ILF IFLI

Iberian Liberal Forum in the Iberian Peninsula

14-15 September 2012 Vigo, (Spain)

Organizers

Galician Society for Freedom and Democracy - GALIDEM (Galicia, Spain) The Gibraltar Liberal Party (Gibraltar)

With the financial support of the European Parliament , the European Liberal Democratic and Reform Party (ELDR ) and the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit . Index

1. Motivation and Goals 2. Event Information & Contacts 3. Preliminary Program 4. Iberian Liberal Meeting 5. Addresses & Maps 6. Participant List 7. Participant Organizations

1. Motivation and Goals

The Iberian Liberal Forum aims to be a meeting point for different associations and political parties in the Iberian Peninsula.

The meeting has three goals: i) Increase the interaction among the liberal organizations in the Iberian Peninsula; ii) Promote discussion, through a series of paper presentations and round tables, on particular problems faced by citizens living in the Iberian Peninsula; iii) Share experiences with other organization, in Iberia and outside, through plenary sessions.

2. Event Information

The Iberian Liberal Forum 2012 will be held on 14-15 September 2012. The venue site is H. Bahia de Vigo , and the hotel accommodation is Hotel America .

The event is organized by Galician Society for Freedom and Democracy- GALIDEM (Galicia, Spain), and the Gibraltar Liberal Party (Gibraltar), being the former the coordinator and local host.

A in the map : Hotel America (Hotel Accommodation)

B in the map : Hotel Bahía de Vigo (ILF venue) Distance 400 meters by walking (5mn) 3. Program

Hour 14 September 15 September Hour Iberian Liberal Forum Meeting 9:00 (Only by invitation) 9:30 Manfred Richter 10:00 On Party Building: Questions and Comments 10:30 Contributed Session: Liberalism and Policy Issues 11:00 Bernardo Rabassa (Club N.L.S.XXI ) "The role of Liberal Clubs and their future in Spain 2012-2015" José Santiago Vazquez Rojel (PLSD) "Time has come 11:30 for a liberal Political Option In Spain" 12:00 Opening - GLP, Galidem 12:00 Coffee-Break Marc Guerrero i Tarragó 12:30 What do liberal parties (and associations) have in 12:30 Andrew Duff common in Europe? 13:00 13:00 (CDC / Vice-President ELDR) The State of the Union 13:30 (UK Liberal Democrats / ALDE Group / President of the 13:30 UEF) Lunch 14:00 Farewell Address - GLP, Galidem 14:00 14:30 14:30 15:00 Manfred Richter Lunch 15:00 15:30 On Party Building 15:30 16:00 Free Democratic Party (F.D.P.) / Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom 16:30 Coffee-Break 17:00 Contributed Session: Liberalism, Economics and Society Francisco Cacharro (P-Lib) "The liberal alternative in Spain: some keys to build it" 17:30 Miguel Duarte (MLS) "Digital Civil Rights in Europe" 18:00 18:30 19:00 ROUNDTABLE (Public Open Session) 19:30 Improving the Quality of our Democracy 20:00 Presentation: Francisco X. Lores (galidem) Introduction: Rafael Villaró (Acció per la Democràcia and radical.es) 20:30 Participants: Manfred Richter (FDP / Naumann Foundation for Freedom), Carlos Vázquez Padín (Converxencia XXI), Antonio Carlos Pereira Menaut (Univ. Santiago de Compostela) 21:00 21:30 22:00 Dinner

3.1 Speakers

Andrew Duff Member of the European Parliament UK Liberal Democrats/ ALDE Group ALDE spokesman on Constitutional Affairs President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) andrewduff.eu

Marc Guerrero i Tarragó Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) Vice-President ELDR www.eldr.eu/media/cms/CV_marc_guerrero.pdf

Manfred Richter Free Democratic Party (F.D.P.) Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom http://www.nord-com.net/manfred.richter/lbslfen.htm

3.2 Public Open Session (Friday, 14 th September 19:00)

An open session for general public will be held on Friday 14 th , September at 19:00. The format will consist on a presentation of a particular liberal issue of public interest followed by a roundtable. The topic will be Improving the Quality of our Democracy . The association Acció per la Democràcia and the ILF member radical.es will present the proposal for modify the electoral law, followed by a roundtable with the participation of members of the ILF meeting.

