In early 2009 Libertas applied to be recognised by the European Parliament as a political party at European level. The party was publicly announced in December 2008 with ambitions to field up to 400 candidates and win seats in all 27 EU member states. The Irish Times reported that the new party was intended to 'carry on the business of a European political party'. On 30 October 2008, Ganley registered a company based in Moyne Park, Tuam, County Galway called the Libertas Party Limited.

The two were later amongst the guests at a dinner hosted by Ganley at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin on 11 November 2008. On 20 September 2008, The Irish Times reported that Bonde and Czech president Václav Klaus pledged to help Ganley to launch Libertas. The next day Ganley confirmed that Libertas was fundraising in order to run candidates throughout Europe in the 2009 European Parliament elections. On 15 July 2008, RTÉ News on Two covered Ganley's comments at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he stated that Libertas intended running as a political party at European level. Bonde was later cited as one of the main architects of the upgrading of Libertas to a political party at European level. Attending that celebration was Danish Eurosceptic and former President of the EUDemocrats and recently retired MEP Jens-Peter Bonde, who had been a 'no' campaigner during the referendum. Libertas held a post-referendum celebration in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on the night of Friday, 13 June 2008.

The referendum was held on 12 June 2008 Īnd defeated by 53.4% to 46.6%, with a turnout of 53.1%. In 2008, the Libertas Institute Limited, a lobby group founded by Declan Ganley and others, advocated a 'no' vote in Lisbon I, the 2008 referendum in Ireland on the Treaty of Lisbon. See also: Libertas Institute Limited Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2008 (Ireland) and political party at European level

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