On this year’s Europe Day, the European Union launched the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFOE), an unprecedented democratic exercise directed towards gathering European citizens’ views, concerns and ideas about the future of Europe during the next year.

Actively pushed forward by the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament, the Conference on the Future of Europe is a joint endeavour by all three institutions: the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament. It is an important opportunity to discuss all the challenges we face together and to hear from citizens what they expect of Europe.

Europe’s liberals are committed to fostering an honest debate about the Future of Europe and liberals will play a key role in COFOE.

Therefore, ALDE Party has launched an ALDE COFOE web platform to:

1. Share liberal ideas and solutions to address European challenges
2. Invite our community to share ideas with us
3. Enable participation in different events related to COFOE
4. Provide resources to learn more about COFOE

Do not miss out on this opportunity to have your say in Europe’s future!

Moreover, on 11 May, ALDE Vice-President Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP and LYMEC hosted the event 'Europe of the Citizens – the Conference on the Future of Europe' to discuss the different elements of the Conference.

The event welcomed Commissioner for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica and Guy Verhofstadt MEP, member of the COFOE Executive Board, as keynote speakers and looked at how we can ensure the voices of citizens can be truly heard. The vision on the Future of Europe from the youth perspective was also discussed.

"Now is the time to take Europe in our hands, to take responsibility and to be active in shaping Europe", Kyuchyuk said.

The Conference on the Future of Europe inaugural event celebrated the launch of the participatory process set up by Parliament, Council and Commission.

The EU creates a space where people can debate on a par with elected representatives: https://t.co/hWLqELsDeT#TheFutureIsYours pic.twitter.com/XcNG2jPXV9

— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) May 9, 2021

The Conference on the Future of Europe has begun! Over the coming year Europeans of all ages, from all walks of life are being asked to join the biggest participatory process ever held in the European Union. pic.twitter.com/mkKf8VZQh3

— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) May 11, 2021

🇪🇺Today on #EuropeDay, the Conference on the Future of Europe starts! #CoFoE

European Citizens, the floor is yours! #TheFutureIsYours

Follow the inaugural event here 👇https://t.co/hFjjoxkbvz pic.twitter.com/2V7wchnaZK

— Renew Europe (@RenewEurope) May 9, 2021

"L'Europe ne se fera pas d'un coup, ni dans une construction d’ensemble”

71 years ago Schuman made the understatement of the century !

Work continues to make the EU fit for this century #CoFoE but today we celebrate all that we have achieved. #ProudEuropean 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/J88GF99ppE

— Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) May 9, 2021

For me, the EU is a space where we nurture also democracy and healthy democratic debate. It is up to all of us to engage and defend it. The aim of the Conference on the #FutureOfEurope is to give citizens an opportunity to shape Europe’s future. https://t.co/dHXWX1CDLA#EuropeDay pic.twitter.com/g2eQDaBdYO

— Věra Jourová (@VeraJourova) May 9, 2021

"We need to reflect on a new way forward for the #EU". Thank you @guyverhofstadt for your contributions on the #CoFoE #FutureofEurope 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/1tOuwsE5kx

— Ilhan Kyuchyuk (@ilhankyuchyuk) May 11, 2021