Report of activities 2001 - 2004
Brussels, 24 April 2004
Introduction
During the period between the 2001 Berlin Congress and 2004 Brussels Congress the Party of European Socialists has faced challenges both in political and organisational terms.
After a period of extraordinary electoral success in the second half of the nineties, governmental participation of PES parties has gone down. Within the EU PES parties are in government in 6 out of 15 Member states, in the new Member States PES parties are in 5 out of 10 governments.
There is however no reason to conclude that European Social Democracy is facing an electoral crisis. The vast majority of EU citizens from May 1st onwards are governed at national level led by a PES party (Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Czech republic, Hungary and Lithuania) or by a government with PES party participation (Belgium, Finland and Slovenia.).
Fact remains that during the period 2001-2004, President Robin Cook and the Presidency had to adapt the activities to the fact that less than before PES parties were governmental parties. The role of PES ministerial co-operation has decreased and more than before the PES has undertaken major policy co-ordination projects of its own.
Two major policy co-ordination projects
The co-ordination of the Social Democrat and Socialist members of the European Convention under the leadership of Giuliano Amato and later the globalisation project under the leadership of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen have been project of a magnitude and an impact the PES has never seen before. Apart from the skills of these main players, the success of both projects was also related to a more intensive and more effective co-operation between the PES and the PES Parliamentary Group in case of the Convention and a successful triangle of PES, PES Group and Socialist International in case of the globalisation project.
Two major initiatives for international and intercultural dialogue
Another important feature of the PES activities in the period 2001-2004 was the initiative to undertake two major projects of dialogue at global level. On the one hand the PES and the SI started policy discussions with progressive US Democrats. Both sides have agreed to prepare for the short term or mid-term perspective of a democrat administration in Washington in combination with a strong/stronger PES party representation in EU governments.
On the other hand there is the Euro-Mediterranean intercultural dialogue which after successful meetings in Brussels (2002) and Granada (2002) will be resumed with a meeting in Toulouse this year.
The combination of these two dialogue projects has made the PES into an instrument European Socialists and Social Democrats can use in their efforts to improve global relations and to invest in global institutions in times of increased tensions and the threat of terrorism.
Organisational challenges
During the years 2001-2004 the PES organisation and budget required special attention. From 2001 onwards it was clear that the PES would have to leave the European Parliament premises and cut it organisational and financial links with the PES Parliamentary Group. The EU Court of Auditors had criticised the European Parliament for allowing it Groups to support party structures. The PES and PES Group fully accepted this criticism and for a period of three years worked together to have a new European party statute agreed upon based on full accountability and transparency. Last steps, like money transfers and acquiring the new PES House, still have to be finalised in the week to come.
The Secretary General and Treasurer can however report to the Congress that a modest base for PES staff and finances is ensured for the years to come and the conditions are fulfilled to come to a new independent organisation.
1 Political activities
1.1 Convention
Under the leadership of vice-president Giuliano Amato, the socialist family, made up of 34 full members with 20 substitutes and three observers, kept up a very intense level of activity during the development of the new Constitution within the Convention. During their 52 meetings, the social democratic caucus scrupulously prepared every stage of the Convention in very open and lively debates.
In addition, they deepened their discussions in the course of four seminars (Birmingham, Florence, Bucharest and Amsterdam), set their priorities and tried to find common positions on a great number of sensitive questions concerning the new Constitution.
Caucus members later followed the work of the IGC in close detail, met on a number of occasions and set out their priorities in a statement published on 14 November 2003. Debate within the socialist family was rounded off at leaders' meetings on 15 October and 11 December 2003.
Finally, the PES created a web site section dedicated to the Convention and kept it regularly updated during the Convention's work.
1.2 Lisbon strategy: growth, employment and sustainable development
Following the commitment undertaken in the 2002 - 2004 work plan the PES network on the Lisbon Strategy was created in early 2003 under the chairmanship of its rapporteur Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. Parties sent a personal representative of the leaders or the heads of government in order to ensure an immediate access to the decision making level. The network was assisted by the expertise from the European Commission's special advisor Maria Joao Rodrigues, Director of the ISCTE Research Centre in Lisbon and the Parliamentary Group of the PES in the European Parliament.
The ambition of the network was to regain the initiative for Social Democrats in these policy areas and to revive the Lisbon Strategy for Growth, Employment and Sustainable Development, formulated in the year 2000 by what was then a PES dominated European Council led by of SI President Antonio Guterres, formerly Prime Minister of Portugal.
