PES Newsletter n°25 – March 2008

PES Prime Ministers meeting

Combining efforts to combat climate change and to create jobs and economic growth is one common agenda for the PES said President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen at the meeting of Socialist and Social Democratic Prime Ministers just before the EU Spring Summit.     

Big hit for manifesto2009

There have been over 120,000 visits to ‘Yourspace’, the PES manifesto consultation website, since its launch. Some 3,000 PES new activists have registered from the manifesto consultation website since it was launched last October. Many member parties are now hosting European manifesto consultation meetings, some have launched internet consultations in their own language. We say ‘have your say on our manifesto’ – more and more people and taking up the invitation. This week Poul Nyrup Rasmussen gives his personal response to some of the most popular posts on Yourspace.    

Socialists on the march in Spain and France

With socialists keeping power in Spain and getting strong results in local elections in France, PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen believes the tide is turning against Europe’s conservatives. "Socialists are on the march in Spain and France, and there's still everything to fight for in Italy."  

Diversity YES

Listening to the experiences of Muslim communities in Europe was the idea behind a recent PES Diversity & Integration Network visit to East London. The PES is unique among European political parties in showing its commitment to diversity and integration through visits to local communities. Led by MEPs Gary Titley and Emine Bozkurt, the Network visited The Hague and Stockholm last year and will make recommendations to the PES later this year. 

Financial Markets Network

A PES ‘Financial Markets Network’ is being set up to monitor the impact of financial markets on jobs, working conditions and the viability of companies, to discuss coordinated responses to the global financial crisis, and to consider how financial markets can be made more compatible with the needs of the real economy. The Network will include one representative from each member party responsible for financial/economic affairs. 

Tadic wins vote for EU in Serbia

PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen urged the EU to respond positively and concretely to Serbia’s ambition to join the EU following the victory of Boris Tadic, the Democrat and pro-EU candidate in the election for President of Serbia.

Unity hope for Cyprus

Hopes for unity and a lasting political settlement have been raised by the election of left candidate Demetris Christofias as President of Cyprus. Mr Christofias was supported by PES member party EDEK. PES President, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen met with President of Cyprus Demetris Christophias, in Brussels, prior to the EU Council, on 13 March.

PES goes to America

A PES delegation visited Washington and New York in February to forge closer links with the US Democrats in discussions about the US Presidential race, the financial crisis, and EU-US relations. Read also the PES trip blog posts.

PES lifts suspension of Slovak Party

The PES Presidency voted on 14 February to lift the suspension of SMER, the social democratic party of Slovakia. The party was suspended from PES membership in October 2006 for entering a government coalition with nationalist party SNS. But in the last year the government policy has proved fully social democratic and SNS Leader Jan Slota together with Robert Fico recently signed a letter underlining both parties respect for the rights of all minorities in Slovakia and for all fundamental values we share. SMER’s membership remains provisional until it is put to PES Congress in 2009, and the situation in Slovakia will continue to be attentively followed by the Presidency.

Join PES on Facebook

The PES has now created a new Facebook page – sign up to show your support for the PES manifesto consultation – and receive the latest information on the campaign.       

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

PES events in 2008 include

PES Diversity & Integration Network meeting, Brussels, 9-10 April
PES Presidency, 10 April, 12 June, 16 October, 6 November
PES Women Statutory Meeting, Slovenia, 16 May
PES Balkan Conference, Skopje, 29-30 May
PES Activists manifesto consultation closing event, Vienna, 4-5 July
PES Council, Madrid, November

You can also check manifesto2009 events and meetings