Europe's Democrats Speak: 18 Voices, One Shared Future
The birthplace of democracy became a meeting point for its future. During the statutory session of the European Democratic Party (EDP) Congress, held in Athens on 23 October 2026, representatives of member parties and new political partners from across Europe took the floor to share their experiences, political achievements and priorities.
Voices from across Europe
Basque Country – Aitor Esteban Bravo, EAJ-PNV
Aitor Esteban Bravo, representing EAJ-PNV from the Basque Country, warned against Europe's dangerous tendency to recognise threats without acting upon them. Drawing on the Greek myth of Cassandra, he urged European democrats to respond before authoritarianism, geopolitical instability and economic vulnerability become irreversible. He called for stronger European institutions, strategic autonomy and an EU built with the participation of all its nations and territories, not only its largest capitals. Referring to the political situation in Spain, Esteban recalled his party's refusal to support a government dependent on the far-right Vox, stressing that democratic principles must always come before political convenience.
Watch Aitor Esteban Bravo's speech
Belgium – Gauthier de Sauvage, Les Engagés
Gauthier de Sauvage, Secretary-General of Les Engagés in Belgium, presented his party's remarkable political growth as evidence that a constructive, participatory and reformist centre can succeed against polarisation. With 43 parliamentarians, 71 mayors and eight ministers, Les Engagés has become a major force in francophone Belgium. De Sauvage emphasised that responsible government requires difficult decisions, particularly in managing public finances, but that fiscal discipline must go hand in hand with social protection, environmental responsibility and fairness. The political task, he argued, is not merely to adopt necessary reforms but to explain them, involve citizens and demonstrate that courageous decisions today can create opportunities for future generations.
Watch Gauthier de Sauvage's speech
Canary Islands – Raquel Castro Estévez, Coalición Canaria
Raquel Castro Estévez, representing Coalición Canaria from the Canary Islands, focused on two fundamental responsibilities of European politics: protecting young people's future and protecting human lives. She described a generation that studies, works and acquires qualifications but increasingly cannot afford independent housing in its own communities. In the Canary Islands, rising property prices and the expansion of holiday rentals have made this challenge particularly acute. She also highlighted the human consequences of migration along the Atlantic route, describing the extraordinary pressure faced by small islands such as El Hierro. Castro Estévez called for genuine European solidarity, stronger support for outermost regions and policies that guarantee young Europeans the right to build their future where they belong.
Watch Raquel Castro Estévez's speech
Catalonia – Aleix Sarri, Junts per Catalunya
Aleix Sarri, representing Junts per Catalunya from Catalonia, welcomed his party's integration into the EDP family, describing it as a natural political home for a movement committed to centrism, European integration and Catalan self-determination. He paid tribute to the resilience of the Catalan democratic movement and expressed gratitude to the EDP leadership and the Basque EAJ-PNV for their support. Against the growing influence of authoritarianism and political extremism, Sarri defended a stronger, more democratic and federal Europe, capable of respecting the diversity of its peoples and their democratic aspirations. His message underlined the contribution that Europe's historic nations and territories can make to a common European future.
Croatia – Radimir Čačić, Narodna stranka – Reformisti
Radimir Čačić, leader of Narodna stranka – Reformisti in Croatia, challenged European democrats to respond to social discontent with immediate, practical solutions. He identified young people and pensioners as two groups particularly vulnerable to the rising cost of living, housing shortages and energy poverty. These difficulties, he argued, are contributing to political frustration and the growth of extremist movements. Rather than limiting the debate to long-term ambitions, Čačić proposed two concrete measures: eliminating VAT on housing construction intended for long-term rental to young people and exempting households of citizens over 65 from VAT on gas and electricity. His intervention was a call for a more pragmatic European politics capable of delivering visible improvements to people's lives.
Cyprus – Marina Demetriou, Autonomous Platform
Marina Demetriou, representing Autonomous Platform from Cyprus, placed women's rights and dignity at the centre of the democratic debate. She drew attention to the economic vulnerability of women, particularly those who have spent significant periods outside formal employment because of family responsibilities and consequently face inadequate pensions. Demetriou also denounced violence against women and femicide, calling for a stronger and coordinated European response. Referring to the suffering of women in conflict zones, she insisted that democracy cannot be considered secure while women's safety, economic independence and fundamental rights remain under threat. Protecting women, she argued, must become a central responsibility of Europe's democratic forces.
