This day, the 28^th April 2007, we, Greek citizens embracing the ideals of Liberalism, gathered here in Anavyssos , Attika, to unite our strengths and undertake, in action, our responsibilities in our capacity as active members of Greek Society.

We are forming this Alliance to oppose the forces who are after the abolition of the fundamental right of Greeks for free, creative and individual action.

We are standing against the malignant groups which feed off the enormous state, which themselves maintain with every mean, the dominant political parties for their benefit and their benefit alone,.

We are putting forward our liberal principles and we will fight for the proposals that will lead towards the exit from the current political crisis, towards progress and at the reinstatement of authority and morality of politics at the eyes and conciense of our fellow citizens which today, they despise.

The time has come for something new and this we can express but also contest it, all of us, ordinary citizens who think and speak with political terms not opportunistic, who demand proposals and solutions to our country's problems and we are not satisfied in repeating cliches. We, who face individual freedom as an everyday way of life and not just as a social conquest of our ancestors, which can be exchanged with collective giveaways, we, who despise backroom deals and corruption, we are the ones who can bring the much desired and necessary reversal of the current obscure landscape, we are the ones who can fight effectively with the special interests and the established mentalities who cannot possible satisfy the needs of our country in a universal society of citizens.

By raising the flag of freedom and individual rights in this declaration we put forth our vision and we are calling on you to become its supporters and promoters.

Reflection on the period from 1975 (Transition to Democracy)

With the 1975 transition to democracy a new page turn in the modern history of Greece. Its main characteristics was a stable democracy a european orientation of the country with its entry in the European Economic Community (later European Union), the social and political emergence of large parts of Greek people who until then were blatantly under-presented

In order for PASOK and New Democracy to rise to power or maintain their position of power they advanced most of the times with populism, they embraced statism, religionism and anti-americanism, they slendered Liberalism in its entirety and abandoned any internal ideological quest in order to mutate in, politicaly and ideologicaly dry power-handling machines.

During the course of losing their principles, parts of them often adopted the ideas of a 'grey-red' front which has brought together members of the big parties, the Far Right, the Communist Party of Greece, and the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church. Should this front continues its increasing influence and consolidates in a united political force, it may , in times of crises, become a threat to the human rights, the position of Greece in NATO and the EU and to the good relations with the neighbouring countries

Still beyond these developments, the period from 1975 to 2007 was characterised by a new negative phainomenon:

A new set of divisions in Greek Society. These new divisions are no longer 'horizontal' as in the past, when political power was directly connected to the financial wealth and social stature, but 'vertical' where privileged groups and excluded ones can be found in every socioeconomical level and in every part of Greece.

These new privileged groups, by taking advantage of the position that they themselves secured and by ruthlessely excluding others, they leech on the non-privileged and the public finances.

Every Greek citizen can recognise, from his or hers social and professional life, the members of these parasitic groups. It’s the civil servants which deny public services without 'special gifts' , in the tax office, the planning department, the hospita, its these bussinessmen and civil servants that by taking advantage the institutionalised monopoly they provide low quality of services, extorionate prices for products or services of public works, health or education. It's the bussinessmen and public servants who do not allow free entry to the sector they practicaly plunder, who resist any control, any appraisal of their work, any change that may threat or question their position.

It is they, who stop in its tracks every innovative intitiative that could improve a profession, extend new bussiness activity and assist the development of Greece.

These privileged and leechlike groups form, with their actions, the biggest obstacle for the modernisation of the country by draining the public coffers or by rendering void sometimes violently any innovations that aim to taking advantage of the opportunities or preventing the consequences of the globilised markets.

The result of the actions of these groups reflects in Greece's top position in every negative indicator (unemployment, poverty, inequality, corruption) as published by international institutions and at Greece's bottom position when measured with positive indicators (competitiveness, investments, development, culture).

These malign groups although a small percentage of the Greek Society are appearing with a full knowledge of the lawfull and unlawfull practices that can promote their interests, with an ability to erode the state and the political parties, to support anyone like-minded and undermine/marginalise anyone who will stand against them.

