Brussels, 14/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Party of Liberal Democrat Reformers (ELDR) (whose members belong to the ALDE group at the European Parliament) has presented its manifesto for the June 2009 European elections. It is divided into four campaign themes: civil liberties; single European market, growth and jobs; environment and energy policy; security and defence). Representing 55 political parties and 30 million voters, the ELDR will present 700 candidates throughout Europe and hopes to obtain between 72 and 75 members (74 MEPs are currently members of the ELDR). Annemie Neyts MEP (ALDE, Belgium), who leads the ELDR, told the press that, “The reason why the ELDR has continued to grow in size since it was formed is that there is more uniting us than dividing us”. When asked about the Irish Fianna Fáil MEPs, presently members of the UEN, coming across to the ALDE group, she said that “our party's doors are always wide open”. MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (ALDE, Germany) stated that “the Liberal parties in European are the big winners in the economic crisis” because, he said, “people want rational responses”, implying by this that national protectionism was an irrational reflex. In the passing, he highlighted the “success of the G20” and backed the creation of “key rules” for the financial markets. He was critical of national political figures on the high abstention rate in European elections. “People are poorly informed about the role of MEPs because national politicians do not tell them what we do in Brussels for fear of revealing the minor role they play at national level,” he said. “85% of (German) law is decided in Brussels,” he added. The ELDR highlighted “democratic representation”: “44% of ELDR MEPs are women,” pointed out Lena Ek (ALDE, Sweden. The ELDR will officially launch its campaign on Wednesday 15 April, with a meeting attended by Commissioners Louis Michel and Meglena Kuneva. The ELDR manifesto is available at its campaign site, http://www.voteliberal2009.eu (Y.P./transl.rh/rt)