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This article covers the pan-European political party founded by Declan Ganley in 2008. For the lobby group involved in the 2008 Lisbon Treaty referendum, see the Libertas Institute.

Libertas is a political party founded by Declan Ganley that intends to take part in the European Parliament election, 2009 in several member states of the European Union.

Historical background

In 2008, the Libertas Institute Limited, a lobby group founded by Declan Ganley and others, advocated a "no" vote in Lisbon I, the 2008 referendum in Ireland on the Treaty of Lisbon. Lisbon I failed. The referendum was held on 12 June 2008 and defeated by 53.4% to 46.6%, with a turnout of 53.1%.

Creation

Libertas held a post-referendum celebration in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on the night of Friday, 13 June 2008. Attending that celebration was Danish Eurosceptic and former President of the EUDemocrats and recently retired MEP Jens-Peter Bonde, who had been a "no" campaigner during the referendum. Bonde was later cited as one of the main architects of the upgrading of Libertas to a political party at European level.

On 15 July 2008, RTÉ News on Two covered Ganley's comments at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he stated that Libertas intended running as a political party at European level. The next day Ganley confirmed that Libertas was fundraising in order to run candidates throughout Europe in the 2009 European Parliament elections.

On September 20 2008, the Irish Times reported that Bonde and Czech president Václav Klaus pledged to help Ganley to launch Libertas. The two were later amongst the guests at a dinner hosted by Ganley at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday November 11 2008.

On 30 October 2008 Ganley registered a company based in Moyne Park, Tuam, County Galway called the Libertas Party Limited. The Irish Times reported that the new party was intended to "carry on the business of a European political party". The party was publicly announced in December 2008 with ambitions to field up to 400 candidates and win seats in all 27 EU member states.

Development

Ganley then travelled around Europe to give public speeches, appear on TV and radio and meet with politicians in order to grow the Libertas movement, and set up Libertas lists for the European Parliament election, 2009. In November 2008 Libertas opened its Brussels office. On 12 February 2009 Philippe de Villiers of the Mouvement pour la France and Frédéric Nihous of the Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Traditions party announced their joint candidacy for the European Parliament election, establishing Libertas France. On 15 April Libertas Netherlands launched with Eline van den Broek as the top candidate. Several more Libertas parties and lists in various countries were then launched in time for the European Parliament elections.

On 1 May 2009 Libertas held its first pan-European party convention in Rome.

Staff

For the local Libertas staff in each member state, see the articles below this section.

Structure

Libertas's intended structure has evolved with time. It was originally intended to be an alliance of national parties, but it was later envisaged as a single pan-European party with candidates running as individual members of Libertas. By the end of April 2009, Libertas's structure had settled into an loose association of national member parties (either new or pre-existing), with each member party adhering to a set of core principles (see below) but retaining its independence and adding on additional policies as it felt appropriate.

For the purposes of contending the 2009 European Parliament elections, Libertas candidates run under lists (the lists of candidates presented to voters in an European election) branded with the Libertas identity, as exemplified by the French approach. Each list is made up of some combination of the following:

• members of member parties
• members of affiliate parties (parties that are not members of Libertas.eu but cooperate with it electorally)
• individual members (people who have chosen to join Libertas.eu as individuals).

New national member parties established by Libertas have names in the "Libertas X" format, e.g. "Libertas Sweden" (except in the UK). Pre-existing national member parties were asked to change their names to include the word "Libertas" in the title. Members of member parties are members of Libertas automatically unless they choose otherwise.

Affiliate parties retain their original names. Members of affiliate parties are not members of Libertas unless they choose to join as individuals.

Position

Libertas' core policies are accountability, transparency, democracy and rejection of the Lisbon Treaty. Each member party and individual member is obliged to adhere to these core principles, and may add additional policies as they feel appropriate

Membership

Member parties

Member parties are members of Libertas.eu. Members of member parties are automatically members of Libertas.eu unless they choose otherwise.

 Estonia

• Libertas Estonia

 Germany

• Libertas Germany

 Ireland

• Libertas Ireland

 Netherlands

• Libertas Netherlands

 Poland

• Libertas Poland

 Sweden

• Libertas Sweden

 United Kingdom

• Libertas United Kingdom

Affiliate parties

Affiliate parties are not members of Libertas.eu but cooperate with it electorally under Libertas lists. Members of affiliate parties are not members of Libertas.eu unless they choose to join as individuals.

