PES newsletter n°9 – May 2006
Join PES activists
Individual members of Europe’s Socialist, Social Democratic and Labour parties can now become PES activists! Launch date for PES activists is 9 May – Europe Day. It’s a historic step in the onward march of our political family. See the exciting initiatives open to PES activists, and to spread the word about this opportunity to be a European Socialist activist.
Socialists in Government in majority of EU
Following election victories in Hungary and Italy, PES member parties are now in Government in 13 out of 25 EU member states. Next elections are in Cyprus in May and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in June.
Bulgaria and Romania must enter EU in 2007
Bulgaria as well as Romania must be welcomed into the EU next year said PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. He said that the efforts of Socialist Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev – whose Government has passed over 60 laws since forming a Government last summer - and the growing dangers of anti-EU nationalist populism in Bulgaria were powerful reasons for Bulgaria to join the EU alongside Romania in 2007.
EU Ministers move against trafficking after PES Women’s Campaign
On 27 April 2006, EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers agreed on various measures to combat trafficking during sports events and asked the German government to report back on their experience in fighting the crime during the World Cup this summer. Earlier this year, the current Austrian Presidency and some member states were reluctant to take up this issue. However, there is now recognition of the problem, thanks in part to the PES Women anti-traffficking campaign (which collected over 22,000 signatures) and pressure from some concerned member states, notably Sweden. Moreover, the PES organised a pre-meeting of PES Justice and Home Affairs ministers (prior to 27 April Council) which helped to achieve concrete recommendations in the Council conclusions
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Progress on Services Directive and EU Budget
Confidence is slowly returning to Europe with the approval of a sensible compromise on the Services Directive and an acceptable deal on the EU’s budget.
'A New Social Europe’ for Central and Eastern Europe
The determination of the PES to modernise and increase social protection for the citizens of Central and Eastern Europe, and to reject neo-liberal flat rates of tax and welfare cuts, was spelled out by Romanian Social Democratic leader Mircea Geoana and PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen at a PES seminar in Bucharest “How can Central and Eastern Europe join Social Europe?”.
Lisbon network to be relaunched
The PES is relaunching its ‘Lisbon Network’ of Socialists and Social Democrats who are following the EU’s strategy for making Europe more competitive, with the former German Finance Minister Hans Eichel as its new chairperson.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Balkan Conference
The Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as well as the socialist leaders of Romania, Croatia and Bosnia are among the top politicians taking part in the PES conference “The EU and the Balkans: developing a progressive agenda for accession” in Sofia on 29-30 May.
PES Women Conference
‘Women and Islam in Europe’ and ‘the conservative backlash in Europe and the Christian right’ are among the debates at the PES Women annual conference to be held on 24 May in Copenhagen, which will concentrate on themes around Women, Religion and Culture in Europe. Danish Social Democratic Leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt and PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen will both address the conference.
New Social Europe
Forthcoming seminars in the ambitious PES initiative to define a common political direction for modernising Europe’s welfare states and developing a more Social Europe include: Active Society Forum on 19 May in Berlin, Inclusive Society Forum on 23 June in Madrid, and the European Dimension Forum on 28 June in Brussels with Jacques Delors and Anna Diamantopoulou.
New PES Energy and Climate Change Initiative
PES Ministers responsible for Environment, Foreign Affairs, Energy and Development will have meetings in June and July to discuss a new common Socialist Climate and Energy Policy. The aim is to give a long-term policy direction based on sustainable and coherent responses to climate change and security of supply from a social democratic perspective.
PES Ministers and Leaders meetings
The next meetings of PES Ministers and opposition spokespersons are: Foreign Affairs on 14 May, Defence on 15 May and Social Affairs on 1 June. There is also a Party Leaders meeting on 14 June.
PES Congress
The PES Congress, a major political event with 360 voting delegates and some 1,000 people attending from 33 parties and 28 countries, will take place in Lisbon at a date to be confirmed in early December 2006.
With the financial support of the European Parliament