The PES network on the Lisbon strategy met three times in Brussels and Luxembourg 2003 and concluded its well researched and intensive work by adopting two reports at the end of 2003, "Momentum for Recovery in Europe" and "Promoting Investment" culminating in a "Five point plan" to relaunch the sluggish European economy and to create wide scale employment.
The five points and the reports were presented to the Irish Council Presidency, which indeed has made the reviving of the Lisbon process one of its top policy priorities.
The PES Lisbon strategy network will continue its work in 2004 and will focus its activities on a reappraisal and modern interpretation of the Stability and Growth pact.
1.3 Common Agricultural policy
Led by vice-president Henri Nallet and two other rapporteurs, Frans Timmermans and Willy Görlach, the PES working group considered CAP reform and food safety in great detail. To build on this work, the PES and its parliamentary group jointly organised a seminar on "Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy" on 14 and 15 October 2002 in Brussels.
The final report was fully discussed at the presidency meeting in Warsaw on 14 November 2002. The presidency decided to forward this report to the parliamentary group and the member parties.
1.4 Sustainable development
Under the leadership of Swedish prime minister Göran Persson, the PES working group drew up a document setting out the political priorities and positions of the PES for the European Summit in Barcelona as well as for the preparation of the Johannesburg Summit. It was approved at the leaders' meeting in Barcelona in March 2002.
Meetings of ministers and spokespersons of our parties in opposition prior to sectoral meetings of the different Councils, were held in line with requests from different socialist ministers under the various Council presidencies. In recent years, the regularity of these meetings has decreased in proportion to the decline in socialist representation in national governments, as is set out in the attached timeline. This PES activity should be relaunched.
1.5 Enlargement / SEE / Wider Europe
Having concentrated over years on the preparation of the accession of the ten new Member States in May this year, the focus of PES party political activities has gradually shifted towards the Western Balkans. Here, with a very active role of PES Vice Chair Jan Marinus Wiersma, we co-operate with the parties from the region through the PES Network for South East Europe. Furthermore Europe's new neighbours in the East, Russia, the Caucasus and the Mediterranean area received new attention (see also euro-mediterranean dialogue).
The PES has been successful in its aim to strengthen and consolidate social democratic forces in particular in Bulgaria, Romania and parts of former Yugoslavia. It reinforced its efforts in Serbia Montenegro and Albania, where fact finding missions have been organised and where the PES can play a crucial role in helping to bring stability to the region. Concerning our "new neighbours and beyond" the PES is reassessing its party political relations by working closely together with the SI, the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity and other foundations close to the PES.
1.6 Roma people
Written by Vice-President Jan Marinus Wiersma MEP, the PES paper "The Roma: discrimination and exclusion" traces the history of the difficult situation of the Roma from before World War II to the present day. In contrast to the political prose characteristic of other PES policy documents, this paper is presented as a narrative that recounts key developments of the Roma's recent history and their present day reality. It also suggests various ways in which we, as European Social Democrats, can help to tackle the discrimination and exclusion that this minority suffers.
Jan Marinus Wiersma also used the paper for presentations at several key events discussing the situation of the Roma people in different Central and Eastern European countries during the course of 2002.
1.7 Right-Wing Populism
Building on the discussions of a PES seminar “Strategies against right-wing populism” in June 2002, the PES produced a discussion paper "Tackling right-wing populism in European democracies" in September 2002. The paper identified the main causes of the recent successes of right-wing populist parties in several member states and outlined a strategy to tackle this phenomenon.
1.8 Justice, Immigration and Asylum
The PES committed itself in its workplan 2000 - 2004 to address this issue of paramount importance to European voters . The discussion was dominated by voices of the often anti-european political right and needed an input from PES side.
Anna Terron, rapporteur for the PES and spokesperson of the PES Group in the European Parliament's Committee for Civil Liberties set up a task force with experts from the PES parties to find a common policy approach on these delicate issues. With the help of the Parliamentary Group of the PES two meetings with experts and leading PES politicians were organised in 2003 in Milan and Helsinki. The conclusions of this work in the form of a report have been presented to the PES Presidency. The PES and the rapporteur are advocating a positive approach based on decisions, policy guidelines and convictions rooted in a pluralist, open and tolerant society, and preceded by a honest debate. An EU- wide common set of rules, as set out in the conclusions of the Tampere Council, should be the basis for regulating these policy areas.
1.9 Globalisation
Under its rapporteur Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, the PES adopted in 2003 the widely acclaimed report "Europe and the new Global Order" to promote a progressive policy approach in trying to find appropriate answers to the challenges and chances of globalisation. In 2003 the Global Progressive Forum was created by the PES and in November a very successful three day meeting to launch the Forum, with over 1000 participants and 100 speakers from across the Globe was held in the European Parliament with the help of the Parliamentary Group of the PES and the SI.