 Czech Republic

• Libertas.cz
• Independent Democrats (Nezávislí demokraté, NEZDEM)

 France

• Movement for France (Mouvement pour la France, MPF)
• Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition (Chasse, Pêche, Nature, Traditions, CPNT)

 Germany

• Party of Work, Nature and Family - Christians for Germany (Partei für Arbeit, Umwelt und Familie – Christen für Deutschland, AUF)

 Greece

• Liberal Party (Komma Fileleftheron, KF)

 Italy

• Pole of Autonomy coalition (Polo dell'Autonomia, PdA)

• The Right (La Destra, LD)
• Movement for Autonomies (Movimento per le Autonomie, MpA)
• Pensioners' Party (Partito Pensionati, PP)
• Alliance of the Centre (Alleanza di Centro, AdC)

 Latvia

• Our Land (Mūsu Zeme, MZ)
• Party of Social Fairness (Sociālā Taisnīguma Partija, STP)
• Latvia Resurrection (Latvijas Atmoda, LA), formerly Pensioners and Seniors Party (Pensionāru un senioru partija, PSP)

 Lithuania

• National Resurrection Party (Tautos Prisikėlimo Partija, TPP)

 Poland

• Forward Poland (Naprzód Polsko, NP)
• Polish People's Party "Piast" (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe "Piast", PSL Piast)
• Party of Regions (Partia Regionów, PR)
• League of Polish Families (Liga Polskich Rodzin, LPR)
• Organization of the Polish Nation - League of Poland (Organizacja Narodu Polskiego - Liga Polska, ONP-LP)
• Christian-National Union (Zjednoczenie Chrześcijańsko-Narodowe, ZChN)

 Portugal

• Earth Party (Partido da Terra, PT), formerly Party of the Earth Movement (Movimento Partido da Terra, MPT)

 Slovakia

• KDS-OKS coalition

• Civic Conservative Party (Občianska Konzervatívna Strana, OKS)
• Conservative Democrats of Slovakia (Konzervatívni Demokrati Slovenska, KDS)

 Spain

• Citizens – Party of the Citizenry (Ciudadanos-Partido de la Ciudadanía, C)

Individual members

Individual members are people who have chosen to join Libertas.eu as individuals. People with no national party membership who are running under a Libertas list are automatically individual members.

2009 European Parliament elections

Lists

Lists are the lists of candidates presented to the voter at election. The candidates may be members of member parties, members of affiliate parties, or individual members. Libertas lists for the 2009 European Parliament elections are as follows:

 Czech Republic

• Libertas list in the Czech Republic

 Estonia

• Libertas list in Estonia

 France

• Libertas list in France

 Greece

• Libertas list in Greece

 Germany

• Libertas list in Germany

 Ireland

• Libertas list in Ireland

 Italy

• Libertas list in Italy

 Latvia

• Libertas list in Latvia

 Lithuania

• Libertas list in Lithuania

 Malta

• Libertas list in Malta

 Netherlands

• Libertas list in the Netherlands

 Poland

• Libertas list in Poland

 Portugal

• Libertas list in Portugal

 Slovakia

• Libertas list in Slovakia

 Spain

• Libertas list in Spain

 Sweden

• Libertas list in Sweden

 United Kingdom

• Libertas list in the United Kingdom

Unrealised lists

Libertas lists that were unable to run candidates for the election are as follows:

 Bulgaria

• Unrealised Libertas list in Bulgaria

 Romania

• Unrealised Libertas list in Romania

Political party at European level

In early 2009 Libertas applied to be recognised by the European Parliament as a political party at European level. The application was briefly successful but then suspended amidst controversy. As of April 2009, the matter remains unresolved and Libertas remains unrecognized.

Commonality with other organizations

Libertas Party is registered at Moyne Park, Tuam, County Galway along with other organisations affiliated with the Libertas Party and/or Declan Ganley. A list of organizations affiliated with the political party Libertas and/or Declan Ganley is given here.

