“Δημοκρατία” Democracy – it is not without reason that ancient Athens is regarded as the cradle of popular rule. As the first great city with claims to power over the Mediterranean and one of the first great European metropolises, Athens was also the gathering place of the world’s first parliament and the Athenian People’s Assembly, which took place several times a month.
Family get-togethers are usually an occasion for heartfelt reunions, swapping news, forging plans, and often welcoming new members. The gathering in Madrid, where more than a thousand European liberals met for the annual ALDE Congress, was no exception. Following stations in Warsaw and Amsterdam, this time the event was hosted by the Spanish Ciudadanos (Cs). The strategic groundwork was laid for the upcoming European election campaign. The fifty-page platform left no doubt that the ALDE family — a coalition with a membership of more than 60 parties — would be tackling an impressive workload over the course of its two-and-a-half-day Congress.