The Global Progressive Forum is reaching out to all interested individuals, civic actors and NGOs to help creating a permanent political dialogue. Following the meeting in November a PES High Level Group has formulated and signed a political declaration, which has been presented to the PES Presidency. With the help of the PES a website has been installed for the Global Progressive Forum.
1.10 Transatlantic dialogue
In its 2002-2004 workplan the PES committed itself to developing a dialogue with progressive democrats in the USA. A preparatory visit in 2003 by a 10 strong PES/SI/PES Group led by Robin Cook, Antonio Guterres and Enrique Baron, led to the creation of "Building Global Alliances for the 21st Century", a joint initiative open to progressives across the world to formulate global progressive policy goals as a response to global challenges. The idea was also to bring existing contacts and various individual initiatives across the ocean on a firmer and more permanent organisational basis.
The main organisations involved in preparing the groundwork are the PES and the Center for American Progress, a newly created progressive think-tank led by John Podesta, former chief of staff of President Clinton. Participating in the initiative are key progressive US senators, congressmen and political activists. The first meeting was held in Stockholm in April 2004, hosted by Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, where two pilot projects were discussed in detail. One project dealt with environmental protection, the other with non-proliferation of WMD. The very encouraging start of the initiative and in particular the enthusiastic and fruitful discussions will lead to further issues to be examined with the aim to adopt concrete policy recommendations in the near future.
1.11 Security and defence
The PES Presidency decided at its meeting of 26 June 2003 to create a Security and Defence task force and gave vice-president Alain Richard the task of co-ordinating its work. This working group, collaborating closely with socialist defence ministers, the EU High Representative for foreign and security policy Javier Solana and the parliamentary group's working party, began detailed consideration of a socialist approach to international security issues. Last November, this working group was very active in the round table on Security and Defence organised by the Global Progressive Forum. In the near future it will present its conclusions to the presidency.
1.12 Euro-Mediterranean dialogue
Following the attacks of 11 September 2001, the PES and its parliamentary group decided to launch a series of initiatives to strengthen dialogue with the Arab and Muslim world. At its special session of 20 September 2001, the Presidency decided to begin three activities:
A round table: PES with representatives of Muslim communities in Europe
The PES Presidency invited international secretaries of PES parties and representatives of Muslim communities established in Europe, to a round table held on 30 October.
Dialogue with socialist, social democratic and progressive forces in countries that are mainly Muslim: Organisation of the first PES Winter University.
These PES study days entitled "Dialogue between Cultures" took place in Grenada on 14 and 15 February 2002. The three working sessions dealt with:
- "Transmission of intercultural knowledge. Politics and Religion";
- "Values, rights and freedoms after 11 September"; and
- "Evaluation of the Barcelona process and the Middle East crisis."
These study days were a success as much for the quality of the speakers and the debates as for the high level of participation. The PS expressed its desire to host a second meeting of this type in Toulouse in the course of the year 2004.
2 Activities of the different PES bodies and its 6th Congress
2.1 Preparation of the 6th PES Congress in Brussels
The 6th PES Congress has been planned seven weeks before the June 2004 elections to the European Parliament. Its main purpose is to show the strength of European Social Democracy and its ambitions for a stronger and more effective European Union. These policy objectives are expressed in the form of a common electoral appeal (manifesto) and supported by a number of PES reports.
In 2003 PES President Robin Cook proposed to the Presidency to organise the sixth PES Congress on 24 April 2004 in Brussels; It is the first time that a congress is held just seven week before election date at a moment that at national level the election campaigns make a start. By no longer planning the congress about five months before the elections as in the past, a number of national PES Member parties will have adopted national election manifestos before a common electoral appeal is agreed upon. However, having elaborated over the last years a number of PES reports on crucial policy areas, a common input had been made available as reference documents for national parties.
In future the PES will no doubt organise its “non-electoral”congresses throughout the European Union. Brussels, with the world’s biggest and most international press core, is however the ideal base for a PES Congress in the run up to the EP
elections.
2.2 Warsaw Council
The PES held its first Council, a body that contributes to shaping PES policies, in Warsaw in November 2002. More than 200 delegates and guest personalities from the EU member states and candidate countries had th opportunity to hold strategic discussions on major political issues. The two strategic debates were: "Global responsibilities of an enlarged Union" and "The future of European social democracy." A resolution drawing together political positions on these questions was approved unanimously.
