PES Newsletter n°11 – July 2006
The Three Presidencies
You’ve heard of the three tenors – now it’s the three Presidencies: social democrats will have a big say in the next three EU Presidencies – taking the EU through until the end of 2007. This progressive sequence kicks off in July with the start of the Finnish Presidency with Social Democrat leader Eero Heinäluoma in the key role of ECOFIN President, followed in January 2007 with the German SPD in the chair of several EU Ministerial Councils, and finishing with Portugal under the inspiring leadership of Socialist Prime Minister José Sócrates.
New ECOFIN chief answers your questions
Finnish Social Democrat Leader Eero Heinäluoma – the new President of the EU Finance Council ECOFIN – answers PES activists questions
PES Leaders seek boost for Europe
Socialist and Social Democratic Party Leaders meeting before the EU Summit in June agreed that a common energy policy and new economic growth and jobs are just what Europe needs. They also agreed their priorities for the EU for 2007.
Spotlight on Lebanon
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen offered PES support for a free, independent and democratic Lebanon by hosting a visit to Brussels by Lebanese Leader Walid Jumblatt.
New Social Europe
An EU-wide minimum wage, a more integrated approach to immigration and more social dialogue were among the proposals presented by former European Commission President Jacques Delors to the “EU Dimension” seminar of the PES New Social Europe initiative chaired by Anna Diamantopoulou.
A final draft report will be presented to the PES Congress in Porto in December.
Pass it on – you can be a PES activist
Over 1,000 people have already become PES activist – but we need even more for this exciting project to really take off. We urge YOU to join – and pass on the info to other party members!
Flexicurity
The relaunched PES Lisbon Network agreed at its first meeting in Helsinki its contribution to the EU debate on principles of flexicurity to be applied by all EU member countries. The challenge for the PES is to retain the social democratic character of flexicurity.
No to alliances with extreme right nationalists
The membership of the Party of European Socialists of Slovak Social Democrats SMER will be on the agenda of the next meeting of the PES Presidency after SMER Leader Robert Fico announced a coalition with extreme right-wing nationalists SNS.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Let’s meet in Porto
The PES Congress will take place on 7-8 December 2006 in Porto, Portugal. Top of the agenda will be the conclusions of the ‘New Social Europe’ Initiative and a Common PES Energy Policy. PES activists are welcome to attend – and put on fringe meetings!
Social Europe in Paris
The final conference of the ambitious PES ‘New Social Europe’ initiative will take place in Paris on 21 September.
Talking Turkey
The PES High Level Working Group on Turkey, led by Paavo Lipponen and George Papandreou, will visit Turkey in the autumn.
PES Women
PES Women will hold their next meeting and meet social democratic and socialist gender equality ministers from across the EU around a Finnish Presidency conference in Helsinki on 5-7 October on the role of men in gender equality.
High Level Group on Energy
Meeting in Brussels under the leadership of Finnish Deputy Prime Minister Eero Heinäluoma on 11 September.
