Reacting on an article released by EurActiv earlier today, Sir Graham Watson MEP, President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party) said:

“I strongly reject the assertion in the article that the European Liberal Democrats at their 33rd Congress in Dublin on 8-10 November have pronounced themselves against Guy Verhofstadt MEP as a common candidate for next Commission President in 2014.”

“The item on the agenda at this Congress was to have a first exchange of views regarding the overall procedures for a Liberal Election Campaign, to then be decided at our spring Council meeting in Pula, Croatia in May 2013. Differently to some of our fellow European Political Parties, Europe's Liberal Democrats believe this process needs to be inclusive and taken through reflection and debate, rather than as a result of meetings behind closed doors."

"As usual for Liberal conferences, media are naturally invited to follow proceedings but facts about the decisions taken should have been checked before publishing."

Note to editors

On 10 November at the Party Congress, delegates voted overwhelmingly to change the name of the party from the European Liberal Democrat and Reform party (ELDR) to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party.