2024 was a year of action and impact for European liberals. From pivotal election victories and leadership transitions to standing firm for democracy and individual freedoms, we’ve shaped Europe’s political landscape.
Scroll down for a look back at the moments that defined our year and set the stage for a stronger liberal future.
February
3 February – The Alliance Party returned to the Northern Ireland Executive with two Ministers: party leader Naomi Long MLA (Justice) and Andrew Muir MLA (Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs).
8 February – Over 300 leaders, key stakeholders and industry experts convened in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland to discuss the role of renewable energy in achieving the EU’s climate objectives at ALDE Party’s Liberal Energy Forum.
16 February – The murder of Alexei Navalny prompted widespread condemnation from liberal parties and leaders across Europe, gathering for candlelight vigils and memorials to honour his legacy and oppose Putin’s regime.
26 February – European liberals welcomed Sweden’s accession to NATO as a critical step forward for our shared peace, security and freedom.
March
10 March – Iniciativa Liberal cemented its place as the fourth strongest political force in Portugal by retaining eight seats in the Assembly of the Republic with a record 5.1% of the popular vote in the country’s parliamentary elections.
20 March – At ALDE Party’s Extraordinary Congress in Brussels, European liberals approved the nomination of Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP, DE) as the lead candidate for the European elections, also adopting the 2024 ALDE Party Manifesto and the new ALDE Party Charter of Values.
20 March – ALDE Party, Renaissance and the European Democratic Party (EDP) officially joined forces to launch the Renew Europe Now electoral platform at a campaign kick-off event in Brussels.
26 March – ALDE Party celebrated its 48th birthday, marking nearly five decades of the fight for individual rights and freedoms across the continent.
April
29 April – Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann went head-to-head with lead candidates of other European political families at the 2024 Maastricht Debate, highlighting security as a key liberal priority for the European elections.
May
21 May – European liberals came together at the 2024 Brussels Pride to manifest our continued support to the LGBTQIA+ community and reaffirm that love, in all its forms, is a liberal value.
23 May – Sandro Gozi pushed Renew Europe Now’s vision for a more democratic, safe and competitive Europe at the 2024 Eurovision Debate in the European Parliament in Brussels, the final debate in the lead-up to the European elections.
June
6-9 June – European voters went to the polls across the 27 EU Member States, electing 77 Members of the European Parliament to represent the liberal, centrist and democrat Renew Europe Group in the 10th European Parliament.
9 June – Mouvement Réformateur claimed victory in the Belgian federal elections, becoming the largest party in Brussels and Wallonia with important seat gains. Meanwhile, Open VLD contested regional elections in Flanders and Brussels, winning nine and two seats respectively.
21-22 June – Our political family untangled the results of the European elections and welcomed Georgian party Droa! as a new affiliate member at the ALDE Party Council meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania.
July
5 July – The Liberal Democrats became the third largest party in the House of Commons winning a record-breaking 72 seats in the UK general election. Meanwhile, the Alliance Party kept their representation in the UK Parliament, winning one seat.
16 July – Martin Hojsík MEP (Progresívne Slovensko, SK) and Sophie Wilmès MEP (Mouvement Réformateur, BE) were elected as the 7th and 10th Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament for Renew Europe at the first Plenary session of the new European Parliament mandate.
22 July – Estonia’s Minister of Climate Kristen Michal (Reformierakond, EE) was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Estonia replacing Kaja Kallas, after the latter was nominated to become the European Union’s next High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
23 July – Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann MEP and Barry Andrews MEP were respectively elected as Chairs of the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and Committee on Development (DEVE).
September
30 September – NEOS received a record 9.2% of the popular vote and won 18 seats in the next mandate of the National Council in the Austrian legislative election.
October
1 October – Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD, NL) took office as the 14th Secretary General of NATO at a ceremony in Brussels, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg.
4-6 October – European liberals elected Svenja Hahn MEP (FDP, DE) as the new ALDE Party President and six new Vice-Presidents at a Congress meeting in Estoril, Portugal. Over the three-day event, delegates adopted 10 key resolutions and took part in a number of high-level political debates.
28 October – In the Lithuanian parliamentary elections, Liberalų sąjūdis won 12 seats with a share of 7.7% of the popular vote, strengthening their representation in large cities. Despite 4.62% in the popular vote, Laisvės partija did not win any mandate in electoral districts and will continue to work in local government and in the European Parliament.
November
29 November – Fianna Fáil won the general election in Ireland, becoming the largest party in the Dáil Éireann with 48 Teachtaí Dála (TD). The result means Fianna Fáil secured ten additional seats compared to the previous mandate, while also registering the highest number of first-preference votes with 21.9%.
30 November – Viðreisn achieved its best result since its foundation in 2016 in Iceland’s parliamentary elections, doubling their representation in the Alþingi with a record 11 seats and 15.8% of the popular vote.
December
1 December – The new European Commission took office in Brussels following the approval of European Commissioners during confirmation hearings with MEPs. With five highly-qualified European Commissioners approved for five important portfolios, liberals will ensure that our values and policies are reflected at the highest levels of European diplomacy and policymaking.