With effective political and ideological interventions the special interests groups manage to cloud their role to appear as guardians of democracy and progress and legitimise the violence they unleash to any undisciplined presences, and persuade Greek Society that for all these abominal conditions that their own actions create, the main culpable is neoliberalism, globalisation, foreigners (immigrants and outsiders but particularly the Americans) who conspire all the time against the interest of Greece, according to the mythology they promote.

It is indicative of the extent of deceipt that these special interests have achieved that they defend vigorously what they consider as their greater achievement, the caring, progressive and egalitarian 'social model' when in modern Greece the inequality index is the highest in European Union (15) and the richest 10% earns 7 times more than the poorest 10%

Yet despite the above, New Democracy and PASOK, fearing the political fallout caused by the rupture with these groups, avoid the adoption of the reforms that Greek Society needs today. Although reformers can be found in both parties, they cannot intervene effectively from within because settled and state-supported party machines neither want (controlled by the special intersts) nor can (suffering from complete luck of intellectual ability) to undertake the necessary reforms.

New Democracy's and PASOK contest for the domination of the 'centre', the 'middle space' and their strategy for the electoral success, makes them lose more of any ideological principle and by aiming for a cross section of the public, bounded by petty vote-winning tactics, makes them more and more the same. This development turns more and more citizens away from politics and democratic process.

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) believe that the exit from the current crisis of politics is not the convergence in the 'middle' but the clarifying of the political identities of the parties which will be subjected to the democratic judgement of the Greek citizens.

Liberal Alliance aspires to become a point of reference of all the european-orientated democratic, reforming, modernising forces of the Greek Society and participate in a positive way to the advancement of the reforms inside and outside the main parties by establishing a broad movement that will promote innovation not only as vital, just for today, but as a constant need of the society focusing on the proposals that are presented in the Liberall Alliance Political Manifesto.

Nothing is more potent than an idea whose time has come (V.Hugo)

Liberal Alliance believes that Citizens now demand reforms from the political parties which do not offer them, and this fuels the dissapointment of the society and its worry for the future.

It is also far from certain that the political cost of the reforms is more than the political benefit.

Liberal Alliance believes that it has become part of the concience of a sizable part of the electoral body that their overall social interest cannot continue to be sacrificed to the interests of any subversive group.

Liberal Alliance will not compromise with any postponement of the reforms it puts forward which are the reason why Liberal Alliance exists in the first place and the reason for which it asks the voters to entrust it with their vote.

Liberal Alliance will support its initiative by organising political movements, which will cover the whole of Greece but also Greeks abroad. Its charter will be based in the liberal principals and the respect of the minority. Liberal Alliance is not a leader-based move of a well known Liberal, nor it serves short term political oportunities. Liberal Alliance is formed to cover permanently a political vacuum, the under-representation of Liberalism in Greece

Liberalism

Liberal ideology is the basis of all the proposed reforms. Liberal Alliance will define anew the much- slandered ideology of Liberalism in Greece by promoting freedom, democracy, prevalence of the individual over the state, individual responsibility, equality of opportunities, equality against the law. Of the indivisible trinity of the political, social and economic liberalism.

We, the founders of Liberal Alliance believe that the slendered ideology of Liberalism offered historic services to the Greek nation and democracy. Adamantios Korais, Rigas Feraios and Filikoi (group of intellectuals who advanced and helped the struggle for Independence against the Turks in early 1800s) envisioned the creation of a modern Greek state and the application of democratic freedoms, inspired from the liberal democratic movements that shook Europe in the 19th century, expressing the ideals of Enlightenement and the French Revolutionm, galvanised with the same ideas, Eleftherios Venizelos applied a bold liberal reform programme that ruptured with centuries of stagnant tradtions provoking furious reactions from conservatives of the time.

Born from the same ideological tradition, Liberal Alliance calls the Greek citizens to fight with every constitutional mean for their freedom, their democracy, their equality before the law, their individual rights, their prosperity and overthrow with every mean within the limits of the Constitution the ideological hegemony and political power of whoever obstruct the realisation of these aims.

We are firmly devoted towards the principals, the rules of the democratic process, the freedom of expression and gathering, the free and fair elections , the seperation of the legislative, executive and judicial power, the spread and deepening of democracy, of human rights until these are the reality for the whole of humanity. As citizens of the world , all together and each one on its own, we resist any reactionary regimes and movements that see democracy as a hateful enemy, regimes which oppress their people or trents that aspire to do the same.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of hapiness and lawfull property form inalienable rights of every individual and these define the private space of every person which is why we do not accept in principal any encroachment to the private area of every adult person and we cannot recognise any similar intervention in the name of the person's protection.