The PES had decided to hold its Council in Poland in order to send a strong political message during the final decisive phase of the accession negotiations. On the other hand, this Council meeting offered an opportunity to mark the 10th anniversary of the PES and to present the image of a consolidated European party in an enlarged Union. "Building the Future", a work detailing the history of the PES, was published to mark this occasion and was later widely distributed among our parties.
2.3 PES summits
Since the Berlin Congress, PES leaders have met on the eve of every European Summit, exchanging ideas, proposals and positions, not only on issues directly linked to European Council agenda but also on the major political debates about European development and on questions more particularly linked to the PES such as development of European political parties or PES reform.
At the summits of Laeken (2001) and Barcelona (2002), several leaders took part in meetings with representatives of different groups in civil society. A special meeting was organised in May to mark the 140th anniversary of the SPD. All PES leaders paid tribute to this party which is one of the major pillars of the European socialist family.
These different leaders' meetings were prepared by advisers to prime ministers and leaders who would in general meet a few days before the European Council at Brussels airport to exchange views and information on the main issues on the Summit agenda.
2.4 Presidency
This PES body, set up by the Berlin Congress, has developed into the centre of PES activity executing Congress decisions and setting out orientations for PES policies.
Apart from its regular meeting the Presidency occasionally meets at short notice linked to major events like September 11th and the outbreak of the Iraq war.
2.5 Co-ordination team
Also the coordination team resulted from the restructuring of PES bodies at the Berlin Congress. These meetings chaired by the Secretary General were held with the same frequency as Presidency meetings (around five per year) and bring together international secretaries and PES staff Members. Being responsible for planning, finances and preparations, the coordination team has played a crucial role in preparing the European party statute and the independent existence of the PES from 2004 onwards.
2.6 Ministerial co-ordination
The meetings of ministers and spokespersons of the PES parties before the start of EU Council meetings were organised on the basis of the initiatives of PES Ministers being in charge of the EU Presidency. Since in the last years PES party government participation has gone down, these gatherings have become less and less frequent. We hope that in the second half of 2004 new initiatives can be taken.
2.7 Preparation of the 2004 EP elections
The Presidency agreed at its meeting in Florence that a centrally organised election campaign would be neither desirable nor an effective use of resources. It agreed to focus resources on helping parties that are to fight their first European Parliament election campaign.
The Presidency also agreed to establish a PES Campaign Network made up of the professional campaign organisers of member parties. The purpose of the Network was to allow our specialists to exchange experience of specific election campaigns, discuss campaign methods and consider election issues and ways of dealing with them.
Five meetings of the Campaign Network were held between March 2003 and April 2004, including a special session in Budapest which focused on the needs of our parties in the new member states.
In the run-up to the European elections, Campaign Network members are able to maintain contacts through a contacts' directory produced by the PES and regularly updated.
2.8 Summer University
From 30 August to 2 September 2OO1 a PES summer university was organised in Reggio Emilia, Italy together with the Democratici di Sinistra and supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. 66 young Social Democrats participated, 32 females and 34 males.
The following themes were discussed: Italian political landscape, EU development policy, CFSP, role of the UN and the role of European parties
Major speakers were Laszlo Kovacs, Pierre Schori, Robin Cook, Giuliano Amato, Enrique Baron Crespo, Akis Tsochatzopoulos and Espen Barth Eide.
From 21-25 August 2002 a PES Summer university was organised by the PES and the MSZP in Budapest with as the central theme "the renewal of the European left". The meeting was supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung . 60 participants, 31 males and 29 females debated on right wing populism, the EU Convention and the political situation in Hungary. Major speakers were Alfred Gusenbauser, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Tibor Szanyi, Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Kasia Matusewska, Shahid Malik, Erich Fröschl, Luciano Vecchi, Josep Borrell and Michiel van Hulten.
From 11-14 September 2003 more than 70 young people from member parties, associate and observer parties met in Portoroz, Slovenia for the PES Summer University, co -organised by our sister party ZLSD. The lectures and ensuing discussions focussed on globalisation, multilateral security policies and the upcoming European elections.
The main speakers were Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, PES rapporteur on globalisation, Pau Solanilla, former Secretary General of Ecosy and Michiel van Hulten, MEP (NL-PvdA) The Summer University 2003 was concluded by a presentation by Borut Pahor, Party leader
and President of the Slovenian Parliament.
The 2004 PES Summer University will be held in Lithuania from 26-29 August.
2.9 Trainees
The statutes of the PES trainee fund " Joop Den Uyl" were adapted in order to come to a more flexible offer of PES traineeships. A total of 10 young Social Democrats from the present Member States as well as the new Member states have had the change to get to know the PES from the inside and have participated in and contributed to its activities.
