On 25 November, ALDE Party co-President Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP addressed a forum organised by ALDE Party member MRF in Sofia, Bulgaria, to discuss liberal priorities ahead of the 2024 European elections.

More than 200 young people attended the event entitled "Rethinking Europe: The liberal vision for the future of Europe” to discuss a wide range of key issues in the run-up to the elections due to be held in all EU member states on 6-9 June 2024.

Participants engaged in debates on EU integration and enlargement, democratic participation in an increasingly digital world, artificial intelligence and sustainability in business and travel.

The event builds on ALDE Party’s discussions with citizens at the Manifesto town hall events held throughout the last few months, providing a forum for young people to debate a liberal vision for the future of Europe.

"Next year will be marked by elections in key areas of the world that will rearrange the pieces on the geopolitical chessboard. Among them is undoubtedly the elections for the European Parliament, yet we cannot allow ourselves to talk about the European Union only at the doorsteps of the EU elections,” said co-President Kyuchyuk.

“And this is one of the major problems of Bulgarian politics, that after 17 years of membership to the Union, we continue treating it as an external body, as something distant. If we don't change our way of thinking and approach in this regard, if we don't step up our equality and solidarity, more and more young people will vote marginally and radically."

Other liberal leaders attended the event, including Monika Zajkova, leader of ALDE Party member LDP in North Macedonia.