Graham Watson MEP

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is born

Published on Wednesday 14th July 2004

"The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is born", Graham Watson announced today at a joint press conference to launch the new Group. Alongside UDF leader Francois Bayrou MP and Paolo Costa MEP (La Margherita/Italy), Mr Watson confirmed the creation of the new Group with 88 MEPs from 19 countries and presented the Group's ten point programme for Europe. In a video message, Francesco Rutelli MP, President of La Margherita, expressed his support for the candidacy of Bronislaw Geremek for the Presidency of the European Parliament. Mr Watson also commented on the Group's hearing with Mr Barroso.

Graham Watson, who was elected the leader of the ALDE Group by a large majority, said:

"I am proud to announce that the new Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe was formally created last night and that I have the honour to lead this group. Yesterday, the MEPs of the former ELDR Group united with French MEPs from the UDF, Italian MEPs from the Margherita and others to create a new, pro-European centre force in the European Parliament. "

"At the foundation of the ALDE Group, we have assembled 88 MEPs from the liberal and democratic traditions. In addition to the MEPs of the former ELDR, the UDF and La Margherita, we are pleased to count in our ranks 5 MEPs from the Lithuanian Labour Party, 2 Italian Radicals, Gérard Deprez (MR/BE) and Jose Ortuondo (PNV/ES). As we anticipated, the creation of this new Group has created a dynamic which has already attracted others, and we expect other MEPs to join us in the course of this legislature. Indeed, we invite all those who share our values and are disillusioned in their groups to join us."

"The new ALDE Group is the largest third force in the history of the European Parliament. We have begun to uncover the power that lies latent in the political centre. As the name suggests, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe has a deeply pro-European philosophy. We are commited to building an effective, open, European Union, better able to act in the world and secure the prosperity of the people it represents. The first of the ten points on the program that we launch today commits us to a genuine demcracy of the European peoples through a European Union in the Federal tradition. We will be championing and campaigning for the European Constitution. We are an unequivocal rejection of euroscepticism's claim to have captured the spirit of the times. "

"The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the tool, it is not the job. This new group must be measured by its ability indelibly to imprint Liberal and Democratic values on the legislation of the European Union. We will be campaigning together for our ten point programme and most immediately, we will be fighting to see Bronislaw Geremek elected President of the European Parliament."

Commenting on the ALDE Group's hearing with Mr Barroso Mr Watson said:

"Mr Barroso was well received by the ALDE Group in this morning's hearing, and I think we have begun to take the measure of Mr Barroso. But before we take a position next week, the Group will be seeking specific commitments from Mr Barroso on a number of questions, for example on the status of any super commissioners and on the question of a better gender mix in the Commission. Our position on Mr Barroso will be dependent on the quality of his commitments. We will give him a fair hearing when he addresses us in plenary next week, and we invite the EPP-ED Group to do the same when they hear from Mr Geremek."