ALDE Party Congress – Vienna 2026

ALDE Party Congress – Vienna 2026

Registration is currently not possible.

The ALDE Party Congress will take place in Vienna, Austria on July 3–4, 2026.

 

Link
Saturday, 04.07.2026 
09:00
Opening of registrations

Badge required at the entrance & App is required for voting 

09:00 - 09:30
Welcome Coffee
Gaston Thorn (Liberal Village)
09:30 - 10:30
Our Leaders on the Latest Global Developments

Speakers: Kristen Michal - Prime Minister of Estonia | Oana Țoiu - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania| Thomas Byrne - Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Fianna Fáil, Ireland | Oleksandr Korniyenko MP - Deputy Chair of Parliament, Servant of the People Party Leader, Ukraine | Moderator: Anna Stürgkh MEP - NEOS, AT

Willy Declercq room
Breakout sessions II
Georgia: the Battle for Fundamental Rights on Europe's doorstep

10:30-11:00

Breakout session by Girchi - More Freedom (GE)

Speaker: Zurab Girchi Japaridze - Girchi, GE | Moderator: Baroness Sal Brinton - ALDE Party Vice-President, President of the Liberal International Human Rights Committee

Willy Declercq room
Inside João Cotrim de Figueiredo's Presidential campaign in Portugal

11:00-11:30

Breakout session by Iniciativa Liberal (PT)

Speaker(s): João Cotrim de Figueiredo MEP -  Renew Europe Vice-President, Iniciativa Liberal, PT

Willy Declercq room
Management Capability as Political Advantage

10:30-11:00

Breakout session by USR, RO

Speaker: Radu Mihail, former Member of Parliament, USR, RO

Colette Flesch room
From Digital Tools to Political Action: Building the Next Generation of European Parties

10:30-11:00

Breakout session by NEOS, AT

Speakers: Martin Steiner, Head of Organisational Development, NEOS; Carl Philipp Burkert, CEO, Universum; Ise Siebenhaar, Product Lead for Member Apps, Universum

Hans-Dietrich Genscher room
Between Budapest and Belgrade: Gen Z Fighting for Democracy

11:00-11:30

Breakout session by Momentum (HU)

Speakers: Kincső Szilas - Momentum Party Leader | Anna Donath - Former Momentum MEP | Ilija Jerković - LYMEC Treasurer

Hans-Dietrich Genscher room
EU Industrial Competitiveness & "Made in Europe"

10:30 – 11:30

ALDE stakeholders session

Speakers: Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP -  Fianna Fáil, IE | Emma Wiesner MEP -  Centerpartiet, SE | Luigi Marattin MP - Party Leader of Partito Liberaldemocratico, IT | Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Paqué - Liberal International President | Moderator: Dan Barna MEP - ALDE Party VP & MEP USR Romania

Hans Van Baalen room
Future Forum Workshop: Your Ideas Matter

10:30-11:30

Workshop by ALDE Party, ELF and FNF

 Moderators (Democracy track): Elena Linczenyiova - Head of Communication Unit (ALDE Party)  |  Raphael Velez - Research & Campaigns Manager (ALDE Party) 

Moderators (Economy track):  Brigitte Van den Berg MEP - Board Member European Liberal Forum, D66, NL | Maartje Schulz - Policy and Research Manager, European Liberal Forum (ELF) | Alva Finn - Executive Director, European Liberal Forum (ELF)

 Moderators (Security track):  Jeroen Dobber

A hands-on, hackathon-style workshop by ALDE Party, ELF and FNF exploring three key questions for Europe: How do we restore trust in liberal democracy, adapt labour markets to the age of AI, and respond to a post-NATO security scenario? Guided by expert moderators, participants will develop concrete solutions and contribute to a broader reflection on Europe in 2050.