Directions: Casa del Libro , Calle de Velázquez Moreno 27

A in the map : Hotel America (Hotel Accommodation)

B in the map : Casa del Libro (Public Open Session) Distance 350 meters by walking (5mn) 4. Iberian Liberal Meeting Agenda (invitation only meeting)

The following items will be discussed on 15 September at the Iberian Liberal Meeting (09:00 to 10:30):

1. Report of the ILF2012 coordinator. 2. New membership proposals vote (if new organizations wish to join ILM); 3. Revenue of the 2012 Membership fee, and its use; 4. Feedback about the meeting organization and improvement suggestions: results of the survey to the participant associations 5. Internal Regulations proposal; 6. Selection of new supporting organization of the ILM for the 2012/2013 mandate; 7. Any other business.

5. Addresses & Maps

5.1 Hotel Accommodation (A in the map)

Hotel America *** (A in the map) Pablo Morillo 6 E36201 Vigo - Spain Tel. + 34- 986 43 89 22 / Mobile + 34- 687 888 990 Fax. + 34- 986 43 70 56 http://www.hotelamerica-vigo.com/

5.2 ILF Venue

Hotel Bahía de Vigo Cánovas Del Castillo, 24 E36202 Vigo

A in the map : Hotel America (Hotel Accommodation)

B in the map: Hotel Bahía de Vigo (ILF venue) Distance 400 meters by walking (5mn) 6. Participant List (10th September)

Surname, Name Organization E-mail Alonso Rodríguez, Francisco José Union Centrista Liberal (UCL) [email protected] Cacharro, Francisco Partido de la Libertad Individual (P-Lib) [email protected] Covelo Roma, Rosendo Gonzalo Partido Nacional Galego - Partido Galeguista [email protected] (PNG-PG) Del Río Iglesias, Fernando Asociación Galega pola Liberdade e a [email protected] Democracia (galidem) Duarte, Miguel Movimento Liberal Social (MLS) [email protected] Duff, Andrew UK Liberal Democrats/ ALDE Group [email protected] Giménez, Eduardo L. Asociación Galega pola Liberdade e a [email protected] Democracia (galidem) Guerrero i Tarragó, Marc Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) [email protected] and Vice-President ELDR Kaiser, Markus Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom [email protected] Lodeiro Mella, Anxo Converxencia XXI [email protected] Lores, Francisco X. Asociación Galega pola Liberdade e a [email protected] Democracia (galidem) Pereira Menaut, Antonio-Carlos Universidade de Santiago de Compostela [email protected] Mikel, Pérez-Nievas Asociación Galega pola Liberdade e a [email protected] Democracia (galidem) Rabassa Asenjo, Bernardo Club Nuevo Liberalismo Siglo XXI [email protected] Richter, Manfred Free Democratic Party and Friedrich Naumann [email protected] Foundation for Freedom Rodríguez Sampayo, Antonio Asociación Galega pola Liberdade e a [email protected] Democracia (galidem) Vázquez Padín, Carlos Converxencia XXI [email protected] Vázquez Rojel, José Santiago Partido Liberal Social Demócrata [email protected] Villaró, Rafael radical.es [email protected]

7. Participant Organizations

Asociación Galega pola Liberdade e a Democracia (Galidem) The Galician Society for Freedom and Democracy, GALIDEM, is the Galician liberal think-tank. GALIDEM has two main purposes: First, to pose a serious debate on Galician public policy issues, by proposing ideas grounded on academic research. Second, education: by organizing seminars and publishing non-technical reports and articles, as well as publishing teaching materials on liberalism and economics to be used at classrooms for young students. GALIDEM is member of the ELF asbl. http://www.galidem.eu

Club Nuevo Liberalismo Siglo XXI http://www.facebook.com/pages/Club-Nuevo-Liberalismo-Siglo- XXI/360917317289352

Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya is a Catalan nationalist party, democratic, pluralistic, progressive and humanist, whose axis of its political philosophy (speech and performance) the overall development and welfare of people and aims to achieve a just society, united and free and independent. Convergència has political elected members at local, regional, Spanish and European parliaments. Convergència is member of the ELDR. http://www.convergencia.cat/

Converxencia XXI Converxencia XXI is a political force that defines itself as Galician, European, democratic, social and economic liberal, with social sensible, aconfessional, which aims to defend the collective interests of Galicia, in order to generate the best conditions for the individual development of its inhabitants. Converxencia XXI has political elected members at local councils. http://www.converxencia.eu/

Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit (FNF) The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is the foundation for liberal politics in the Federal Republic of Germany. It aims to promote the goal of making the principle of freedom valid for the dignity of all people and in all areas of society, both in Germany and abroad. In Germany the Foundation offers diverse forums to exchange of information and experience in present-day contexts. Abroad, the support of human rights, rule of law and democracy in more than 60 countries form the core of the work of the regional offices in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Central America. The Foundation supports local, regional, and national initiatives to advance the rights of minorities, the democratic control of security forces and for strengthening international human rights coalitions. The Foundation assists the development of democratic and constitutional structures by supporting liberal parties and groups. A strong network of associations of democratic parties, of human rights organisations and of academic establishments forms the basis of the foundation’s activity abroad. The Foundation’s central idea, both at home and abroad, is the realisation of freedom and responsibility. http://www.en.freiheit.org/

Liberal Party of Gibraltar (LPG) The Liberal Party of Gibraltar has the following aims and objectives: to secure the decolonisation of Gibraltar through the freely and democratically expressed wishes of the people of Gibraltar in exercise of their right to self-determination; to resist the territorial claim to Gibraltar on the part of the Kingdom of Spain and to totally reject and repudiate that claim wherever possible; to defend and promote Gibraltar's cause in as many international fora as it can gain access to; and to make its best contribution to Gibraltar and for the Gibraltarians by being in Government, and it will continue to strive towards that objective through the democratic process. Liberal Party of Gibraltar has political elected members at the UK and European parliaments. Liberal Party of Gibraltar is member of the ELDR. http://www.liberal.gi/ Movimento Liberal e Social (MLS) The Liberal Social Movement has as objective to promote social liberalism in Portugal. MLS stands for (i) the sovereignty of the individual: the inalienable right to live one's life and to seek happiness; (ii) a more just society, regulated by merit, where all can freely exercise their talents and develop their potential, free from any control or pressure in an environment of solidarity and respect between individuals; (iii) equality in front of the law, always with respect for the right to differ; (iv) a state that is reduced to the essential minimum but that assures (in a sustainable way and following the subsidiary principle) the defense of the individual and society, private property, Justice, the existence of basic health and social security services, high quality education and the protection of cultural and environmental heritage; and, (v) market economy, but always under state control, as corrective element of the inevitable disequilibria. Movimento Liberal Social is member of the ELF asbl and IFLRY. http://www.liberal-social.org/

Partido de la Libertad Individual (P-Lib) The Partido de la Libertad Individual is a anticolectivist and democratic political force, which relies its mission, goals and daily action on the liberal, radical, libertarian thinking; and its philosophical tenets on the secular rationalism and on the Randian Objectivism. The mission of the Partido de la Libertad Individual is to conquer the highest possible levels of freedom for each people, by giving him/her back the power that has been appropriated by various forms of economic collectivism, social, cultural and political. http://www.p-lib.es/

Partido Liberal Social Demócrata The Partido Liberal Social Demócrata is a Center-Liberal and Social- Democratic political party. Its aim concern is the welfare and the defence of the rights and opportunities of the middle class in Spain. It is an evolucionary party since it has the constant political evolution as its goal, for a better adaptation in a changing world. It is a secular party, but absolutely respectful of individual religious beliefs, and it is respectful with the concept of Spain as a nation of nations. PLSD believes that prosperity only comes from liberal policies, and social policies with education, Health system, pensions, infrastructure and development as its priorities. PLSD is attached to the concept of Liberty is inextricably linked to the concept of social responsability. http://www.plsd.es/

Partido Nacionalista Galego - Partido Galeguista (PNG-PG) The Partido Nacionalista Galego – Partido Galeguista is a party social- liberal, nationalistic, democratic, progressive and humanist who advocates individual freedom of the Galicians. PNG-PG has the democracy, dialogue and solidarity as the the basic rules of coexistence, and aims to defend the interests of Galicia. At present, the PNG-PG develops the political work in the new political force, Compromiso por Galicia, along with other Galician progressive forces. http://www.png-pg.org/

radical.es radical.es is a liberal political network, secular, libertarian citizens and entities that move through campaigns and actions, and whose aims are the rights, law, freedoms and democracy. radical.es defends international justice, freedom of scientific research or the secular state, transnational movement with the struggle for human rights and freedoms civic where there can be exercised radical.es express and support the radical movement in Spain, and transnationally in Portugal and Latin America, expanding the space for free exercise of civic and political responsibilities of each one. http://www.radical.es/

Union Centrista Liberal (UCL) UCL is a liberal Democrat, centrist, progressive, environmentalist, and with strong social content, linked to the activities of organized civil society. UCL supports the private sector, and small and medium enterprises, against oligopolistic and monopolistic tendencies of large corporations. UCL defending quality public services, particularly health and education, and efficient public administrations at the service of citizens. Except in times of crisis, UCL also advocates a limited government intervention, lower taxes and control of public debt. http://www.unioncentristaliberal.org/