Archives: January 2008

  • PES and anti-globalization activists: Is another world possible?

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    Rating: 4.8/5 with 4 votes

    Published Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 16:28
    by Editor (1249 views and 1 comments)

    On 26 January, hundreds of organizations held events across the world to mark the 8th World Social Forum and voice their demands for a fair and inclusive globalization process. They did this on the same day the Davos Economic Forum, which gathers the rich and powerful to discuss the world’s problems. Problems that the World Social Forum organizations feel are being treated without concern for the needs of the world’s ordinary citizens, who are the first affected by globalization.

    Criticisms are often aimed at socialist and social democratic parties, which fight for social progress, but are increasingly seen as failing to offer an answer to the growing inequalities generated by globalization. As a consequence, many people have turned to civil society organizations to voice their concern, rather than political parties.

    How should Europe’s progressive political parties react to globalization? Which solutions should they offer for making globalization fairer and more inclusive and get closer to the citizens? To what extent should the PES and its parties take part in the WSF movement and the issues raised by international civil society?

    The World Social Forum was launched... » read more ...

    Tags: globalization

  • Next week Yourspace goes to the States

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    Rating: 4.6/5 with 5 votes

    Published Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 15:35
    by Editor (1276 views and 4 comments)

    From Monday February 4 to Friday February 8 PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen leads a European Socialist delegation to Washington and New York to meet leading US Democrats.

    He will be there on ‘SuperTuesday’ when 22 states choose between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards for their candidate for the Presidential elections.

    Next week might be a turning point in American history – and you’ll be in front row for news! Yourspace will be blogging from the delegation and answering your questions. What is on the Democrats’ policy agenda – and what will it mean for the PES and our manifesto for the 2009 European elections? What are the prospects for the PES and US Democrats to make the world a better place? Yourspace will put your questions to members of the delegation, and report back on issues you raise – just put your question in a comment to this post.

    The PES President will be joined by Romanian Social Democrat Leader Mircea Geoana, former Swedish Finance Minister Par Nuder, Norwegian ViceFinance Minister Geir Axlesen, Norwegian Secretary of State for Defence Espen Barth Eide and Socialist Members of the European Parliament including Pervenche Beres, Harlem Desir, Ieke van den Burg, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Stavros Lambrinidis and Lapo Pistelli.

    Tags: PES, US elections, USA

  • Citizens should be able to become members of the PES

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    Rating: 4.5/5 with 8 votes

    Published Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 09:25
    by thanos (971 views and 5 comments)

    I'm not sure if my proposition can be fully integrated into the manifesto but here is what I propose:

    Citizens all around Europe should have the possibility to become members of the Party of European Socialists, without necessarily beeing members of their own national socialist party (labour, social-democrats,...etc).

    I believe that would be a very good thing for the Socialists in Europe and would increase the number of citizens wishing to reiforce the PES at a European level.

    Tags: None

  • Lessons from the elections in Hessen, Germany

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    Rating: 4.7/5 with 7 votes

    Published Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 11:01
    by raphi sternfeld Join PES activists (1166 views and 0 comments)

    The turnout of the elections in the German region Hessen has shown that targeted left policies pay out.

    Nevertheless it is clear that progressive policies have to be combined with a certain amount of pragmatism. What counts in the eyes of the voters is the factor of trust. In the framework of this European election campaign, we social democrats should only be promising what can be realized. We must not fool the voters. Let’s concentrate on our core issues like social equality, education and secure pensions.

    Furthermore we clearly need to take distances from every form of right wing populism. If we manage to lead a good and convincing election campaign, we will have a realistic chance to make a good result. Our capacity to mobilize the members of our movement will be decisive. The participation in the elections will be quite low. We might succeed. Now our task is to come up with reliable content - this will enable us to fight for a New Social Europe!

    A German version of this post is attached.

    Tags: EU, political parties

    File: Raphi_Sternfeld.pdf

  • Year of intercultural dialogue – yeah right?

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    Rating: 4.5/5 with 4 votes

    Published Monday, January 28, 2008 at 11:08
    by Editor (1234 views and 2 comments)

    As a part of the newly started ‘Year of Intercultural Dialogue’ the European Parliament has invited a number of state and religious leaders to speak in its midst. Some weeks ago the grand mufti of Syria, Sheik Ahmad Bader Hassoun, spoke in Strasbourg – which triggered a heated debate among parliamentary members. Some have aired concern that the list of guest speakers is more an attempt to encourage ‘inter-religious’ rather than ‘intercultural’ dialogue. Others are worried that there are no women among the invited guests - all speakers are men.