See also

• Jens-Peter Bonde
• Declan Ganley
• European Parliament election, 2009
• Treaty of Lisbon

Notes

1. ^ The CRO entry for the Libertas Party gives these details:
   
   • Type: Company,
   • Number: 463758
   • Name: The Libertas Party Limited,
   • Address: Moyne Park, Tuam, County Galway, Ireland
   • Registered: 30 October 2008
2. The UK could not adopt a "Libertas X" format name because that name had already been registered with the Electoral Commission. The Libertas.eu member parties in the UK are "Pro-Democracy: Libertas.eu" and "Libertas Northern Ireland"

References

1. ^ "Entry for the Libertas Party Limited", at www.ukdata.com
2. ^ "Entry for the Libertas Party Limited", at www.solocheck.ie
3. "Contact Libertas" on the www.libertas.eu
4. ^ "Ganley: EU parliament trying to 'stymie' Libertas party bid", theParliament.com, 19 February 2009
5. "Libertas told to return to 'political hinterland'", theParliament.com, 11 February 2009
6. "Anti-Lisbon treaty party to get EU funds", Focus News Agency, 2 February 2009
7. "Hjälp Libertas bli ett registrerat parti" Libertas website, Thursday, 26 February 2009, English translation here
8. "12 June pencilled in as date for Lisbon Treaty vote". BreakingNews.ie. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
9. "Results received at the Central Count Centre for the Referendum on The Lisbon Treaty". Referendum Returning Officer, referendum.ie. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
10. ^ "Europe caught in our offside trap", Sunday Times June 15, 2008
11. "Lisbon treaty to bring more power to officials-critics in Prague", 13 January 2009, ČeskéNoviny.cz
12. "Bonde calls for Referendum in 2009", EUDemocrats press release, July 22, 2008
13. "Bonde's last speech in the Parliament"
14. "Anti-Lisbon party obtains EU recognition and funding", EurActive.com, Tuesday 3 February 2009
15. "Libertas set to emerge as political party as candidates unveiled", Monday, February 02, 2009
16. "Libertas may contest European elections" Irish Times, Wed, Jul 16, 2008
17. "Eurosceptics to help Ganley if he is MEP candidate", Irish Times, Saturday, September 20, 2008
18. "Ganley's dinner party was a meeting of minds" Irish Times, Thursday, November 13, 2008
19. ^ "Ganley registers Libertas as a European political party" from the Irish Times, Saturday 1 November 2008
20. ^ "Libertas to seek a Euro majority", The Sunday Times, December 13, 2008
21. Arnold, Bruce (2009). The Fight for Democracy – The Libertas Voice in Europe. A series of interviews with Declan Ganley by Bruce Arnold. ISBN: 978-1-905706-18-1. Killynon House Books Ltd.
22. Ganley's Brussels office opens for business: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1127/1227739034156.html
23. Européennes : Frédéric Nihous et Philippe de Villiers feront campagne commune: http://www.latribune.fr/actualites/economie/union-europeenne/20090304trib000350947/europeennes-frederic-nihous-et-philippe-de-villiers-feront-campagne-commune.html
24. Youtube clip of Libertas launch in Netherlands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8yeGMEXzzY
25. Libertas website: http://libertas.eu/
26. Libertas Party Convention, Rome: http://www.libertas.eu/convention/
27. ^ "Libertas hires top US election campaigner", Irish Times, Tuesday, March 3, 2009
28. ^ "Howard's man in Europe challenge", The Australian, Sunday March 23 2009
29. "Libertas w Warszawie" Nasz Dziennik, February 3 2009
30. "Irish anti-EU party make Austrian bid", Wiener Zeitung, 20 February 2009
31. "Czech Libertas recruit has conviction for evading duty" Irish Times, Thursday, January 22, 2009
32. ^ "Slováci si možná budou vybírat europoslance ze strany Libertas" 23 February 2009, iDNES.cz, English translation here
33. ^ "Libertas Eesti Erakond kinnitas Europarlamendi valimisnimekirja", undated page on http://www.libertas.eu/