2.10 PES Women / Ecosy-PES Youth
See separate activity reports
3 Development and strengthening of European political parties
3.1Agreement on the European party statute
The Treaty of Nice strengthened the reference to European parties in the EU treaty by introducing majority decision-making and inviting the European Commission to introduce a proposal for a statute for EU parties. This statute was finally adopted at the level of the European Parliament and the EU Council in September 2003. Opposition both within the European Parliament as in Council came from the extreme right and euro sceptic forces. Three government voted against, Austria (Haider in government), Italy (Bossi in government) and Denmark (against financing of European parties)
3.2 The new independent PES
The European party statute will enter into force on July 20th 2004. On that day the support the PES group has given for decades to first the Confederation of Socialist parties in the European Community and as from 1992 to the Party of European Socialists will come to an end. In fact this support will be replaced by an official EU support scheme which under strict conditions (own resources of 25%, being represented in at least 25% of the Member States, accountability, transparency, rules for sponsoring etc.) grant a yearly subsidy to European parties.
The PES, having fought for the statute over during the whole mandate 1999-2004 together with the PES Group in the EP, is delighted that the statute will enter into force soon. It is very important that when it comes to European political parties and their financing, the European Union has agreed on a modern, transparent scheme which has drawn its lessons from a series of problems which have occurred at member state level over the last decades.
A last, but crucial step still has to be taken; the European Parliament is expected to decide on the 2004 budget for European parties in the first days of the month of May.
A basic condition for the successful process to bring about the European party statute was a close co-ordination between the Secretary-Generals of the five European parties: the PPE, the ELDR, the Greens, the regionalists and the PES. By taking every step together in approaching both governments as well as the European Parliament the impact was maximised.
Now that we face an independent PES party in 2004, it is appropriate to thank the PES Parliamentary Group for its support through the years for the co-operation of Socialist and Socialist parties at EU level. For the last years we owe special thanks to Enrique Baron Crespo and Christine Verger as President and Secretary General of the Group and Jo Leinen as EP rapporteur, for their commitment to bring about the European party statute.
3.3 New PES House in Brussels
Co-ordinated by PES treasurer Ruairi Quinn the PES has identified a House close to the centre of Brussels in which it hopes to continue its activities after having left the European Parliament. The PES parties have undertaken a number of initiatives to see whether the Socialist International could join a common Brussels facility in order for both organisations to profit from an “economy of scale”. Although the SI has not yet made up its mind, the PES will plan the utilisation of the House in such a manner that the incorporation of the SI in the coming years is possible.
The new house will be called "Anna Lindh House" and will have an in-house meeting facility for the PES Leaders, the Presidency and Co-ordination team.
Before June 2004 the PES will have a legal personality, its name and logo will be protected.
4 Communication Strategy and publications
4.1 PES and the media, press relations
Major press activities have included the PES caucus in the Convention and the Global Progressive Forum. Meetings of the PES leaders in London and Berlin also attracted extensive coverage.
The PES continues to build upon its relations with the 1,000-strong international press corps accredited in Brussels. Our media strategy has also been successful in focussing on serving the needs of specific networks and interest groups.
4.2 PES website
The Party website has been re-designed to make it a more news-centred and interactive facility for party activists, journalists, academics and others. Specific sub-sites have been developed on a range of activities that the PES engages in. These include a "Belarus Watch" site to contribute to pressure for change in Belarus, a site recording our contributions to the work of the Convention and a site dedicated to the activities of the Global Progressive Forum.
Limited resources for translation of material and maintenance of the site mean that it is currently available in only four languages.
In preparation of the infrastructure requirements of the newly independent PES secretariat, we have put in place an e-mail system that is independent of our host system in the European Parliamentary group secretariat.
4.3 Publications
One of the most successful recent PES publications has been "Shaping the Future", a history of our party since the earliest collaboration between socialists and social democrats in Europe. Promotion of the history and other publications on our web site has contributed to our success in reaching a wide audience all over the world.
The first PES Yearbook in 2002 was a particularly significant success. Although unexpected circumstances prevented the publication of a second volume in 2003, we hope that publication will be resumed by the independent PES secretariat.
A special effort was devoted to the production of our 2004 election manifesto, concentrating on creating a short, readable document that would be accessible to the widest possible public.
The PES acquired technical equipment that allows it to design and produce small-scale publications in a cost-effective manner. This has been used in connection with the Convention and for production of various political reports where limited print-runs were required. The independent PES secretariat will be able to take up this equipment when it assumes office.