    For sure culture is not limited to religion, but how should Europe’s socialists and social democrats view culture? And what should the PES manifesto say about intercultural dialogue?

    Tags: diversity, EU, globalization, multiculturalism

  • News flash: Help Zapatero win the Spanish elections!

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    Rating: 4.3/5 with 6 votes

    Published Friday, January 25, 2008 at 10:30
    by Editor (1213 views and 1 comments)

    Go on 'campaign exchange' to Spain - read more here

    Tags: political parties

  • Climate and energy: is the package really ambitious enough?

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    Rating: 5/5 with 4 votes

    Published Friday, January 25, 2008 at 09:57
    by Editor (1452 views and 1 comments)

    This week Barroso presented one of his most ambitious proposals to date; a climate and energy package that outlines how Europe can lead in climate protection. But is it really ambitious enough? Here are a few of the package’s key ingredients:

    • A ‘low-carbon Europe’ by 2020: 20% reduction in greenhouse gases; 20% more effective use of energy, and 20% of energy from wind, solar and other renewable sources.
    • The richer the country, the more ambitious the target. Germany will, for example, have to get 18 percent of its energy from renewables by 2020. In comparison poorer country like Malta will only have to achieve 10 %
    • Today emission certificates are basically handed out for free. From 2013 the EU ‘Emission Trading Scheme’ will gradually move to the complete auctioning of emission certificates for some 10,000 energy-intensive plants across Europe - representing around 40% of the EU's total CO2 emissions.
    • No ‘eco dumping’: when importing goods from polluting countries European companies will have to pay extra taxes, if a global agreement on reduction cannot be found.


    Reactions are mixed. Ministers and energy... » read more ...

    Tags: climate change, CO2, environment, renewable energy

  • Labour offers investment, jobs and education for a “New Beginning” in Malta

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    Rating: 3.8/5 with 4 votes

    Published Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 11:56
    by Editor (1480 views and 3 comments)

    “New Beginning” is what the Labour Party of Malta (MLP) is offering voters as it prepares for general elections expected in March or April this year. New investment and new jobs top the Labour Party’s programme, alongside better education and health services.

    Speaking at a press conference in Malta yesterday alongside PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, MLP Acting Leader Charles Mangion made the link between the Malta Labour Party’s programme – aimed at helping Malta face the challenge of globalization – and the Party of European Socialists’ ‘New Social Europe’.

    “Education is so fundamental”     PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen told the press conference. “We need education for new jobs, we need education and qualifications to compete.”

    As Malta prepares for its elections, Yourspace asks whether the Malta Labour Party’s priorities should also be the PES priorities for the European elections next year?

    Tags: education, employment, investment

  • Be present and criticize when necessary, European socialists should react

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    Rating: 4.4/5 with 7 votes

    Published Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 10:49
    by thanos (1322 views and 1 comments)

    I believe the EU and European socialists should criticize what is actually happening in Palestine. The situation in Gaza is terrible and everyone has seen the pictures in the media. An urgent solution is needed and if we are to achieve it, we will have to speak up and react.

    If the Palestinian issue is not resolved, things will always be dangerous and difficult not only for that region but for the whole world . The PES and the socialist group in the European Parliament should agree on a common position and express it publicly.

    The PES manifesto should include general positions on majour conflicts in the world and condemn the abuse of international law and human rights.

    Tags: conflict, human rights

  • What can the PES do to promote women's health?

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    Rating: 3.8/5 with 4 votes

    Published Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 16:54
    by Editor (1440 views and 0 comments)

    Yesterday Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women, signed a Europe-wide petition to stop cervical cancer. The Yourspace team went to the signing ceremony at the European Parliament to ask the participants what they think the PES manifesto should say about women's health:




    You can help stop cervical cancer - sign the petition here.