Gaston Thorn - Liberal Village
Future of Elections under Russian Threat: Lessons from the Elections in Romania and the Republic of Moldova

10:30-11:30

Hosted by FNF

 Speaker(s): Raimar Wagner - Project Director of FNF Romania and Republic of Moldova |  Ionuț Moșteanu - MP, USR Romania |  Francesca Cristea - Head of Policy & Programs at Europuls Romania | Daniel Vodă - Associated Senior Expert on Foreign Policy and Strategic Communication at The Institute for European Policies and Reforms. Former Spokesperson of the Moldovan Government.

Paddy Ashdown room
Press Talk with Garry Kasparov

10:00-10:30

Media representatives can meet Garry Kasparov – democracy advocate, bestselling author, technology pioneer and world chess legend – for a thought-provoking conversation on leadership, freedom and Europe’s role in defending democratic values. 

Hosted by MEP Helmut Brandstätter.

Uffe Ellemann-Jensen room
Congress Press Conference

10:45-11:30

The official Congress Press Conference will present the Vienna Declaration, the Congress’s final document highlighting key liberal reforms delivered by liberal governments across Europe and setting out a vision for a stronger, more competitive and future-ready Europe.

Uffe Ellemann-Jensen room
10:45 - 11:30
Press conference

Speakers:​  Svenja Hahn MEP - ALDE Party President  |  Kristen Michal - Prime Minister of Estonia |   Beate Meinl-Reisinger - Minister of Foreign Affairs & NEOS Party Leader

Uffe Ellemann-Jensen room
11:00 - 12:30
Integration, education and local action: Councillors’ exchange

Speaker(s):  Karīna Miķelsone - First Vice-President of Renew Europe CoR, Municipal Councillor in Ādaži  | Dolores Bakos - Member of the Vienna City Council and State Parliament, Spokesperson for Education, Integration and Women | Mirja Vehkaperä - Third Vice-President of Renew Europe CoR, Chair of the Regional Welfare Services North Ostrobothnia  | Moderator: Selma Arapović - Parliamentary Group Chair, Vienna City Council and State Parliament

C​olette Flesch room
11:30 - 12:30
Freedom Talks - The Future of Democracy in the Age of Algorithms

Speaker(s): Anders Adlercreutz - Minister of Education of Finland, SFP Party Leader | Anett Numa - Cybersecurity expert & Chief of International Affairs at NEVERHACK | Josephine Ballon - CEO of HateAid | Garry Kasparov - Writer and Member of the PACE Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces introduced by Iulian Bulai MP - President of ALDE PACE 

Simone Veil room
11:30 - 12:30
Designing Europe's biotech ecosystem: Innovation & sustainable health systems

Interactive Discussion 

Facilitator: Clare Colleran Molloy - Local Councillor & Member European Committee of the Regions

Gaston Thorn (Liberal Village)
12:30 - 13:30
Lunch Break
Gaston Thorn
13:00 - 14:00
Who Governs Technology? Responsibility, Rules and the Role of Business in a Global Tech Race

Hosted by ELF

Speaker(s): Jan-Christoph Oetjen MEP - President European Liberal Forum  |  Christoph Wiederkehr - Minister of Education of Austria, NEOS  |  Alva Finn - Executive Director, European Liberal Forum |  Brigitte van den Berg MEP - Board Member European Liberal Forum 

Hans van Baalen
13:30 - 13:45
Keynote Speech Rob Jetten (video message)

Video message: Rob Jetten - Prime Minister of the Netherlands, D66 Party Leader 

Simone Veil room
13:45 - 16:30
Congress Session

Chaired by Ines Holzegger MP- NEOS

Debate and vote on resolutions  |  Vote on Statutory changes

Simone Veil room
16:30 - 16:50
Liberal Awards Ceremony

Lifetime achievement Award presented by Jan-Christoph Oetjen MEP - ELF President

Rising star Award presented by Yannick Shetty MP - NEOS Parliamentary Group Leader

Liberal of the year Award presented by Svenja Hahn​ MEP - ALDE Party President

Simone Veil room
16:50 - 17:00
Closing Ceremony

Announcement of the Bureau election results, by Didrik de Schaetzen - ALDE Party Secretary General

Closing remarks by ALDE Party President

Simone Veil room