The Easter weekend marked the 40th Anniversary of formation of the Alliance of Liberal Democrats in Europe (ALDE). ALDE is a political party is formed of an alliance many of the liberal and democrat parties in Europe.
The ALDE party was founded on 26 March 1976 in Stuttgart in Germany. It was the first cross border political family. More can be read on the Stuttgart declaration at the ALDE party site but suffice to say it is based on the Oxford Manifesto of 1947 and was was formed from fourteen parties from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as well as the International Liberal Youth Organisation and the Liberal Group in the European Parliament.
We meet twice a year to debate and vote on policy resolutions on which party policy, voted on in the European Parliament is based.
A list of the member parties for Congress and Council delegations is available here:
http://www.aldeparty.eu/sites/eldr/files/pages/12576/member-parties-congress-and-council-delegations-2016_0.pdf
The organisational structure can be seen here except that the Gender Equality Network can now put forward resolutions. This is just one of the ways in which the ALDE party as progressed the European collaboration of liberals to promote tolerance and understanding.
Happy Birthday ALDE.
Here is to the next forty years!
* Belinda Brooks-Gordon was #3 on the EU list in 2014, was a Cambridgeshire County Councillor, and is now an elected member of ALDE Council.