Ciudadanos, Nowoczesna, Naša stranka and Civic Position join ALDE Party - Main contents
The ALDE Party welcomes four new member parties: Ciudadanos from Spain, Nowoczesna from Poland, Naša stranka from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Civic Position from Ukraine. The four parties have been officially accepted at the ALDE Party Council meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Saturday 4 June, hosted by ALDE Party member Liberal Movement.
Speaking after today's vote, ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen MEP said: "I am very pleased that today four more parties have become members of the growing European liberal family.
On the one hand, Ciudadanos in Spain and Nowoczesna in Poland represent two new centrist forces that have the potential to promote liberalism within the political systems of two of the largest countries in the European Union. On the other hand, Naša stranka from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Civic Position from Ukraine are developing as strong and progressive forces for liberal and European values in their respective countries."
"We are looking to working closely with all of them and to strengthening our cooperation and experience-sharing in the months and years to come."
Ciudadanos, Nowoczesna and Civic Position have joined as full member parties while Naša stranka has joined as affiliate member party.
Ciudadanos
Ciudadanos (C's), led by Albert Rivera, is a new liberal-centrist force in Spain. C's is currently the main oposition party in the Catalan Parliament as they emerged as second force in the latest elections in Catalonia. In the latest general elections in Spain in December 2015, Ciudadanos obtained 40 of the 350 deputies of the Spanish Parliament, positioning itself as fourth political force in the country. The party is currently campaigning for the snap general elections to take place on 26 June in Spain.
Nowoczesna
Nowoczesna is a centrist political party in Poland founded in May 2015 by the economist Ryszard Petru. The party received 7.6% of the votes in the 2015 Polish parliamentary election, which resulted in winning 28 seats in the Sejm. They are currently a strong opposition force challenging the government led by Law and Justice.
Naša Stranka
Naša Stranka is a social-liberal political party from Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Predrag Kojović, with one seat in the Federation House of Representatives. However, Naša stranka is becoming increasingly influential and respected in policymaking, and with its sights firmly fixed on the 2018 general election and a growing membership base of supporters around the country will continue building in strength as a progressive force for a pro-European future for Bosnia and Herzegovina and a society of equal opportunities for its citizens.
ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen MEP commented: “I am very optimistic about the direction of travel of Naša stranka and under the very capable leadership of Predrag Kojović I believe they will continue to develop as a strong and progressive force for liberal and European values in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Civic Position
Civic Position is a political party in Ukraine registered in March 2005 and led by former Ukrainian Minister of Defence Anatoliy Hrytsenko. Civic Position is a party with a liberal and forward-looking vision for Ukraine and it is one of the few political parties free of oligarch influence challenging the nepotism in Ukrainian politics.
The ALDE Party now consists of 59 member parties and many individual members from 38 countries across Europe.
Around 200 European liberals and democrats have come together for the ALDE Party Council meeting in Vilnius, which offered opportunities for debate on resolutions and a diverse programme of fringe discussions and social networking opportunities for liberals and democrats from across Europe.