Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit Brüssel – Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Brussels
Welcome to the European office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Our activities aim at fostering dialogue on European politics, democracy and human rights.
Greece’s conservatives returned to power after a decisive victory in last Sunday’s snap elections. New Democracy (ND), run by Kyriakos Mitsotakis (son of Konstantinos Mitsotakis who served as Prime Minister in the early 1990s, brother of former foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis and uncle to newly elected mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis) has achieved an overwhelming majority in the new parliamentary session with 39,9% and 158 out of 300 seats. It is the first time since 2009 that Greece has a single-party government. “I will be working hard for all the Greeks, even those that did not vote for us. And I will begin immediately because there is no time to waste,” Mitsotakis said. Continue reading →
The future is here. The world is changing rapidly while stereotypes are collapsing. The new generation is seeking new roles and identity, beyond the conservative determination and assumptions. The emerging challenges are for the first time greater than the human size: we cannot deal with climate change locally and if we do not deal with it at all, the consequences for humanity will be dramatic; economic inequalities are not met only in countries with economic and political problems but they have reached even the most developed ones and, as they grow, democracy is losing its political substance, facing the threats of populism; security combined with open society was an „experiment“ that worked for years, but now it is considered incompatible from both extremes of the political spectrum, that nowadays see their influence increasing, generating risks for the liberal global order as we knew it.
Certain surveys (see: Eurobarometer-EY2016), emphasise that although young people keep a distance from politics, they do have a profound political perception. This suggests that while they are concerned with political issues, they do not find the most fitting political channels of expression. Here lies the great responsibility for the liberals: we must clearly (re-) articulate our values, especially in the areas of human and civil rights, democracy, social market economy and European integration. It is also crucial to tackle populism in its essence and isolate the elements of the „extreme centre,” that distort the spirit of the theory of liberalism.
At the beginning of its second period in Greece (2012), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom understood the call of many young people for proper means of conduct for a broad, open, mature and permanent political discourse that will enlighten and educate democratic, progressive and liberal citizens. Responding to this need, we established a political academy which, since 2013, has been organizing liberal seminars, workshops and conferences throughout the country.
Over the years, hundreds of students, young professionals, journalists and councillors have been trained, many of whom have participated in pan-European forums and events. Continue reading →
Liberalism is the political theory that supports individual responsibility. If freedom leads to happiness, citizens must be free to pursue their personal goals. The same time, individuals, as social beings, need a robust democratic rule of law should societies grow and prosper.
On 21 January 2019, FNF Greece presented its first project for 2019 with an alternative touch! A special event named “Freedom Talks” brought together liberals across the country not only to discuss about freedom but also to celebrate the New Year with the local custom of Vasilopita (“Kings’ Pie”).
Greece has many talented women, who however have to give a battle against stereotypes before they actually “fight” an electoral campaign. It comes as no surprise that Greek women are underrepresented in politics, and what’s worse is that this is commonly accepted. The liberals favour a strategic approach to increase female participation and success in the elections, closing the gender gap between men and women. This was the idea behind the workshop “Women in Politics – How to Run a Successful Female Campaign” which took place from 28 to 30 September, in the vicinity of Athens.
In view of the next local elections in Greece which will be held in one year’s time in conjunction with the European Elections, several liberal politicians have already started preparing for the electoral campaign. On Saturday, 30 June 2018, a young group of FNF affiliated local politicians and candidates organized a workshop discussing fundamental issues of political campaigning and strategy. FNF Greece responded cheerfully to the invitation to support the initiative which is the first in a series of political educational seminars to come in the next months.
