20 Oct 2024
LIBG is affiliated to Liberal International - the global federation of liberal parties. Its aims are to keep liberal values - human rights, social justice, democracy and rule of law - alive in the face of adversity. Working with like-minded parties across the globe, we want to keep Britain's pro-European, internationalist voice audible loud and clear across the globe.
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Germany’s Federal Election
A joint LIBG and LDEG event on 25 February 2025.
This joint LIBG and LDEG event was interesting, in-depth and well attended.The guest speakers were FDP MP Thomas Hacker, former MEP and founder of Women In Parliaments Silvana Koch- Mehrin, and LDEG chair (and resident of Germany) Rob Harrison. Sir Graham Watson chaired.
Initially each speaker spoke about the elections and their Liberal party, the Free Democratic Party which lost all seats, having been a junior coalition member. There was excellent analysis about how the party can improve itself as well as regret that they cannot help to influence the Bundestag at such an important time when Germany needs to be strong in Europe.
The far-right AfD achieved approximately 20% of the vote. They see themselves as the ‘nice face’ of the Nazis. The far-left party Die Linke also did well and these two extremist parties, which are both friendly with Putin, could vote together and prevent policies being adopted. So new Chancellor Merz will try to get a vote on some of the necessary changes BEFORE the new Bundestag comes in.
An analysis of voting patterns showed that AfD voters tend to be from East Germany and male voters from poorer regions in the West so integration is still an important issue for the new government.
Regarding defence and security, the new government should be stronger and play an important role in a more united Europe, possibly with French nuclear weapons stationed in Germany. On Ukraine, when the socialists were the strongest party, they managed to stop weapons to Ukraine. The Liberals succeeded in pushing for money to be given instead.
Thomas Hacker says, we have survived one month of Trump so only another 47 to go!
Trump, Harris and the Future of Transatlantic Relations
LIBG held a well-attended meeting on the first day of Liberal Democrat conference, discussing the future of NATO, Ukraine and American foreign policy. With an audience of over 130 people, LIBG was heartened by the show of interest in this crucial area of policy.
Mark Bergman, from the Democratic Party in Washington DC, refused to forecast the November 5th result. However, he left the meeting in no doubt that a Trump victory would have catastrophic consequences for Ukraine. He said that while Trump wants to withdraw the US from NATO, not all of his advisors shared this view, and that there was a chance that wiser heads might prevail. Phil Gordon, Kamala Harris’s likely national security advisor, has a track record suggesting not so much intervention (he was against the Iraq invasion and the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan), but of fighting to uphold the liberal, democratic values of partner nations. Rather than isolationism or America first, a Harris administration would see America as one among partners, working collaboratively.
Yevheniia Kravchuk, deputy chair of Ukraine’s ruling Servant of the People party, spoke movingly about the existential fight facing her nation. The meeting was also an opportunity for members to listen to the new MP for South Devon, Caroline Voaden. It was chaired by LIBG chair Irina von Wiese.
The general discussion on Ukraine included concerns that Putin would not stop short of crushing and erasing Ukrainian identity if he is allowed to occupy the country. If the international community loses the will to support Ukraine, the result will be a repressive occupation in which thousands are imprisoned, tortured and killed.
When discussing the likelihood that Putin might respond to the use of Storm Shadow missiles on Russian soil, there was a view that a massive cyber attack on the UK could be more likely. This is concerning as the British public is in no way prepared for such an attack, and the UK government should be educating people to understand the scale of disruption that is possible, should the Kremlin decide to unleash its cyber capabilities.
More details will be included in the next edition of InterLib.
Many thanks to Rebecca Tinsley for organising this event.
Video of Russia's Other European Neighbours meeting
This LIBG forum on Russia’s ‘other’ European Neighbours took place on 27 June 2023 and can be seen on video here https://www.thepaddyashdownforum.org/russias-other-european-neighbours/
12 Jul 2023
Russia’s other European Neighbours
27 June 1830-2000 hours Since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022, attention has focused quite rightly on the war. Threats and instability abound
17 Jun 2023
LI paper on climate displacement
This paper has bene issued by the Liberal International Climate Justice Committee and cna be viewed here: https://liberal-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Climate-Induced_Final.pdf
4 Oct 2021
Report of LIBG forum on deforestation
How to stop deforestation
6 May 2020
Statement by Ed Davey on Iran situation
We are living in dangerous times.
9 Jan 2020