PES president cannot accept coalition with extreme right-wing nationalists

5 July 2006

Following his meeting with Robert Fico, Leader of the Slovak SMER Party, the President of the Party of European Socialists Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said "It is very clear that we cannot accept in our political family a coalition with extreme right-wing nationalists". 

"The question of SMER membership of the Party of European Socialists will be on the agenda of the next meeting of the PES Presidency" said Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. "As long as SNS is in Government in Slovakia my recommendation would be to suspend SMER from the PES."

The next meeting of the PES Presidency will be held as soon as possible. 
 
At its Congress in Berlin in 2001 the PES agreed that all PES parties should "refrain from any form of political alliance or co-operation at all levels with any political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred."
 
Rasmussen also expressed a more general concern about the presence of racist and extreme nationalist parties in national governments within the European Union. "There should be no place for racist or nationalist parties in Government. Our European Socialist Party is crystal clear on this whether talking about Slovakia, Poland or any other EU member state. I urge other European political parties to be equally clear."
 
 
For more information: Julian Scola, Press Officer, Party of European Socialists, , mobile 00 32 486 117 394