Every adult person is in a position to protect him or her self and to avail him or her self in every way he or she considers.

Human rights do not incorporate any positive obligation other than full respect to them. Rights are not collective. Collective notions such as 'Nation', 'People' or 'Class' etc do not have rights that override those that each person has.

The only notion of equality we accept is equality before the law. We do not accept any discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religious beliefs, financial power, sexual or other orientation.

Any argument or any attempt of any other kind of equality invokes the suppression and compulsion and as such it is rejected.

We acknowledge the ecoumenical character of human rights, therefore we demand their protection and promotion from every country and political party. The violation of these rights should be condemned indiscriminately and should not depend on who the violator is or the cultural framework within which the violations occur. We reject any allegation that basic human rights are not suitable to particular people or nations.

We support peace and international cooperation and we demand from the international democratic community not to stay indifferent when the people living in the Third World suffer from genocides and other violations of human rights. Within the parameters of international law, necessary humanitarian interventions, should not be considered encroachement of national sovereingty but its restoration for the benefit of their suffering people.

So a state that violates with cruel acts the normal life of its citizens loses the right to defend its illegal actions with the argument its national sovereignty and international community based on the principles of international law and the proceedures it allows, has the right to intervene to rescue citizens whenever they are in danger.

For the freedom and security of Europe and for the peace in the world it is necessary to forge a common foreign policy and action between the European Union and NATO and in particular the USA, always under the UN aigis.

We support the Free Market as the most efficient economic organisation for a society but we recognize that the government may need to intervene in extreme cases of environmental protection, erosion of competition, and for the protection of particular groups of society ( e.g. people with disabilities, minorities suffering from discriminations, people living in isolated areas)

The world's economic development is connected with the development of free markets and we are against any economic oppression or environmental degradation. The profits from international development with the expansion of free trade, should be redistributed 'downwards' as much as possible so that they can serve the rights of the workers, the farmers and the consumers everywhere in the world.

We reject the 'egalitarian poverty' which penalises the lawful enrichment and healthy competition.

We consider globalisation as a fulfillment to our planet and as the promotion of liberty and human rights.

In order to achieve the above we support the radical reforms of the basic governing global institutions, free trade and help to developing countries.

We vehemently reject anti-western rhetoric and its most extreme and endemic face, fanatic antiamericanism, which forms the spearhead of the dominating ideology and fundamental unifying ingredient of the illiberal red-grey front. We object to any kind of racist prejudice and behavior, we object to the anti-immigrant racicm of the Far Right, we object to the racial and national racicm against people from mouslim countries and their decentants. We will fight any recurrence of antisimitism and of the prejudice against the Jewish people, rejecting outright the pretext of 'antizionism'.

We oppose every form of terrorism and reject categorically any rhetoric that could seek to justify it and we condemn any of their representatives domestic or foreign. Terrorism is a threat that we need to fight not just to analyse it.

We defend tha traditionaly liberal principal of freedom of thought and freedom of expression. Today , more than ever it is necessary to defend the right of people to criticise and question ideas, even ideologies that may be consider precious by other people. Criticism or religion in general or particular religions should be covered by these principals. In every case respect towards others does not mean not criticising their beliefs, if we believe that all the beliefs are subject to criticism.

We consider inseperable part of free exchange of ideas and critical factor of the encouragement of the intellectual effort of people free development of open source software and other creative tools and we are against the patenting of genes, algorithms, and natural data. We support free access to Internet, free flow of information within it and discouragement of any attempt by state intervention and censorship to the World Wide Web.

Citizens of Hellas

Today 28 April 2007, here in Anavissos all of us, believers to the vision of the open society, we, who understand politics as action and not words for mass consumption, we who believe that a creative course of our country depends on us assuming our individual responsibilities we make our stand

We call you to become carriers and promoters of Liberal Alliance's vision, of its principals and of its proposals.

We fight for our today, we fight for our now and we we dream of our tomorrow.