    Tags: health, women

  • Justice and home affairs in the PES manifesto

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    Rating: 4.5/5 with 4 votes

    Published Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 09:30
    by mochinho Join PES activists (1241 views and 0 comments)

    For our manifesto we have to keep in mind the subject of justice and home affairs. If the Reform Treaty entries into force the European Parliament will be co-legislator in justice and home affairs. This means that the European Parliament will be more responsible for the public order. Furthermore Europol is to become a European agency and will be funded from the EU budget from January 2010 on. It is also possible that the Treaty of Prüm will be introduced into the legal framework of the EU; not to forget the enlargement of the Schengen space in December last year.

    Concerning these subjects there are a lot of concerns related to civil liberties and security. The manifesto should therefore pick these up and give social-democratic/socialist solutions. We cannot leave the topic of justice and home affairs to law and order hardliners. Justice and home affairs is a genuine social-democratic/socialist subject.

    Tags: democracy, fundamental rights, immigration, political parties

  • Should the PES manifesto mention Muslims?

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    Rating: 3.8/5 with 6 votes

    Published Monday, January 21, 2008 at 12:34
    by tolerance (1344 views and 5 comments)

    Not long ago 400 Muslim groups met in Brussels to sign a charter for the Muslims of Europe. The charter is aimed to be a code of conduct, describing the rights and responsibilities of European Muslims. According to Euronews ‘The European Islamic Charter’ stresses moderation, equality between men and women and rejects violence and terrorism.

    Now Muslim organizations have given their suggestion to what it means to be a modern European Muslim. It makes me wonder: is it also up to European parties - like the PES - to have a stance on Muslims in Europe? Or is this something which is for religious organizations to discuss?

    Islamophobia – fear or dislike of Muslims and their religion – is on the rise in Europe. In this respect the European blogosphere is a good example: new so-called ‘Islam-critic’ blogs (many of them I would rather label xenophobic!) pop up every day. I’ve come across many bloggers whose mission seems to be the search for juicy fundamentalist quotes – the more ferocious the better. One thing is to gabble online. Another is when Islamophobes start to gather in the street, like it was... » read more ...

    Tags: diversity, multiculturalism, tolerance

  • Human Rights in the world: the PES must fight for all - don't forget LGBT!

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    Rating: 4.6/5 with 5 votes

    Published Friday, January 18, 2008 at 12:30
    by joelld (1396 views and 0 comments)

    The work paper on "EU in the world" and the resolution "EU on the international scene", adopted by the PES Sofia Council in November 2007, make clear that the European socialists are committed to the promotion of a sustainable peace everywhere in the world. Among the means to achieve this goal, a very interesting and very right thing takes place: Europe must promote democracy and Fundamental Rights for all. The resolution is more precise, and mentions the rights of women, of migrants and asylum seekers. It emphasizes the importance of the recognition of the cultural diversity.

    Rainbow Rose believes the PES does well by focusing on this point. We would like to add that the promotion of Human Fundamental Rights must be advocated in all its diversity, and adress the civil society as well as the States, as a principle of the EU foreign policies. That’s the reason we would like to state clearly that the European Commission, in its internal relation tasks, should speak explicitly about the rights of lesbian, gay and transgender persons as part of the universal Human Rights (this applies, of course, to all other discriminated groups).
    » read more ...

    Tags: equality, fundamental rights, gay, human rights, LGBT, peace, solidarity, women

    File: Yogyakarta_principles.pdf

  • Rate it!

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    Rating: 4/5 with 5 votes

    Published Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 14:49
    by Editor (1280 views and 0 comments)

    The New Year is here, but we definitely shouldn’t forget about 2007! Have your say on Yourspace by rating past posts and videos! Which topics are the most important for the PES manifesto? Watch our ‘Rate it!’ video below and give up to five stars to your favourite content on Yourspace and Youtube.

    Tags: manifesto

  • Fresh water is for everyone?

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    Rating: 4.3/5 with 6 votes

    Published Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 14:55
    by Editor (1687 views and 2 comments)

    Turn the tap on and you’ll have fresh water, right? According to the World Health Organization 14.000 – 20.000 people die every day because of contaminated water. No one can live without access to clean water – it is essential to survival and development.

    Public goods are goods that are – or ought to be – there for everyone to consume. NGOs and experts often argue that fresh water should be made a global public good – available for everyone on the planet.

    In your opinion should the PES manifesto suggest water as a global public good? Are there other goods that should be available globally?

    Tags: development, public services, solidarity