"Olli Rehn and Guy Verhofstadt, the two candidates in the race for selection by the European Liberal Democrats to lead the forthcoming European election campaign, have today reached an agreement. The agreement proposes that the two candidates jointly lead the campaign, on an equal footing. It proposes further that Verhofstadt be the ALDE Party's candidate for Commission President and that Rehn be the party's candidate for one of the other senior posts in the EU, in particular in the field of economic affairs and foreign policy.

"In the agreement the candidates agree to campaign vigorously together. I have today (20 January) written to the party's bureau to propose a motion for a resolution to be submitted to our electoral meeting in Brussels on 1st February. I welcome the fact that we have two extremely well qualified candidates for leading positions in the EU and I look forward to commending their agreement to the party. I am convinced that Europe's Liberal Democrats will fight an effective and successful campaign for a more Liberal Europe."