About

45 years of freedom: Liberals and Democrats across Europe created their family in 1976, and in 1993 established even further to form a true European political party, fighting every day for your rights and freedoms.

 

History

In view of the first European elections, fourteen parties from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom gathered for the constituent congress in Stuttgart, Germany on 26-27 March 1976. The Liberal Group of the European Parliament and representatives of the International Liberal Youth Organisation also took part.

This marked the creation of the first cross-border European political family. A further result of the deliberations in Stuttgart was the adoption of the Stuttgart Declaration, our declaration of principles, based on the Oxford Manifesto of 1947.

At the European Liberal Democrat Congress in Dublin on 8-10 November 2012, delegates voted overwhelmingly to change the name of the party from the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) to Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party to strengthen ties with the European Parliamentary group.