PES Newsletter n°8 - April 2006

Socialist Leaders meet in Prague

The PES had a highly positive and productive Leaders meeting in Prague on 10 March. You can watch the final press conference held by Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, German SPD Leader Matthias Platzeck, Slovak Social Democrat Leader Robert Fico and Italian opposition Leader Romano Prodi.

PES Women Campaign attracts huge support

The PES Women petition against trafficking of women to work as prostitutes during this summer’s World Cup was signed by more than 20,000 people from all over the world, including Prime Ministers, Party Leaders, Ministers, and MEPs. A big thank you to YOU for your support! For those who haven't signed it yet, the petition is still online: sign up to it now!

New PES Energy Initiative

PES member parties have endorsed a new initiative to create a Socialist Energy and Climate Change Policy for Europe: giving a long-term direction based on sustainable and coherent responses to the dual challenges of climate change and security of supply. The initiative will begin with discussion in a series of PES Ministerial meetings, be worked up by a High Level Group to be appointed in June, and be submitted to the PES Congress in November. It will feed into the EU debate about the proposed common European energy policy.

Europe’s last dictator fakes election

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, PES President, called for tough sanctions against President Lukashnko and his cronies following the fraudulent elections in Belarus. He warned against actions that would hurt the people of Belarus.  

Israel, Palestine - and Ukraine

The PES congratulates Amir Peretz for the good result for the Labour Party in the Israeli elections. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen also recently gave his support to Mahmoud Abbas and said that the EU had a strong interest in maintaining a viable Palestinian Authority as the backbone of a Palestinian state.
The PES also congratulates Ukraine for holding free and fair elections and hopes the forces of the ‘Orange Revolution’ are able to form a government and continue the process of creating a modern Ukraine.   

Wishing Romano and Ferenc all the best!

The PES wishes Italian opposition Leader Romano Prodi and Hungarian Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany every success in their national elections on 9 April. There will be a second round in Hungary on 23 April.

Summit

There was more to the recent EU Summit than President Chirac walking out in a huff. To read a more grown-up response...  

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Become a PES Activist – on 9 May

What better day to launch ‘PES Activists’ than Europe Day on May 9? From that day members of Europe’s Socialist, Social Democratic and Labour Parties can become PES Activists. This really is a historic announcement! In the meantime Sweden has become the first country to set up its own PES Activist website

PES Women Annual Conference

PES Women will hold their annual conference on 24 May in Copenhagen. The theme will be ‘Women, religion and culture in Europe’. PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and Danish Social Democratic Party Leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt will be amongst the speakers.

Balkan Conference

The PES will hold a high level conference “The EU and the Balkans: developing a progressive agenda for accession” on 29 May in Sofia hosted by Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev.

Social Europe for Eastern Europe

What Social Europe means in the new member states, and how we can develop a Social Democratic route for social protection in the countries of central and eastern Europe, is the subject of a open seminar led by PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and Romanian Social Democratic Party Leader Mircea Geoana on 2 May in Bucharest.

New Social Europe Initiative

Seminars in the PES ambitious initiative to define common principles for renewing our welfare states and strengthening Social Europe include: Active Society Forum on 19 May in Berlin, Inclusive Society Forum on 23 June in Madrid, and European Dimension Forum in Brussels in June. The closing conference has been postponed until September and will be in Paris.

PES Ministers meetings

The PES continues to bring together Socialist Ministers to discuss joint political initiatives, usually around the EU’s Ministerial meetings. The next meetings include:, Development on 11 April, Foreign Affairs on 14 May, and Employment and Social Affairs on 1 June. Ministers covering ECOFIN, Environment, Energy and Defense will also meet before summer.

With the financial support of the European Parliament