Watch Marina Demetriou's speech
Cyprus – Odysseas Ph. Michaelides, ALMA
Odysseas Ph. Michaelides, representing ALMA from Cyprus, introduced a new centrist and reformist political movement that recently won four seats in the Cypriot Parliament. He highlighted the contradiction between positive economic indicators and the everyday difficulties facing citizens, including unaffordable housing, energy dependence and poverty among older people. Michaelides also addressed Cyprus's geopolitical importance as the European Union's southeastern frontier, defending its sovereignty and rejecting proposals for a two-state settlement of the island's division. He called for stronger European unity and insisted that international law, democratic accountability and solidarity must be supported by concrete political action rather than declarations alone.
Watch Odysseas Ph. Michaelides's speech
Czech Republic – Monika Shaw, SEN 21
Monika Shaw, representing SEN 21 from the Czech Republic, warned that liberal and democratic forces cannot afford to remain divided while populist and extremist parties increasingly cooperate to consolidate their influence. She highlighted her party's recent electoral successes, including the re-election of SEN 21 leader Václav Láska to the Czech Senate, as evidence that a credible democratic alternative can gain support. Shaw identified affordable housing, climate action and media freedom as urgent priorities, arguing that democratic parties must work together more effectively and offer concrete answers to citizens rather than allowing populists to dominate the political agenda.
France – Marc Fesneau, Mouvement Démocrate
Marc Fesneau, Secretary-General of the Mouvement Démocrate (MoDem) in France, described the combination of political instability, social unrest and public debt facing his country. In a deeply polarised political landscape, where both the far right and far left challenge the democratic centre, he argued that moderate forces must rediscover the courage to cooperate and take responsibility. Fesneau highlighted François Bayrou's efforts to confront France's fiscal challenges and warned that democracy risks losing public confidence when it appears incapable of resolving everyday problems. Against the international convergence of authoritarian leaders and movements, he called for an alliance of democrats capable of protecting European freedoms, restoring political credibility and offering a constructive alternative to extremism.
Germany – Engin Eroglu, Freie Wähler
Engin Eroglu, Member of the European Parliament representing Freie Wähler from Germany, highlighted his party's continued electoral progress, from one European Parliament seat in 2014 to three in the most recent European elections, alongside its growing local and regional representation. He presented the party's success as evidence of the importance of proximity to citizens and responsible public administration. Turning to economic policy, Eroglu criticised Germany's growing public borrowing and warned against transferring the cost of today's political decisions to future generations. His central message was that sustainable prosperity requires structural reforms, sound public finances and responsible government, rather than relying on additional debt without addressing underlying economic challenges.
Germany – Michelle Isabell Kahlich, Partei des Fortschritts
Michelle Isabell Kahlich, spokesperson for Partei des Fortschritts from Germany, delivered a passionate appeal to make democracy more accessible, representative and inspiring. Drawing on her own experience growing up in a working-class family, she described how politics too often appears distant from ordinary citizens and inaccessible to those without established connections. Kahlich called for greater participation by young people, women and citizens with migrant backgrounds, insisting that democratic institutions must better reflect the societies they represent. Her message was that democracy should not be associated with bureaucracy and exclusion, but with opportunity, enthusiasm and the possibility for every citizen to shape the future.
Watch Michelle Isabell Kahlich's speech
Greece – Rallia Christidou, Democrats – Progressive Centre
Rallia Christidou, Member of the Greek Parliament representing Democrats – Progressive Centre from Greece, welcomed the EDP Congress to Athens with a call for greater European political courage. She argued that Europe's potential far exceeds its willingness to make collective decisions and urged the EU to strengthen its strategic autonomy, defend international law and invest in its citizens. Reflecting on Greece's economic crisis, Christidou stressed that European solidarity must always be matched by national responsibility and accountability. She also warned that democratic forces cannot defeat the far right through rhetoric alone: they must deliver affordable housing, decent wages, accessible public services and trustworthy institutions. Restoring confidence in democracy, she argued, depends on making its benefits visible in people's everyday lives.
Watch Rallia Christidou's speech
Ireland – Bríd O'Reilly, Independent Ireland
Bríd O'Reilly, representing Independent Ireland, questioned the gap between Ireland's impressive economic statistics and the difficulties experienced by ordinary families. Despite strong national economic indicators, many citizens continue to struggle with housing costs, energy bills and childcare expenses. O'Reilly presented Independent Ireland as a growing political movement rooted in rural and regional communities, committed to ensuring that their concerns are heard in Dublin and Brussels. She also highlighted the European work of EDP MEP Ciarán Mullooly, particularly on agriculture, the EU-Mercosur agreement and regional development. Her intervention emphasised that economic success must be measured not only by national wealth, but by whether prosperity reaches households and communities throughout the country.
