Results of the 2016 LeaDeR Awards announced at Brussels ceremony

LeaDeR = Liberal Democrat Regional and Local Politicians Awards

The results of the fifth edition of the LeaDeR awards were announced Monday 25 April in Brussels at a ceremony held in the Jacques Delors Building of the EU’s Committee of the Regions. Awards were presented in five categories by Mr Hans van BAALEN, President of the ALDE Party and Member of the European Parliament, Mr Bas Verkerk, President and First Vice-President respectively of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the EU’s Committee of the Regions.

 

25 April 2016, ALDE LeaDeR Awards Belgium - Brussels - April 2016© European Union / Wim Daneels 25 April 2016, ALDE LeaDeR Awards Finalists
Belgium – Brussels

 

The results were as follows:

The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of Young European of the Year: Ms Marine CARON, local councillor of Rouen of the French UDI youth organization, for her energetic, determined, involved and passionate action on the ground locally, through official representations and investment in the young national movment

Finalists:

Alice Le MOAL (FR, Mouvement Démocrate)
Anna ABRAHAMSSON (FI, Svensk Ungdom)
Radoslav REVANSKI (BG, MRF)
Vincent ZIMMER (DE, JUNGE Liberale)
Tom ZEMITI (FR, UDI Jeunes)
Ieva KAČINSKAITĖ-URBONIENĖ (LT, Labour Party)
Thomas FRIANG (FR, Mouvement Démocrate)


 

The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of Most Effective EU Ambassador: Ms Vedrana GUJIC, President of European Liberal Youth, for ensuring that her citizens, her region, her locality not only relate to Europe and benefit from Europe, but also engage.

Finalists:

Kristie LAMERS (NL, D66)
Justina VITKAUSKAITE-BERNARD (LT, Labour Party)


 

The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of Best Elections Campaign: Mr Andrej POROPAT, of the Croatian HNS Party, For having been well ahead of his time and having successfully developed a strategy of low carbon economy 10 years ago as mayor of his town, and for ensuring that the strategy is still followed by the political parties currently in power.

Finalists:

Cllr Ray GEORGESON (UK, Liberal Democrats)
Leon VAESSEN (NL, D66)
Sulea Claudiu SIMION (RO, ALDE)
Petras KUIZINAS (LT, Labour Party)
Markel OLANO (ES, EAJ-PNV)


 

The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of Achievement in Interaction with Digital Communications: Mr Sándor Vékas of the Hungarian Liberal Party, for mobilising 1000 members during the 2014 local elections and winning several positions for the party in the local assembly.

Finalists:

Peter PERNSTEINER (DE, FDP)


 

The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of Achievement in Government: Mr Ignacio AGUADO, spokesperson and leader of Ciudadanos in Madrid, for his exceptional dedication and for bringing majorities together through dialogue and consensus he is a young leader who has brought a new and fresh way of doing politics.

Finalists:

Cornelia HOLZLEITNER-THÖNI (AT, NEOS)
József IGNÁCZ (HU, Hungarian Liberal Party)
María Caridad MEJÍAS SÁNCHEZ (ES, Ciudadanos)
Hartmut GISA (DE, FDP)


 

The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of Achievement in Opposition: Mrs Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, FDP Group Chairperson of Düsseldorf, for her efforts and governing with three different political parties, showing ability to form alliances and in doing so managing to hold up liberal core values.

Finalists:

Carina SÁNDOR (SE, Liberalerna)
Remigijus ŠIMAŠIUS (LT, LRLS)
Resmi MURAD (BG, MRF)
Kristijan JURJAKO (HR, HNS)
Aleksndr HOLST (EE, ERF)
Ibon URIBE (ES, EAJ-PNV)


 

The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of President’s Special Award: Ms Galina SHIRSHINA, former Mayor of Petrozavodsk of the Russian Yabloko Party, for her actions and her endless efforts for transparency in government, and for her incredible endeavours to fight corruption.

 


The 2016 LeaDeR in the Category of President’s Special Award: Mrs Suzanne FLETCHER, former Stockton Councillor of the Liberal Democrats, for her endless hard work to end child detention.

Finalists:

Albert HENKEL (LU, Demokratesch Partei)
Gjergj DEDAJ (XK, Liberal Party of Kosovo)