a great amount of feedback online and at our events.

We are now channelling these thoughts and concerns into our Manifesto for the European elections in 2024, which will be adopted at ALDE Party’s electoral kick-off event during the extraordinary Congress on 20-21 March 2024 in Brussels.

Read the recaps from our events in Denmark (June), Bulgaria (June), Portugal (August), Lithuania (September), Italy (September) and Latvia (November).

13+1 – New leaders (and one Secretary General)

As we fight to renew Europe, seven of our member parties brought renewed energy to the forefront of politics by electing new political leaders.

Six member parties also extended the mandates of their current leaders:

ALDE Party also embarked on new journeys in 2023. At our Congress, three new Vice-Presidents were elected to the ALDE Party Bureau: Malik Azmani (VVD, NL), Dan Barna (USR, RO) and Eva Kjer Hansen (Venstre, DK), while David Burke (Fianna Fáil, IE) was re-elected party treasurer.  

Finally, at our Council, members confirmed the nomination of Didrik de Schaetzen as ALDE Party Secretary General. Under his stewardship, we will continue a close cooperation with our member parties, partners and stakeholders ahead of the European elections.

17 – Resolutions adopted by European liberals

As liberals, we must adapt to the ever-changing political landscape. At ALDE Party Congress and Council, our members adopted key resolutions on issues such as the terrorist attacks of Hamas on Israel and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the rights of transgender people in the EU and a humanitarian approach towards EU migration policies in the Mediterranean.

Click here to read all adopted resolutions.

13 – ACT Campaigns launched

Throughout 2023, we sent out several calls to raise funds for those affected by natural disasters, took a stand against Uganda’s anti-LGBTQI+ bill and launched a groundbreaking campaign on the streets of Budapest to expose Viktor Orbán’s lies.

You can see our past campaigns and sign up to receive them here.

13 – Pre-Council Ministerial meetings

Liberals have shown their unity ahead of meetings of the Council of the European Union, convening in Brussels or Luxembourg to discuss items on the agenda and define a common direction for the negotiations.

ALDE Party and Renew Europe co-hosted 13 meetings of Ministers from our political family in various configurations including Economic and Financial Affairs, Environment and Transport.

22 – New graduates of the Alliance Of Her Academy

Since launching in 2016, the Alliance Of Her has become a dynamic, influential community committed to empowering liberal women to achieve their political goals.

The Spring Class of 2023 included 22 new graduates, growing our alumnae network to 218 female political leaders from 34 countries, including Ministers, members of parliament, local representatives and leaders within ALDE Party members.

Highlights include three Academy sessions, the stunning documentary film ‘She Will Be Heard’, a new Youth Summer Retreat and a spectacular summit in Amsterdam. In 2024, the Alliance Of Her will continue to unleash the network’s full power as a catalyst of change.

Please note that the listing above is by no means exhaustive: all our member parties have been working hard, winning seats in important elections, entering governments, starting initiatives at local, regional and national levels and promoting liberal values and priorities across Europe. You can find all our member parties listed on our website and follow them on social media with the help of our dedicated list on X.

You can also subscribe to subscribe to Liberal Insider, our weekly newsletter, to make sure you are the first to receive all the latest liberal news and views to your inbox.

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