Italy – Ivan Scalfarotto, Italia Viva
Ivan Scalfarotto, representing Italia Viva from Italy, called for a stronger and more integrated European Union capable of exercising genuine geopolitical and economic influence. He warned that Europe risks becoming irrelevant in international crises while global powers increasingly shape decisions affecting the continent's future. Scalfarotto also criticised Europe's limited capacity to finance and develop technological innovation, particularly artificial intelligence, and advocated a genuine single market for investment and a common European corporate framework. Turning to Italy, he challenged the economic record of Giorgia Meloni's government and explained Italia Viva's decision to participate in a broader centre-left alliance, with the objective of defeating the right while strengthening its reformist, liberal and pro-European orientation and counterbalancing populist tendencies.
Watch Ivan Scalfarotto's speech
Italy – Gianni Vernetti, Spazio Pubblico
Gianni Vernetti, representing Spazio Pubblico from Italy, presented his new political movement as an alternative to what he described as the country's increasingly entrenched bipolar populism. Returning to the European Democratic Party, whose early development he had helped support, Vernetti explained the ambition to build an independent, liberal, centrist and strongly pro-European political force. He criticised both the nationalist tendencies of the governing right and the populist influence within the opposition, arguing that Italy needs a credible democratic alternative committed to European integration, innovation and liberal democracy. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and growing authoritarian interference, he reaffirmed Spazio Pubblico's determination to contribute to a stronger European democratic project.
Watch Gianni Vernetti's speech
Malta – Mark Camilleri Gambin, Momentum
Mark Camilleri Gambin, representing Momentum from Malta, warned that democratic politics is failing too many young Europeans despite positive headline economic figures. Using Malta as an example, he questioned the value of growth when young people cannot afford housing, wages fail to match living costs and public services face increasing pressure. He identified three interconnected challenges requiring European action: housing speculation driven by international capital, the polarising influence of digital platforms and the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, particularly entry-level jobs. Camilleri Gambin called for stronger European coordination, greater corporate accountability and investment in skills and opportunities. His central warning was that if democrats fail to offer young people hope and tangible solutions, populists and extremists will offer them anger instead.
Watch Mark Camilleri Gambin's speech
Netherlands – Gerrit-Jan van Otterloo, 50PLUS
Gerrit-Jan van Otterloo, representing 50PLUS from the Netherlands, stressed that Europe's success must be measured in human rather than exclusively economic terms. Reflecting on his party's electoral progress and the challenges facing Dutch politics, he warned that increasing defence expenditure should not undermine essential social protections. Van Otterloo highlighted the often-overlooked value of unpaid work, volunteering and family care, activities that sustain communities even when they are absent from traditional measures of economic growth. He also called for greater intergenerational solidarity as Europe confronts demographic ageing, arguing that a democratic and inclusive society must protect the interests and dignity of citizens of every age.
Watch Gerrit-Jan van Otterloo's speech
Portugal – João Ribeiro, Juntos pelo Povo
João Ribeiro, representing Juntos pelo Povo (JPP) from Portugal, brought the perspective of Madeira and Europe's outermost regions to the Congress. He argued that these territories should not be regarded as distant peripheries but as strategic gateways connecting Europe to the Atlantic and the wider world. Ribeiro highlighted the additional costs of insularity, including transport, energy, housing and essential services, and called for stronger recognition of these structural disadvantages in EU policy. His proposals included protecting the POSEI agricultural support programme, systematically applying the principle of insularity across European legislation and safeguarding territorial continuity in transport policy. Supporting outermost regions, he insisted, is not a privilege but a matter of European cohesion, equality and respect for the EU treaties.
One political family, a common responsibility
Across these interventions, several priorities emerged with remarkable consistency.
Affordable housing, economic opportunity and the rising cost of living were recurring concerns from the Canary Islands to Malta, from Ireland to Cyprus. Europe's capacity to defend democracy, protect fundamental freedoms and act independently in an increasingly unstable world was another common theme.
The speakers also demonstrated that European democracy must be built from the ground up: through local communities, regional identities, citizen participation and policies that respond to the real needs of individuals and families.
Some contributions focused on fiscal responsibility and economic competitiveness; others on social protection, women's rights, youth participation or territorial cohesion. These different perspectives are not a weakness. They illustrate the richness of a political family that brings together liberal, centrist, reformist and democratic traditions around shared European values.
The Athens Congress demonstrated that the European Democratic Party is more than an alliance of national political organisations. It is a community of democrats committed to turning common principles into concrete political action.
From Athens, the message was clear: Europe needs more than a defence of the democratic achievements of the past. It needs the courage to build a democratic future that delivers freedom, prosperity, opportunity and dignity for every European.
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