It hasn't been an easy decision, but after having assessed several criteria, the LYMEC Bureau decided to host the upcoming Electoral Spring Congress 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic between 20-22 May 2022.

Registrations are now closed!

The LYMEC Electoral Spring Congress 2022 will be organised in Prague, Czech Republic in a hybrid format both with in-person and online participation.

The event will take place between Friday, 20 May 2022 (starting early afternoon) and Sunday, 22 May 2022 (end of the Congress on Saturday night). 

This event is co-funded by the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament. 

You can find the documentation page for this Congress here.

The application deadline will be on Friday, 18 March 2022, at 10 h 00 CET (am) (Brussels time). 

Please do not book any travels before receiving a confirmation by the Secretariat that your application has been accepted. This should happen after the registrations are closed by the 25th of March!

The agenda of the Congress is available here.

The general timeline is as follows: 

• Tuesday, 1 March: Opening of the registrations 
• Friday, 18 March: Deadline to register 
• Friday, 25 March: 8 weeks deadline to Congress 
• Friday, 8 April: 6 weeks deadline to Congress for OpenSlides 
• Tuesday, 19 April: Online Q/A - information session on Openslides 
• Friday, 22 April: 4 weeks deadline to Congress
• Friday, 6 May: 2 weeks deadline to Congress
• Saturday, 14 May: Online Working Groups on resolutions and amendments

Please note that just like any other Congress, there are limited places to this hybrid Congress in Prague.

We guarantee for member organisations:

• Full members get 3 spots for delegates available in-person
• Associate members get 2 spots for delegates available in-person
• Additional 3 delegates per organisation can connect online for full members
• Additional 2 delegates per organisation can connect online for associate members 

Full member organisations can therefore have a maximum amount of 6 delegates while there is a maximum of 4 delegates for associate member organisations. 

We guarantee for the IMS:

• 3 voting delegates in-person
• 2 steering Committee members in-person 
• 2 extra individual members in-person, selected in accordance with this criteria
• 4 additional individual members on top of that to be selected to attend online in accordance with the same criteria

By registering for this event you agree to our updated privacy policy and understand that your personal data will be shared with the European Liberal Forum -for administrative purposes since we are this time using their registration system- as well as with the hotel. 

Delegates should be of 18 years of age because of insurance reasons (and not older than 35 years at the moment of the event). We ask the International Officers to register their respective delegations (please only do it one time through the form). 

If you have trouble with the registration, please contact the office ([email protected]). The requests will be handled as soon as possible during office opening hours (Mon-Thu 09-17, Fri 09-14:30).

Participation fees

• The fee for the Congress including accommodation in double rooms Friday-Sunday and meals, is 125 EUR. 
• If you are already based in Prague or for other reasons are not in need of accommodation, the participation fee for Congress is 60 EUR (including meals).
• Reduced participation fee can be requested with proper explanation and justifications on the reasons of the request through the registration form - 65 EUR fee would apply if granted by the Bureau. 
• No participation fee will be collected from online participants. 

The application deadline will be on on Friday, 18 March 2022, at 10 h 00 CET (am) (Brussels time). 

Freedom Fund 

The Bureau is happy to consider the use of the LYMEC Freedom Fund, making it possible for even more member organisations to be present at our Congresses! The Freedom Fund can provide financially strained member organisations with a travel reimbursement (or at least partially) for participation in LYMEC Congresses. The aim is to increase the democratic aspect of the Congress by enabling more member organisations to exercise their voting rights and take part in the highest decision-making body of the organisation.

If you need support from the Freedom Fund, please contact us at [email protected] AND [email protected] by Friday, 18 March 2022, at 10 h 00 CET (am) (Brussels time).

Applications will be assessed by the Bureau and decisions made on case by case basis. 

COVID measures (this section will be frequently updated)

In-person participation can happen if the delegate can present an EU COVID certificate (or equivalent): is 'Fully vaccinated' (complete vaccination by EMA recognised vaccines - including booster) or a recovery certificate from less than 6 months is presented or a 'PCR test' is shown upon arrival (test happened within 72 hours prior to the event). 

