C:LH7 October 2010 q ELDR News n°7 | www.eldr.eu
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The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR Party) brings together 56 political parties with common liberal, democratic and reform ideals and is the forum for member parties to develop co-ordinated policies.
8DCI:CIH PAGE 2 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź Stronger role for European parties means a more political ELDR âˆź Tackling the future: avoiding intergenerational clashes âˆź Broad toolbox needed to protect children
9ZbdXgVXn ^c :jgdeZ European populations are ageing rapid O\ WKDW LV (XURSHDQV OLYH PXFK ORQJHU RQ average than ever before. That is good QHZV EXW LW GRHV FKDOOHQJH WKH VXVWDL nability of our social security systems which evolved in periods of much shor ter life expectancy. Another important demographic challenge is that posed by the presence of large numbers of citi zens who migrated to our countries over the last half century. Both of these ma jor demographic challenges occur in a context of accelerating globalisation and RI D GHHS HFRQRPLF DQG oQDQFLDO FULVLV
PAGE 3 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź Reforming Europe – 5HoQLQJ WKH (8 EXGJHW âˆź European Liberals engage in direct dialogue with young citizens âˆź How to succeed as liberal political party âˆź Building a Liberal Europe
No wonder many citizens feel disorien WHG GHVWDELOLVHG DQG DOLHQDWHG 1R ZRQ der many citizens feel let down by their traditional political leaders and parties. Such a political and societal environment is a fertile ground for would be leaders ZKR SURSRVH VLPSOH VRXQGLQJ VROXWLRQV ZKR VLQJOH RXW DGYHUVDULHV RU HQHPLHV who pretend to better understand the SXEOLF WKDQ WKH HVWDEOLVKPHQW GRHV RU who do all of these things at the same WLPH :H KDYH VHHQ LW KDSSHQLQJ WLPH DQG DJDLQ LQ PDQ\ PHPEHU VWDWHV DQG the momentum seems to be gathering more force by the day.
PAGE 4 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź A direct European tax – realistic proposal or utopia? PAGE 5 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź Liberals succeed in Swedish elections âˆź (8523($16 :KR DUH WKH most politically engaged? âˆź .5(33$ 7KH ,FHODQGLF FULVLV – a unique case? PAGE 6 SPECIAL # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź Guide for Dummies Liberal highlights PAGE 8 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź A liberal drink with Dick Roche âˆź Reaching beyond Brussels : bridging the local with the European âˆź (/'5 93 QDPHG PRVW LQpXHQWLDO ZRPDQ LQ (XURSHDQ oQDQFH âˆź ELDR meetings in 2010
ÂŤ The Challenges of Demographic Change Âť was chosen as the main &RQJUHVV WRSLF PRUH WKDQ D \HDU DJR ,W was proposed to us by our two host par
ties and we adopted it because we felt that those challenges deserve more at tention than they generally receive from the other European political parties. The
G\ VHHPHG WR ERWKHU PXFK EXW QRZ WKDW UDGLFDO SHUVRQDOLWLHV PRYHPHQWV and parties are emerging and growing LQ PDQ\ PHPEHU VWDWHV TXHVWLRQV DUH oQDOO\ UDLVHG DERXW WKH IDWH RI GHPR cracy in Europe. Traditional political parties and opinion leaders of all kinds seem to be at a loss WR FRPH XS ZLWK HIoFLHQW DQVZHUV 7R brand such parties as “populist� clear ly does no good. Neither does it any good to proclaim that those who vote IRU WKHP DUH VWXSLG RU XQHGXFDWHG RU ill informed. 7R ORRN DZD\ LV QR VROXWLRQ HLWKHU QRU does it look like these waves of voter re volt will soon cease and everything will UHWXUQ EDFN WR QRUPDO L H WR D NLQG RI status pro ante. , LQWHQG WR XVH P\ ODVW \HDU DV (/'5 3UHVLGHQW WR ODXQFK D SURIRXQG GHEDWH on these and related issues. The Helsinki Congress should be the star ting point of this necessary and hope fully salutary refoundation of European liberalism.
