Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)

Mr. Graham Watson, MEP

Mr. Watson is the Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament and MEP for South West England and Gibraltar. He was educated at The City of Bath Boys' School and at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, where he gained an honours degree in Modern Languages. He is a qualified interpreter who speaks four European languages. He had previously been active as General Secretary of the Liberal International's youth movement, and was a founder of the European Communities' Youth Forum. He has published books focusing on UK’s Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, liberalization and globalization and related topics.

Ms. Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, MEP

The President of Liberal International is a member of the European Parliament from Belgium. Ms. Neyts-Uyttebroeck participated in numerous parliamentary elections, European elections, and regional elections. She chaired her local branch of the Flemish Liberal Party from 1977 until 1987 and again since 1995 as well serving as National Chairperson of the Flemish Liberal Party (PVV) from 1985 until 1989. She was State Secretary for the Brussels Region from 1981 - 1985 and Minister in the Brussels Government form 1999 - 2000 as well as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Minister in charge of Agriculture.  She has been a Member of the Liberal International Bureau since 1989.

Ms. Silvana Koch-Mehrin, MEP

Frau Koch-Mehrin is a Member of the Committee on Budgets and Substitute Member of the
Committee on Budgetary Control, and temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013. She is a member of Germany’s Freie Demokratische Partei - Die Liberalen.

Mr. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, MEP

From Germany’s Free Democrats, Mr. Graf Lambsdorff  is a Member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and Committee on Foreign Affairs; Substitute Member for the Subcommittee on Security and Defence; Substitute Member of the Delegation for relations with the United States; and  Member of the Delegation for relations with Japan.

Mr. Lapo Pistelli, MEP

Mr. Pistelli, an  MEP from Italy  is a Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; Substitute Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and  Member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and  Gulf States, including Yemen.

Mr. Andrew Duff, MEP

Mr. Duff is a Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament representing the East of England. He is a member of the Commission on Constitutional Affairs, and Substitute Member of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence.  He is spokesman on constitutional affairs for the European Liberals.  From 1999-2000 he was a member of the Convention which drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as Rapporteur for the European Parliament on the Charter. In February 2002 Andrew Duff was elected the ELDR representative on the Constitutional Convention on the Future of Europe. He chairs the Liberal caucus in the Convention. He is also Vice-President of the European Parliament delegation to the Convention.  Mr. Duff earned his Master of Arts and Master of Literature from Cambridge University.

Dr. Istvan Szent-Ivanyi, MEP

From Hungary’s Szabad Demokraták Szövetsége, Dr. Szent Ivanyi is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; Substitute Member of the Committee on International Trade and temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013. He is the Vice Chairman of the delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula.

Ms. Ona Jukneviciene, MEP

From Lithuania’s Darbo partija, Ms. Jukneviciene is the President of the Central Asia delegation for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. She is also a member on the Committees on Budgetary Control and Employment and Social Affairs. She is substitute Member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.

Mr. Dirk Sterckx, MEP

A member of Belgium’s Vlaamse Liberale en Democraten – Vivant, Mr. Sterckx is a Member of the Committee on Fisheries and the Committee on Transport and Tourism; and Substitute Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. He has a long track record as a professional broadcast journalist.

Mr. Marco Pannella, MEP

An MEP from Italy, Mr. Pannelle is the Substitute Member of the Committees on Foreign Affairs; Budgetary Control ; Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. He is a Member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He has a Degree in law and is a professional journalist. He was Founder, Secretary-General and Chairman of the Radical Party and the Pannella List; Co-founder of the Transnational Radical Party; Former Chairman of the XIII district of the municipality of Rome (Ostia); Former member of the municipal councils of Trieste, Catania, Naples, Teramo, Rome and Aquila; Former member of the Lazio and Abruzzo regional councils and Member of the Italian Parliament (1976-1992). 

Mr. Jules Maaten, MEP

Mr. Maaten is a Dutch MEP who is a member of the ASEAN delegation. He is also a member of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and Substitute Member of the Committee on economic and Monetary Affairs. He was the Secretary General of Liberal International and President of the World Union of Liberal Youth (IFLRY). 

European Commission

Mr. Louis Michel

Mr. Michel is the European Commissioner for Research. He was formerly the Belgian Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister. He is a member, and most prominent figure, of the Belgian French-speaking liberal party, the Mouvement Réformateur (MR). From 1968 to 1978, before dedicating his life to his political career, Louis Michel taught English, Dutch and German in the Provincial School of Jodoigne, a rural town 25 miles from Brussels. From 1967 to 1977, he was chairman of the Young Liberals in the district of Nivelles. Then he became alderman in Jodoigne from 1977 to 1983, secretary-general of the Parti Réformateur Libéral (PRL) political party from 1980 to 1982 and chairman of the PRL from 1982 to 1990 and from 1995 to 1999. He was a member of the Belgian federal parliament from 1978 to 2004, first as a representative (1978-1999) and then as a senator (1999-2004).

Mr. Janez Potocnik

Mr. Potocknik, is a European Commissioner from Slovenia. He graduated with honours from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Ljubljana. He continued his studies at the same University where he did his Master's degree in 1989 and a Ph.D. degree in 1993.   In April 1998, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia appointed Dr Potocnik Head of Negotiating Team for Accession of the Republic of Slovenia to the European Union. From June 2000 to December 2000, he was also the acting director of Government Office for European Affairs. In June 2001, he was appointed a Minister Councillor at the Office of the Prime Minister. On 24 January 2002, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia appointed Dr Potocnik the Minister without portfolio responsible for European Affairs. After resigning from this post, in April 2004 he became member of the European Commission.

Mr. Erich Wilhelm Muller

Mr. Muller is the Director, Directorate D, AIDCO of the European Commission.

Mr. Geoffrey Barret

Mr. Barret is from the Directorate H-Asia, DG External Relations of the European Commission.

Government of Belgium

Ambassador Johan Maricou

Amb. Maricou is the Director for Asian Affairs of the Belgian Foreign Ministry.

Mr. Mark Van de Vreken

Mr. Van de Vreken is a Member of the Belgian Cabinet of Foreign Minister Karel du Gutch.

Dr. Jef Valkeniers

Former Secretary of State and former Member of Parliament where he was a member of the social affairs and external affairs committee.

Liberal International

Mr. Matyas Eorsi, MP

A Hungarian Member of Parliament, Mr. Eorsi is the Leader of the Liberal Group in Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He is Vice President of Liberal International.

Friedrich Naumann Foundation

Dr. Irmgard Schwaetzer

Dr. Schwaetzer was born in Cathedral (Westphalia) and in 1961 became Abitur in Being Castle (Westphalia). From 1961 to 1967 she did her Pharmaceutical studies in Passau, Cathedrals, and Bonn. in 1967 she took the Pharmaceutical state examination and was licensed to practice in 1968.

In 1975 she became a member of the FDP and from 1982 to 1984 served as the Secretary-General of the FDP. In 1980 she became a member of the federal daily, which she remained until 2002. From 1984 - 1987 she served as federal treasurer of the FDP, becoming State Minister in the Foreign Office in 1987. She held that post until 1991 when she became Federal Minister for Area Planning, Building Industry, and Town Construction.

Dr. Schwaetzer has also been associated with many other organizations including, the European Academy for Women in Politics and Economics, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Project HOPE Germany, and Acts Instead of Words.

Dr. Jurgen Wickert

Dr. Wickert is the Director of the Brussels-based International Political Dialogue of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.