Participants will also be subject to rapid tests at the beginning and during the event. Mask wearing and regularly washing/disinfecting hands will be mandatory. 

More updates and information to be shared soon. 

This is an Electoral Congress, meaning we will elect a new leadership for LYMEC. According to the statutes, the process is the following: Article 22 – Composition and election of the Bureau (1) The Bureau consists of:

• The President
• The Vice-President 
• The Treasurer 
• Four other Bureau members

(2) Candidates for the Bureau may be put forward by full member organisations or an individual member. All members of full member organisations and individual members of LYMEC can be put forward as a candidate for the Bureau. (3) Candidates to the Bureau must be between 18 and 33 years of age on the date of the election. A mailing, introducing all candidates that supplied the secretariat with the necessary material at least four weeks prior to the Congress, shall be sent out at the latest 2 weeks before the Congress. (4) Members of the Bureau are elected by secret ballot for a regular Bureau period of two years according to the procedure specified in the Congress Rules. Bureau members elected in a by-election serve until the end of the regular period. The introduction of all candidates shall be arranged by the Chair during the Congress. (5) Bureau members who have not attended at least half of the meetings in the twelve months following their election will be subject to a vote of confidence by the next Congress. For further information on the electoral procedures, please see the Electoral Congress Rules. In order to facilitate the electoral process, an Election website will be created. To be included in the website and mailing, the candidates must send the following information to [email protected] by Friday, 22 April 2022 applications can still be received at a later stage but they won't be published:

• Motivation letter clearly stating what position (president/vice president/treasurer/bureau member) the person is running for
• CV
• Picture
• A short (max 60 words) statement on why they are running (for the website)
• A nomination letter from the Member Organisation (not applicable for Individual Members)

Statutory Deadlines 

8 weeks before the Congress - Friday, 25 March 2022: 

• Date and location of the Congress
• Proposed agenda of the Congress
• Proposal of Statutory changes
• Proposal of changes of Congress Rules
• Applications for full membership
• Application for associate membership
• Changes in member organisations
• Proposal to expel or suspend membership 

4 weeks before the Congress - Friday, 22 April 2022:

• Application to become member of the Bureau and other positions (to be featured on elections website) 
• Annual Financial Report 2021
• External Audit report for 2021 
• Financial report Jan-May 2022 
• Annual Budget updates 2022 
• Bureau reports and Annual report 
• Motions and resolutions
• Applications for reduced membership fees and payment arrangements

2 weeks before the Congress - Friday, 6 May 2022: 

• Internal auditors’ report 
• Presentation of the Bureau candidates

1 week before the Congress - Friday, 13 May 2022:

• Amendments to motions and resolutions 

Before the start of the Congress - Friday, 20 May 2022: 

• Amendments to amendments of motions and resolutions
• Urgent resolutions   

Cancellation 

As all LYMEC events, this Congress also applies the rules of late cancellation and no show fees: Cancellation less than 2 weeks prior to the event leads to a late cancellation fee of 50 euro, and cancellation less than 48 hours prior to the event or not attending at all (no show) leads to a no-show fee of 75 euro. 

Visa

LYMEC can assist with Visa applications for those in need. LYMEC can't cover these extraordinary expenses but will help the participants with the application processes (invitation letters). Please reach out to [email protected] if you have such a request! 

Privacy and GDPR

Events organised by European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) may be audio- and video-recorded as well as web-streamed. A photographer and/or a cameraman, contracted by LYMEC, may have access to the meeting room in order to take pictures and videos for communication and publication purposes. Videos and pictures taken by the photographer and/or cameraman, contracted by LYMEC, may also be published on the LYMEC website and on related social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.). They may also be used in other media and means of communication in order to pass on information about the event and activities of LYMEC. The European Liberal Forum might also use the pictures, video or audio in their communications. By registering, you consent your data to be available for administrative and financial purposes only to both the European Liberal Forum and the Renew Europe Group. 

***Disclaimer: By registering for this event you give your permission for LYMEC to use your picture in their promotional campaigns and materials and communication about the event. Please make clear in advance if you do not wish your picture to be used by LYMEC***