European Liberal Forum

🗳️ How do you rebuild trust in elections after years of systemic electoral fraud? For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the answer this year was historic: biometric voter identification and ballot scanners, rolled out for the first time in general elections - a change that civil society campaigned for, that 86% of citizens said they wanted, and that political parties fought at every step. 🎙️ In this week's episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre sits down with Hasan Kamenjaković, PR Manager at the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, Pod lupom — the civic coalition of 37 NGOs that has monitored elections across Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2014. 🎧 Listen to the episode here: liberalforum.eu/podcast/elec…

🇷🇸 Congratulations to Serbia’s student movement on an extraordinary election victory! 👏 What began as a student-led movement demanding accountability and democratic change has now translated into an electoral breakthrough. A powerful reminder that young people can stand up, organise, and change their country's political future.

The collapse of Novi Sad's railway station canopy in 2024 sparked a protest movement that reshaped Serbian politics. This Sunday, Serbia heads to the polls. ➡️But what does the tragedy reveal about China's flagship infrastructure investments in Europe? Our latest policy paper investigates the Budapest–Belgrade railway, exposing the risks of opaque financing, alleged corruption and weak oversight – and exploring how the EU can offer a better alternative. 📖Read more here: liberalforum.eu/publication/…

For Iranian women, showing their hair is not just an act of defiance. It is a fight for freedom, identity and democracy. From challenging compulsory hijab to confronting an authoritarian regime, Iranian women's fight goes far beyond the right to choose what to wear. 🎙️ In a powerful episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, women's rights activist Masih Alinejad joins Leszek Jażdżewski to discuss the courage of Iranian women, the struggle for democracy and why the international community cannot afford to look away. When women risk their lives for freedoms we take for granted, silence is not an option. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation and hear why the fight for women's rights in Iran is a fight for freedom everywhere. 🔗Listen here: liberalforum.eu/podcast/the-…

❗Don’t miss out, register now to this year’s Techno-Politics Forum on space! ➡️Registration here: bit.ly/44iaDF4

❓How should Europe protect children online without losing sight of digital rights? ➡️Together with EPICENTER Network, we’re bringing policymakers, experts, civil society and industry around the table to move beyond the “ban or no-ban” debate and ask a bigger question: How do we build an online environment that is genuinely safer for children? 📅 4 November 08:00–10:00am 📍 European Parliament 👉 Register here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/u15-socia…

❓How is Europe doing in the race for the space? ➡️Find out at this year’s Techno-Politics Forum in November! Save the date and register: bit.ly/44iaDF4

❗From age verification to restrictions on social media access, European policymakers face increasingly difficult choices about how to make the digital world safer for young people. The stakes go beyond a simple yes or no to social media bans. How do we balance child protection, privacy, freedom of expression and the responsibility of digital platforms? ➡️On 4 November, the European Liberal Forum and EPICENTER are bringing the debate to the European Parliament bringing together policymakers, experts, civil society and industry around the table. 🔗 Join the discussion and register here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/u15-socia…

🚀Europe must own its future by investing in the technologies and capabilities that will define global power in the twenty-first century. Space is one of those defining domains. ➡️Join us at this year’s Techno-Politics Forum in November to discuss where is Europe in the race to space! Registration: bit.ly/44iaDF4

🗳️This week's presidential election in Bulgaria comes at a moment when the country’s European and geopolitical direction is increasingly under scrutiny. Beyond the polls and personalities, the vote will help determine whether Bulgaria strengthens its role within the EU and NATO or continues its recent drift towards a more accommodating position on Russia. ➡️Read more on this in our recent blog post: liberalforum.eu/updates/beyo…

🇧🇬 🇪🇺 Next week’s presidential election in Bulgaria comes at a moment when the country’s European and geopolitical direction is increasingly under scrutiny. Beyond the polls and personalities, the vote will help determine whether Bulgaria strengthens its role within the EU and NATO or continues its recent drift towards a more accommodating position on Russia. ✏️Post by Elena Kuzmova, Executive Director of ThinkY Foundation: liberalforum.eu/updates/beyo…

🚀 Can technology truly serve humanity? And what does the future hold for Europe? Freedom Games 2026 is just around the corner! 🎙️ In the latest Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre and Leszek Jażdżewski give us a sneak peek at this year's festival, Tech for Humanity, exploring AI, democracy, Europe's future and the challenges facing transatlantic relations. 🎧 Tune in: liberalforum.eu/podcast/the-…

🚀 Small Modular Reactors offer an opportunity to strengthen energy security and expand Europe’s low-carbon energy options. 📖 Discover how Europe could lead the SMR race: liberalforum.eu/publication/…

‼️Don’t miss out, save the date to this year’s Techno-Politics Forum on space! ➡️Registration: bit.ly/44iaDF4

❗We cannot talk about the new #MFF without talking about #CAP reform. 💶If Europe wants to invest more in competitiveness, innovation and strategic priorities, it must also modernise how agricultural funding is allocated. ELF proposes three major reforms: ➡️Shift subsidies from land ownership to performance, innovation and sustainability ➡️Simplify CAP into a single, more flexible funding instrument ➡️Reward digitalisation, efficient land use and climate-smart agriculture 🚜 A CAP designed for the future can strengthen food security, support farmers and make European agriculture more competitive in a rapidly changing world. 📖 Read more on this here: liberalforum.eu/publication/…

💶 The debate on the next #MFF is about more than numbers. It is about what kind of Europe we want in 2035. ❗Europe's biggest challenge is not preserving the status quo, but winning the race for innovation, technology, skills and strategic autonomy. While the Irish Presidency's MFF proposal protects traditional spending areas, it also proposes significant cuts to competitiveness, innovation and research funding. ➡️ Europe cannot future-proof its economy with a budget built around outdated priorities. A stronger Europe needs a budget that invests in tomorrow: education, R&D, digital transformation, infrastructure and European public goods to strengthen Europe's long-term competitiveness. 📖 Read more on this in our publication on the EU budget by @LukasSustala of @neoslab_eu: liberalforum.eu/publication/…

💡 For Small Modular Reactors to thrive in Europe, innovators need clearer licensing processes, investors need policy certainty, and projects need skilled people. These are choices we can shape. Our publication sets out liberal, market-oriented ideas to turn Europe’s nuclear expertise into a competitive SMR sector. 📖 Read the paper: liberalforum.eu/publication/…

❓How is Europe doing in the race for the space? Find out at this year’s Techno-Politics Forum in November! ➡️Save the date and register: bit.ly/44iaDF4

🏭 What could Europe build with a more secure supply of low-carbon energy? From industrial heat to electricity for data centres, Small Modular Reactors could open new possibilities for European businesses and communities. Their potential connects two ambitions: decarbonisation and competitiveness. 📖 liberalforum.eu/publication/…

🚀Europe must own its future by investing in the technologies and capabilities that will define global power in the twenty-first century. Space is one of those defining domains. ➡️Join us at this year’s Techno-Politics Forum in November to discuss where is Europe in the race to space! Registration: bit.ly/44iaDF4