Call for nominations - Liberal Awards

 

The European Liberal Forum is presenting the fifth edition of the Liberal Awards, which celebrates the champions of liberal values and ideas and ensures their recognition and impact on the European level. Every year, ELF member organisations, political parties and foundations are invited to nominate candidates in different categories.

Open to current and former elected officials, think tankers, journalists and activists,who are residents in one of the Council of Europe Member States.

In 2025 liberal organisations can nominate their candidates in two categories, each organization can make no more than one nomination in each category:    

Rising star: Which newcomer has caught your eye on the liberal scene this year? Who is making waves with their energy and dedication?   

Liberal of the Year: Who has been brave enough to shake up the liberal world with disruptive ideas or approaches?  

The Deadline for nominatios is September 21st, 2025

The project aims to put the spotlight on and celebrate the achievements of liberal figures, stakeholders, changemakers and activists during the 2025 ALDE Congress, taking place in Brussels on 24-25 September, 2025.

Eligibility criteria:

• Nominees must be residents of and conduct the majority of their liberal activities in one of the 46 Member States of the Council of Europe. 
• All complete nominations received by 30 August will be considered by the Jury.
• The Jury will provide a statement explaining their reasons for the winning choice but cannot provide feedback on every nomination. 
• You may nominate the same person for a maximum of 2 categories. 
  All nominees must be at least 18 years old as of August 30, 2025.
• Each organisation can make no more than 1 nomination in each category.

The Jury will be composed of representatives of ELF board, ALDE Party and LYMEC. The slection criteria will be as follows:

Criteria	Rising Star	Liberal of the Year
Committed to Liberal Values	Demonstrated Committment	Demonstrated Committment
Impact	Leading impactful initiatives or political reforms	Leading impactful initiatives or political reforms (last 2 years)
Innovative Approach	Pushing boundaries to defend or redefine liberal values	Pushing boundaries to defend or redefine liberal values
Bold Leadership and Collaboration	Bold leadership and collaboration in national or European liberal politics	Bold leadership and collaboration in national or European liberal politics
Public Visibility	Has gained traction and recognition through speeches, campaigns, writing, or political engagement
Potential for Growth	Demonstrated potential for growth in Liberal Politics	Demonstrated potential for growth in Liberal Politics
Age Limit	18-35 years old	None
Experience in Liberal Politics	New to national/European liberal politics (active for 5 years or less)
Bridge-Building Across Sectors		Building bridges across different sectors and political spheres
Engagement with Controversial Topics		Boldly addresses controversial topics and encourages open discussions

  

 

Disclaimer: 

In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) the personal data provided will be used exclusively by ELF and the implementing party in order to fulfil their legal obligations under European and Belgian law with regards to project administration and accountable public spending. By signing this form, participants confirm their participation in this event, agree to providing all necessary data and consent to the use of this data exclusively for the before-mentioned purpose. If a participant opts not to provide the data required, participation in the Liberal Awards may be revoked by ELF or the party implementing the project. The participant can at any time notify ELF if he/she wants access to and rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of the processing of said data by contacting info@liberalforum.eu.