Last month, young liberals from across Europe gathered in Warsaw, Poland, for the LYMEC Autumn Congress. It was a weekend filled with politics, dear reunions and many new friends. Every Congress represents a chance to not only connect with fellow liberals but also shape LYMEC’s policy on pressing issues.
Therefore when I left, I was not only inspired but also proud. This Congress, LYMEC successfully adopted fourteen resolutions on a wide range of policy areas. Including a resolution that focused on the pressing issue of antimicrobial resistance which I personally worked hard to develop.
In this article, I will discuss how that resolution came to life. I cover what my colleagues and I did to research and develop the resolution and how it made its way into LYMEC’s policy book. Along the way, I also reflect on the many important lessons I learned about collaboration, resilience, and the power of youth advocacy whilst writing this resolution.
Developing the Resolution
The idea for a resolution on antimicrobial resistance was born out of conversations within CSI (Centerstudenter International), the international branch of Centerstudenter in Sweden. During one of our online meetings, we discussed pressing global issues that weren’t getting enough attention. Antimicrobial resistance emerged as a clear favourite within our discussions, as it poses a silent but growing global threat. Not only this, but, despite having the potential to undermine modern medicine and public health systems, it often receives far less political attention than it deserves.
The manner in which we determined our resolution topic was at its heart collaborative. Coming up with ideas as a group allows more people to have opportunities to participate, but it also means you will pick up on more ideas and be more likely to highlight a particular niche.
Writing the resolution was also a collaborative effort. The first step was researching reports from organisations such as WHO as well as scientific journals and EU policy documents. We mapped out the problem and identified key areas where LYMEC could advocate for change, such as promoting research into new antibiotics, encouraging sustainable farming practices, and strengthening EU cooperation on antimicrobial resistance. Before dividing this work between us. Sharing the work in this way allows your resolution to benefit from a wider range of insights during the research period, and makes the work of writing the resolution more manageable.
At this point, I have a piece of advice that I’d like to share: start by writing down all your thoughts, then refine them. As the old saying goes, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” Brevity and clarity are essential for resolutions, especially when you want them to resonate across diverse member organisations . After some rounds of edits, the resolution was ready to share.
Building Support
Once the resolution was polished, it was time to gain co-signatures. I started by sending the resolution to member organisations who I had already collaborated with previously and I began by sharing the resolution with liberal youth organisations in Sweden and other Nordic countries, before expanding across Europe. Working with your closest friends and partners in LYMEC can help you to develop your resolutions and it allows you to test the waters before taking your resolution to other organisations.
As an International Officer, sending resolutions back and forth is time-intensive, so it is not feasible to send every resolution to all MOs. However, the resolutions are published beforehand to enable a pre-read, and we have forums for discussing them, such as the online working groups, which are really great for getting feedback ahead of the Congress.
The timing of your outreach also matters. Submitting resolutions too close to the deadline can make it difficult for MOs to properly review and co-sign. By sending ours out about five days before the deadline, we gave IOs and Heads of Delegations time to review it thoroughly and check with their boards if necessary. Collaboration across member organisations can also help to strengthen your resolution. During this process, we received valuable feedback from other MOs, which improved the text and made it more inclusive.
Building these relationships is as rewarding as seeing your resolution pass; the friendships and mutual respect you develop are just as important as the policy itself. Not only will these friendships help you to get your resolution passed, it will also help you to enjoy the rest of Congress.
The Journey Through Congress
At Congress, the real work begins. With strong co-signature support for our proposals for tackling antimicrobial resistance, the next challenge was navigating our resolution’s journey through the various stages of debate. Even with a well-researched resolution, getting it passed at Congress required another set of skills: advocacy and negotiation.
A pivotal moment is the snap vote, where delegates vote on their five favourite resolutions to determine the priority for debates. This vote will determine whether your resolution gets its time to shine, or whether it will be lingering at the back of the queue with no chance of being debated.
For our resolution, we initially faced a setback: at the Spring Electoral Congress in Brussels, it placed sixth in the snap vote but didn’t make it to the floor for debate due to time constraints. While disappointing, this wasn’t the end of the road. A key lesson here is persistence. If your resolution doesn’t pass, refine it and try again.
That’s exactly what we did for the Warsaw Congress in November, and this time, our resolution ranked third out of thirty-three resolutions in the snap vote—a position that ensured it would be addressed.
When it was our turn to present, we kept the message clear and concise. We defended our resolutions where necessary but also remained open to amendments. Striking this balance is crucial: you want to stay true to your resolutions’ core, but flexibility demonstrates respect for the democratic process and helps build consensus. At the end of the day, LYMEC contains many voices and the best resolutions bring these different perspectives together.
When our resolution passed with 90% of the votes, it was a moment of pride and relief. Adopting it into LYMEC’s policy book feels like the culmination of months of hard work—not just by me but by everyone who contributed to the process.
This experience taught me several valuable lessons. Firstly, start with a niche. Choosing a specific, underrepresented topic like antimicrobial resistance helped our resolution to stand out and allowed other delegations to see the unique value of discussing our proposals.
Secondly, Preparation and collaboration is key. Thorough research, early outreach, and pre-congress discussions helps to address challenges before they become obstacles. This had a big role in building support for our resolution ahead of the debate at Warsaw Congress. From drafting the resolution to debating it at Congress, teamwork and collaboration was at the heart of every success.
Third and finally, Never give up. If your resolution doesn’t pass the first time, refine it and try again. Persistence pays off when it comes to writing policy.
A Final Thought
Writing and passing a resolution is one of the most rewarding experiences in LYMEC. It’s a chance to make your voice heard, advocate for causes you believe in, and shape the future of liberal politics in Europe.
However, passing a resolution is just the beginning. The real goal is to turn these words into action, whether through LYMEC’s advocacy efforts or by bringing the resolution to ALDE Congress for adoption by member parties. Once you’ve got a resolution on the policy books, it's up to you and your team to keep the pressure up and make sure your hard work translates into real changes.
This can seem daunting, but it is a challenge I am working on as we speak. Tackling antimicrobial resistance remains a personal mission for me and, through this year’s Young Changemakers’ Academy, I founded an NGO for raising awareness among young people about this issue. For me, the journey doesn’t stop here, and I hope this resolution inspires others to take up the cause or find their own issue to champion.
If you’ve been considering writing a resolution but feel unsure, I encourage you to take the leap. LYMEC is the perfect space to learn, grow, and make a difference!
About the Author:
Evelina Dannert is the International Officer for Centerstudenter, Sweden. She’s passionate about addressing global challenges, including the climate crisis and antimicrobial resistance, but also security issues and supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom.
Making Change Through LYMEC: Shaping Policy at Autumn Congress in Warsaw