TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — One of the largest pan-European youth political organizations approved a motion to recognize Taiwan as an independent state during its congress on Saturday (Nov. 14).
European Liberal Youth (LYMEC), approved the motion “Let Taiwan be Taiwan; Recognize Taiwan as an independent sovereign state,” paving the way for its parent institution, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE) to raise the motion in the European Parliament.
Saturday’s proposition, which was submitted by Danish youth party Radikal Ungdom, passed with 91 percent of the vote, 172 to eight, with nine abstentions.
Marina Sedlo, the policy officer of LYMEC, provided Taiwan News with the following statement explaining the action:
“LYMEC and its Member Organisations are concerned about liberties and fundamental rights of people all over the world. It is important that we, as European liberals, come together and discuss the troubling situations happening in other countries and express our support to the people fighting for freedom, human rights, and democracy.”
The text of the motion calls for the EU to "end its ‘One-China-Policy’” and to “recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state, independent from the PRC, as long as Taiwan rid themselves of the title ‘Republic of China,’” among a list of other suggestions. These included helping Taiwan integrate into the U.N. and subsidiary institutions as well as strengthening European ties with the East Asian nation through increased trade agreements and student exchanges.
A member of the European Youth Forum — one of the largest youth NGOs in the world — LYMEC is composed of 61 organizations, mainly youth wings of various liberal parties on the national level. The larger ALDE functions as a coalition in the European Parliament, representing 60 liberal parties across the continent, often as part of Renew Europe, an even bigger bloc.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is in a partnership with the ALDE, and there are ongoing efforts to bring the DPP Youth into the International Federation of Liberal Youth, the global liberal youth organization of which LYMEC is a part, according to a federation source.
Below is the full text of the motion:
Text of European Liberal Youth motion to recognize Taiwan's independence. (LYMEC images)
