PES Newsletter n°22 – Special Yourspace October 2007
Your say on the PES manifesto for the 2009 European elections
Yourspace is an exciting new PES initiative: an open consultation on priorities and progressive polices for the manifesto of the PES for the June 2009 European elections. The consultation takes place on-line and off-line.
See the Yourspace website
http://manifesto2009.pes.org is the consultation website – with every opportunity to post articles, comment, rate, and share your favourite ideas. It’s really interactive – and really waiting for you to join in.
YouTube
Yourspace also features a YouTube channel with videos from PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Austrian Chancellor and Social Democrat Alfred Gusenbauer, Swedish Social Democrat Leader Mona Sahlin, Italian Democratic Left Leader Piero Fassino and everyone’s favourite European Commissioner Margot Wallstrom. The PES will be filming party members at many national party congresses and putting their views on the Yourspace YouTube channel. Now we are just waiting for your video.
Don’t wait for us - start your own debate!
Yourspace is not just about our website – you can have your own debate, in your own language, in your own region. You can do it on-line through your website or blog, or by organizing a meeting. But please remember to share the results with us – either in writing in a post on http://manifesto2009.pes.org or in a video posted on our YouTube channel.
Calling all bloggers
If you are a blogger or run a website please give our consultation a mention – and add a link. We will list you in our blogroll – and highlight any article you write about what should be in the PES manifesto. Like we said, start your own debate…
YOUR party and PES activists
Our member parties and PES activists are strongly encouraged to set up discussion meetings. We will publicize and report on them through our website and PES activist network. Get your local party involved in debating the PES manifesto, find out what your national party and your MEPs are doing to promote the debate.
Four big themes
Save our planet, New Social Europe, European democracy and diversity, Europe in the world are the four themes of the Yourspace debate – we have our ideas but we want to hear yours. What should be our priorities? Have we left anything out? What should be our big idea?
PES Council – You are invited
Come to Sofia on 22 November! PES activists are invited to come to the PES Council in Sofia where on 22 November there will be four parallel debates over two-hours on the four themes of the manifesto (see above). This will be the first major PES discussion on the manifesto and PES activists have speaking rights alongside delegates. If you can’t come, PES activists will be able to submit comments and questions by e-mail or video.
One progressive manifesto for Europe
The PES has a big ambition: for all Europe’s socialist, social democratic and labour parties to go into the 2009 European elections united around a common progressive manifesto. A manifesto that members of our national parties – and progressive people across Europe – have shaped through open discussion and debate. A manifesto that gives a clear choice between left and right.
