Liberals hope to hold head above water in next EU parliament

The financial crisis has forced the European Liberals to adopt a more moderate deregulatory stance in their party manifesto for next year's European Parliament elections in an attempt to strike a balance between their support for free markets and concerns that voters may be less receptive at the moment to a classical liberal message.

The Liberals, known for their fondness of deregulation and celebration of free markets, worry that in the wake of the financial crisis, they may not be th...