7KH (XURSHDQ 8QLRQ KDV EHHQ D VFD , KRSH JUHDW QXPEHUV RI /LEHUDOV ZLOO SHJRDW RI FKRLFH IRU WKH ODVW oYH VL[ travel to Helsinki to participate in this \HDUV VR PXFK VR WKDW WKH YDULRXV (XUR new adventure. Sceptics now form a sizeable segment RI WKH (XURSHDQ 3DUOLDPHQW $V ORQJ DV the phenomenon seemed limited to âˆź Wn 6ccZb^Z CZnih"JniiZWgdZX` WKH IULQJHV RI WKH (XUR VSKHUH QRER :A9G EgZh^YZci
LZaXdbZ id =Zah^c`^ 7KH WKHPH RI WKLV \HDU V &RQJUHVV is “the challenges of demographic change�. The discussions will focus on how Europe will cope with issues such as its ageing population and strengthe ned global competition. These issues are extremely topical in (XURSH DV D ZKROH ,Q RUGHU WR PHHW WKH FKDOOHQJHV RI GHPRJUDSKLF FKDQJH Europe must choose to take the path of active involvement and succeed in the economic triathlon ahead.
7KH )LQQLVK &HQWUH 3DUW\ 6XRPHQ .HVNXVWD DQG WKH 6ZHGLVK 3HRSOH V 3DUW\ RI )LQODQG 6YHQVND )RONSDUWLHW have the pleasure of hosting the ELDR 3DUW\ &RQJUHVV LQ +HOVLQNL )LQODQG RQ q 2FWREHU
petitiveness and promoting sustai QDEOH JURZWK DUH FUXFLDO DV WKH\ DOVR facilitate balancing public expendi WXUH DQG VWDELOL]LQJ oQDQFLDO PDUNHWV 7KHUHIRUH ZH QHHG WR SURPRWH VWUXF tural changes necessary for econo mic reform.
$V IDU DV )LQODQG LV FRQFHUQHG ZH ZLOO be able to stabilize our economy by promoting growth and employment. These targets will be achieved by faci OLWDWLQJ ORQJHU FDUHHUV LQYHVWLQJ LQ 5 ' DQG LQQRYDWLRQ LPSURYLQJ SURGXFWLYL (XURSH V HFRQRPLF WULDWKORQ LQFOXGHV W\ HVSHFLDOO\ LQ WKH SXEOLF VHFWRU DQG three major targets: 1) stabilization by raising tax rates moderately. RI oQDQFLDO PDUNHWV EDODQFLQJ SX EOLF H[SHQGLWXUH DQG FRQWUROOLQJ GHEW ,Q RUGHU WR H[WHQG FDUHHUV DQG LPSURYH and 3) enhancing competitiveness and SURGXFWLYLW\ LW LV QHFHVVDU\ WR UHIRUP working life and to promote our em promoting growth. SOR\HHV DELOLWLHV WR FRSH DW ZRUN , EH There is a strong interdependence lieve that the ELDR can take a leading between the targets of this triathlon. role as regards reforming European ,Q WKH PHGLXP WHUP (XURSH V FRP working life.
For the purposes of promoting sustai QDEOH JURZWK P\ LQWHQWLRQ LV WR KDYH a national growth programme drawn XS IRU )LQODQG FRYHULQJ WKLV GHFDGH This programme will include public sector actions for improving the ge QHUDO HPSOR\PHQW UDWH LQYHVWPHQWV DQG WHFKQRORJLFDO GHYHORSPHQW WKH reby creating favourable conditions for JURZWK DQG FRQoGHQFH EHWZHHQ WKH various economic actors. Another ma jor element in the growth programme will have to be the responsible mana JHPHQW RI SXEOLF oQDQFHV EHFDXVH it will enhance our external credibili ty and create a stable operating envi URQPHQW IRU HFRQRPLF DFWRUV 7KLUGO\ the programme will address issues re lated to our competitiveness.
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