The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party describes itself as the party for liberal democrat values in Europe.
Together with our liberal member parties across the European continent we are translating the principle of freedom into politics, economics and all other areas of our societies. The ALDE Party provides an increasingly vital link between citizens and the EU institutions and is continuously growing in size and significance.
Liberal Democrats created their European political family in 1976 in view of the first European elections and in 1993 was established as a true transnational political party.
The ALDE Party consists of 57 member parties from across Europe.
The ALDE Party brings together Members of the European Parliament from among its member parties. Together with the MEPs from the European Democratic Party they form the third largest political force, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group, which is led by Guy Verhofstadt.
Every five years, European Liberal Democrats approve a common political programme for the European elections. Here is their 2014 Manifesto
The ALDE Party‘s overall values are described like this:
> Democracy, the rule of law, human rights, tolerance and solidarity
The ALDE Party believes in a Europe based on the fundamental Liberal principles of liberty, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, tolerance and solidarity.
> A fair, free and open society
We believe in a fair, free and open society which harnesses the abilities of each and every one of its citizens to participate fully in society, presenting them with the opportunities to fulfill their potential, free from poverty, ignorance, and discrimination.
> A prosperous Europe
To achieve these goals, we are striving to complete the internal market as a truly common economic area without internal frontiers and to reform Europe’s economy to make it more prosperous and competitive, with more jobs and stable prices for consumers, based on the principle of globally inclusive international free trade.
> Sustainable development and peace in the world
We are working to promote sustainable development and to protect our environment. We are campaigning for a safe and just society, ensuring a more peaceful and stable world.
> EU enlargement
As the most consistent and long-standing advocates of an early and wide enlargement of the European Union, we are delighted to have welcomed into the Union our friends from the new Member States. We are firmly resolved to further deepen, reinforce and enlarge the European Union.
> A transparent, democratic and accountable Europe
We campaign for a more transparent, democratic and accountable Europe, taking decisions only on those matters which require European solutions. We are in favour of a systematic application of the subsidiarity principle in order to bring decision-making as close to the citizen as possible.
> A European Constitution
ALDE Party supports a constitutional settlement for Europe. Liberal Democrats all over Europe have always campaigned for a strong constitution as the basis of democracy.