Press release from LP.org:
Libertarian Party Chair Geoffrey Neale speaks to
Spain’s Individual Freedom Party (P-LIB).
Libertarian Party Chair Geoffrey Neale made an historic trip in November to forge ties with emerging Libertarian Parties in Europe and Russia.
Neale addressed audiences in Madrid and Moscow, well-attended by Libertarian leaders within each country as well as by representatives from the U.K., Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Neale’s trip coincided with the recent formation of a new pan-European party — the European Party for International Liberty (EPIL) — which aims to advance libertarian policy in the European Union.
EPIL’s second official meeting took place at a conference where Neale was the featured speaker, hosted by the Individual Freedom Party (P-LIB), the Spanish equivalent of the U.S. Libertarian Party.
“[Neale’s] presentation was highly informative, educational, and inspirational,” said Guy Montrose, Chairman of the U.K. Libertarian Party (LPUK).
Juan Pina, president of P-LIB, said Neale’s presentation affirmed his members’ view that forming a new party is more effective than trying to effect change from within an established party.
“It is important to hear that from the original Libertarian Party, the oldest one in the world, and the one that inspired our foundation in 2009,” he said.
Neale also addressed attendees of the Fifth Adam Smith Forum in Moscow, which hosted libertarians from more than 20 regions of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and the Ukraine.
“It was definitely the [best attended] libertarian get-together in the CIS ever,” said Andrey Shalnev, chair of the Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR).
The LPR plans to run candidates for the Moscow City Duma (parliament) in 2014 while the UKLP plans to run candidates in the next local elections. P-LIB is gearing up to run candidates for the European Parliament in May.
Leaders who attended both gatherings expressed a strong desire to expand international alliances among the world’s Libertarian Parties.
“We’d gladly contribute to an international libertarian association, bringing together Libertarian parties,” Shalnev said. “Libertarians from all over the world should be constantly sharing their experience of promoting liberty.”
Me too!
I’d be interested to know if and when any web conferences are planned.
Can’t travel internationally for now myself, but if there is a summit in the US I would be interested in attending or observing.
It is very encouraging to hear that libertarians in Europe are keen to forge more international ties in the freedom movement. I applaud our chair taking this trip at his own expense to help build those ties, and hope that we will continue to maintain and expand our connections with pro-freedom parties in Spain, Russia, and elsewhere.
I’d like to see us start holding periodic “Libertarian International” summits of the various libertarian political parties in the world, the way the communists did during the heyday of their movement in the time leading up to the Bolshevik revolution in Russia.
As technology continues to improve, the possibility of holding such events virtually (and therefore more frequently and with more participants, given the expense of international travel) will become more and more viable. Although I think there is also great value in meeting face-to-face from time to time.
I hope Geoff will be able to give us a detailed report on how the events he spoke at went, and share the contacts he made there.