From September 27 to 28, 2026, the autumn congress of the Dutch liberal youth organization JOVD took place in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. The Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine was represented at the event by Nadiia Varzhel.
Within the congress, Nadiia participated in a panel discussion dedicated to defining the core mission of a liberal youth movement outside traditional parliamentary elections, focusing on mechanisms for influencing public debate and policymaking.
During the discussion, the Ukrainian experience of preserving democratic institutions under the temporary absence of electoral processes was highlighted.
The LDLU representative noted that the full-scale war has catalyzed an increase in political consciousness and civic engagement within society, particularly among the youth. She emphasized that youth political life has adapted to the legal regime of martial law. As an example, Nadiia cited two large-scale protest campaigns initiated by youth movements that resulted in the reversal of previous government decisions.
Special attention during the discussion was given to the specific functioning of independent liberal youth organizations that are not affiliated with political parties. Discussing the LDLU's experience, Nadiia explained that the absence of a mother party results in a lower level of institutional support and complicates operational activities, yet simultaneously guarantees the organization complete independence and broader opportunities for freely implementing advocacy campaigns.
The discussion was also joined by the President of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY), Hania Knio, who outlined the state of youth politics in Lebanon, and Egyptian youth politician Yahya Soliman, who presented on the internal situation in Egypt. The event was moderated by the Treasurer of Liberal International (LI), Lennart Salemink.
We are grateful to the JOVD team for the invitation and their attention to Ukraine. We look forward to deepening our cooperation!