34. ^ "Européennes : Frédéric Nihous et Philippe de Villiers feront campagne commune", La Tribune, March 4 2009, English translation here
35. ^ "Villiers et Nihous pour un «protectionnisme européen»", Le Figaro, 9 March 2009
36. "Hjälp Libertas bli ett registrerat parti" Thursday, 26 February 2009 from the Libertas website
37. "Party agitating against Lisbon Treaty seeks candidates for European Parliament elections in Lithuania", 4 March 2009, from www.euro.lt
38. "Irlandzki milioner tworzy w Polsce antyeuropejski ruch", 7 January 2009, from www.tvp.info, English translation here
39. "Nytt nejparti ställer upp i EU-valet", 3 March 2009, from dn.se, English translation here
40. "Libertas.eu policies" from http://www.libertas.eu/
41. "MPs who voted against Czech government join Libertas list for European Parliament elections", Wednesday, 01 April 2009 21:00, libertas.eu
42. "Volby.cz Evropský parlament 2009 > Jmenné seznamy a přehledy > Kandidáti dle politické příslušnosti > Strana Libertas" from http://volby.cz/
43. "Wahlbewerber AUF" from http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de
44. "AUF-Partei und Libertas schließen Bündnis für EU-Wahlen im Juni" 12 May 2009, from http://www.auf-partei.de/
45. "Germany: AUF party and Libertas form alliance for the EU elections", from http://www.libertas.eu
46. "ΣΤΙΣ ΕΥΡΩΕΚΛΟΓΕΣ ΤΗΣ 7 ΙΟΥΝΗ 2009", from Liberal Party
47. "La Destra al meeting paneuropeo Libertas", undated page, from [http://www.ladestranews.it
48. ^ "Bijušais ‘tēvzemietis’ Krasts kritizē varas partijas", 28 March 2009 14:24, from delfi.lv, English translation here
49. "Paneuropinės partijos „Libertas“ EP rinkimų sąraše – Bielinis (papildyta)", 2009-03-31 14:35, alfa.lt, English translation here
50. Libertas announces election plans for Lithuania. From Libertas.eu, March 31, 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
51. ^ "Libertas allies with fringe right wing in Poland" from http://www.polskieradio.pl
52. ^ "Komitet Wyborczy Libertas"
53. "Lubelszczyzna - desant o. Rydzyka", Gazeta Wyborcza, 26 March 2009, English translation here
54. "Borysiuk otworzy listę Libertas na Lubelszczyźnie?", 2009-03-28, http://www.radio.lublin.pl/
55. "Pierwszy kongres polskiej Partii Regionów", undated (18 April 2009?), http://wiadomosci.wp.pl/
56. "Do PE startują Libertas, LPR, UPR, Prawica i PDP", 29 March 2009, newsweek.pl, English translation here
57. ^ "LIBERTAS - największe oszustwo wyborcze w wyborach do Parlamentu Europejskiego 2009 r."
58. ^ "Wojciech Wierzejski komentuje rejestrację list: Hasłem naszym Wolność będzie i Ojczyzna nasza!"
59. "Libertas list candidates in constituency number 4"
60. "Libertas list candidates in constituency number 8"
61. "Libertas announces alliance in Slovakia", from http://www.libertas.eu/
62. "Miguel Durán, cabeza de lista de la coalición Ciudadanos-Libertas", 15 April 2009, http://www.libertaddigital.com, English translation here
63. "Self Serving US Military Agenda of Messrs Ganley and McEvaddy" FineGael.ie Press Release, 25 Apr 2008
64. "Man who says no" Irish Independent, Saturday 7 June 2008
65. "Opening of September II plenary session: Minute of silence for victim of ETA bombing / Funding of the No campaign in Ireland", European Parliament press release, 22 September 2008
66. "MEPs seeking source of Libertas funding", Jamie Smyth, Irish Times, 23 September 2008
67. "Ireland Takes the EU Spotlight" Washington Post, 12 June 2008
68. "On the mysterious trail of 'Mr No'", Irish Times, May 31, 2008

External links

• Libertas.eu (official website)
• Libertas.eu (official YouTube channel)
• Libertas.eu (Facebook)

• Political parties
• Organisations based in the Republic of Ireland
• Organisations based in Belgium
• Political parties established in 2008
• Euroscepticism