While ADR is in Luxembourg the only party to commit to a Europe of Nations, it shares his political beliefs with other organizations at European level. On 8th June 2010, so one year after the last European elections, ADR was unanimously accepted as a new Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) member. The AECR is an association of national parties which is recognized as such by the European Parliament .
For ADR, this membership means a greater capacity to act. AECR members work together to promote their vision of the European Union. ADR works among others with these political organizations:
– Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party
– polish Law and Justice party of former Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński
– Civic Democratic Party, which gave no less than three prime ministers to Czech Republic since its founding
– Independence Party , which as the largest Icelandic party is part of the governing coalition
ADR also has sister parties in Belgium, Denmark, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.
When AECR was founded , the parties agreed on the values and goals they claim as their own. The Prague Declaration (the document was signed in the Czech capital) contains in ten points AECR’s principles:
- Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and small government as the ultimate catalysts for individual freedom and personal and national prosperity.
- Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability.
- Sustainable, clean energy supply with an emphasis on energy security.
- The importance of the family as the bedrock of society.
- The sovereign integrity of the nation state, opposition to EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity.
- The overriding value of the transatlantic security relationship in a revitalised NATO, and support for young democracies across Europe.
- Effectively controlled immigration and an end to abuse of asylum procedures.
- Efficient and modern public services and sensitivity to the needs of both rural and urban communities.
- An end to waste and excessive bureaucracy and a commitment to greater transparency and probity in the EU institutions and use of EU funds.
- Respect and equitable treatment for all EU countries, new and old, large and small.
ADR is also well represented in the AECR committees. Fernand Kartheiser MP is a Council member, Roy Reding is treasurer and compliance officer.