On 4-5 May, the European Liberal Forum (ELF) gathered a record number of representatives from their member organisations for a Spring General Assembly in Paris.

To kick off the two-day event, the ELF Policy and Research Unit hosted an insightful Working Group on defence, in line with a presentation of the new ELF Policy Paper on ‘The New European Defence and Security Agenda’ by Dr. Thierry Tardy. The Working Group concluded that although the EU has proven to be a central strategic actor in the managing the response to the war in Ukraine, European actors have no other choice than to face the complex reality of the current situation.

ALDE Party Co-President Senator Timmy Dooley shared remarks at the opening dinner, highlighting the longstanding cooperation between ALDE Party and ELF:

“As we prepare for the European elections in 2024, the ALDE Party and ELF cooperation is stronger than ever. We are united in our ambition to create a more liberal Europe. The challenges we face today demand a resolute and cohesive response, and our collaboration serves as the backbone of our efforts. We must seize this moment to showcase the power of liberal values, policies, and leadership, and to demonstrate that the principles we hold dear are the key to unlocking a brighter, more prosperous future for Europe.”

United in our ambition to create a more liberal Europe ahead of the 2024 European 🇪🇺 elections!#ALDEParty Co-President @timmydooley shares remarks at the @EurLiberalForum General Assembly this evening pic.twitter.com/hGVlPXRAbN

— ALDE Party (@ALDEParty) May 4, 2023

On the second day of the event, ELF President Hilde Vautmans MEP presented an overview of the last year’s achievements, sharing how challenges such as the changing geopolitical landscape and rising cost of living have shown how every organisation must be resilient. ELF welcomed several new members during the event, including Europe Georgia Institute (Georgia), Institute for Freedom and Democracy (Romania) and Liberal Institute Skopje (North-Macedonia) as full members. New ELF affiliate members include Fondacija za Liberalnu Praktičnu Politiku (Serbia), Liberal Action (Moldova), Liberal Democracy Institute (Lithuania), the Reforms and Research Group (Georgia) and O Tara ca Afara (Romania).