ALDE congratulates Andrew Duff, newly elected President of the Union of European Federalists

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 13th Oct 2008

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe are proud to count among their ranks, the President of the Union of European Federalists, Andrew DUFF (LibDem, United Kingdom), elected during the XXII Congress of the UEF, held on 10-12 October in Paris. Duff has been rewarded for his years of work, notably in the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, where he is ALDE coordinator and for his tireless efforts toward lasting political integration. This election is a show of support for this tireless advocate for Europe in the the United Kingdom, a true mission ground for the proponents of federalism.

Mr Duff outlined the Federalists' response to the current events: "Above all, the European federalists are truly engaged to combat the rise of nationalism. At a time when Europe is facing security challenges at home and abroad, when the financial system's stability is at risk, and when the consequences of climate change are becoming real, the need for European unity is greater than ever. 'Sauve qui peut' policies will be ruinous. Only a united response as advocated by federalists' makes sense. The UEF is well placed to articulate solutions and to campaign for their urgent adoption and effective implementation." In this context, Mr Duff emphasized the key priority for the federalists in 2009 remains to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon".