The Party of European Socialists set out ‘blueprint for better society’ ahead of European elections
Date
10 Dec 2018
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InfoSociety
The Party of European Socialists set out ‘blueprint for better society’ ahead of European elections
The PES Congress in Lisbon today approved the policies which will underpin the PES’s campaign to win back Europe in May next year.
An ambitious policy platform to invest in communities, create a green transition for Europe, and create opportunities for young people was approved by delegates.
The chief coordinator of PES resolutions Maros Sefcovic led a four-hour plenary session with interventions from UK Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, as well as PES member parties from across Europe, the Young European Socialists, PES LGBTI group Rainbow Rose, and trade unions.
The eight resolutions will form the basis of the 2019 PES election manifesto.
- Equal Societies: Empowering youth
- Equal Societies: Social Europe
- Equal Societies: Progressive economy
- Equal Societies: For a stronger democracy in Europe
- Equal Societies: A healthy environment and food, green growth and modern industries
- Equal Societies: For a Europe of gender equality and empowered women
- Equal Societies: For a fair, sustainable, peaceful and prosperous world
- Equal Societies: For fair and progressive asylum and migration policies that work for all
The resolutions, as adopted, can be downloaded here.
Speaking after the resolutions had passed, Resolution Lead Co-ordinator Maros Sefcovic said:
“It has been my honour to guide these resolutions through Congress. The vote today is a sign that the progressive family stands behind these policies. They will make Europe a fairer, freer and more sustainable place. Conservatives have been in charge of Europe for a decade now – their policies have left Europe divided. We will bring Europeans together, we will make Europe a fairer and more equal place.”
PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“Today the PES political family passed our blueprint for a better society. We need to see a change in direction for Europe now more than ever. For too long conservative policies have undermined the social fabric of Europe – we need a commission that will safeguard our democracy and rule of law, ensure fair and sustainable growth, empower all and protect the most vulnerable in our societies, a Commission which will restore the faith of our citizens in the European project, a Commission that will provide young Europeans with a bright future, a Commission which will push for equality. This is what the PES will do.”
1000 participants - prime ministers, party officials, delegates, activists, academics and guests - from 56 different countries are set to attend the PES Congress in Lisbon today and tomorrow. A record number attended fringe events yesterday, and even more are set to attend S&D and FEPS fringe events happening today. A record 300 participants signed up for yesterday’s annual PES Women conference. Overall, 76 progressive organisations are officially represented at Congress, and activists from many more are in Lisbon to take part in Congress.
Speakers at Plenary (in order of appearance):
- Achim Post, Secretary General of the PES
- Fernando Medina, Mayor of Lisbon
- Carlos Zorrinho, Head of the Portuguese Delegation in the European Parliament
- Udo Bullmann, leader of the S&D group in the European Parliament
- Catiuscia Marini, President of the PES group in the Committee of the Regions (CoR)
- Sergei Stanishev, President of the PES
- Marije Laffeber, Deputy Secretary General of the PES
- Elke Ferner, member of PES Women’s Bureau
- Andras Schieder, the Deputy Chairman of the Social Democratic Group in the Austrian Parliament
- Tanja Fajon, Member of European Parliament, Vice President of the S&D Group and Vice Chairwoman of the Social Democrats in Slovenia
- Fofi Gennimata, President of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK)
- Nils Ušakovs, chairman of Riga City Council and the leader of Saskana Social Democratic Party
- Camila Garfias, President of Rainbow Rose
- Pedro Silva Pereira MEP
- Tytti Tuppurainen, member of the Finnish Parliament
- Giacomo Filibeck, Deputy Secretary General of the PES
- Paul Magnette, mayor of Charleroi, Belgium
- Carlos Lopes, Honorary Professor at the Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Capetown and Associate Fellow at Chatham House
- Bedia Ozgokce Ertan, a Member of the Grand National Assembly in Turkey
- Augusto Santos Silva, Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Ann Linde, Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs and Trade
- Joao Albuquerque, President of the Young European Socialists
- Alvaro Elizalde, Partido Socialista of Chile
- Risa Hontiveros, Senator in the Philippines
- Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General of the PES
- Karl-Heinz Lamebertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
- Corina Crețu, European Commissioner for Regional Policy
- Pedro Marques, Portuguese Minister of Planning and Infrastructure
- Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation
- Ylva Johansson, Swedish Minister for Employment
- Tuulia Pitkänen, YES Secretary General
- Ylva Johannson, Swedish Social Democrats and Minister for Employment and Integration
- Jeremy Corbyn, leader of UK Labour
- Maros Sefcovic, Commission Vice-President for Energy Union