Published Monday, November 17, 2008 at 15:34
by
Editor
in Debate (105 views and 2 comments)
The annual March of Equality walked through the city of
Poznan, capital of the Wielkopolska region.
Approximately three hundred people took part and 350 policemen
protected them. But apparently it was not enough.
Right after the conclusion of the demonstration, a few young
activists holding banners: ¨Diversity YES, Intolerance No¨
bearing PES were attacked by thugs and hooligans.
Mateusz was severely beaten, just because he was carrying a PES
banner. A girl who was accompanying him, Magda, had her arms
twisted in order to take the banner away from her. The rest of
the staff managed to escape from the attackers.
“Our activists were attacked because they were demonstrating
peacefully for tolerance. I am very glad that they were not
seriously injured, and my first thoughts are with them. I thank
them for their bravery and I wish them a full and fast recovery
from their injuries and their undoubted shock”, said Poul Nyrup
Rasmussen, the PES President.
“I also have a
message for the cowards who carried out the attack. We will not
be intimidated by this violence. Not in Poznan, not anywhere. It
will only strengthen our determination...
Published Friday, November 14, 2008 at 19:02
by
Editor
in Debate (155 views and 0 comments)
Obama +
8
See you on 20th January 2009!
“Why don’t you come again and participate in the inauguration of
the new US President on 20th Jan 09?” said my friends in
Washington DC. I know that this will be a truly historic moment
for the US, for Europe and the PES, for the all world.
I will combine this visit with further work to strengthen our
progressive cooperation. So thank you very much. I will be with
you to salute the new President of hope, B.O.
So America, see you again on 20 Jan 2009. I think and I feel feeling that the PES really can make a good contribution to a better future with all progressives. And our next step will be the PES Council in Madrid on 1-2 Dec.
Thank you to all, reading my blog from the US, thanks to all PES activists reading my journey. See you soon.
read morePublished Friday, November 14, 2008 at 14:56
by
Editor
in Debate (143 views and 0 comments)
Obama +
8
Moving together
Speaking at the University of Columbia with Professor Joseph
Stiglitz (in the photo) about the financial crises, it is very
striking how close our analysis is from both sides of the
Atlantic. The consequences of this, the worst speculative crises
since World War II! What went wrong? Why did it went disastrously
wrong? What must we do to avoid a new disaster in the future?
I see that the ideas and proposals of the PES to regulate were
well received here in the US, among progressives and Democrats.
In the progressive environment of universities: from Stanford and
Berkeley in California where I was participating in a conference
three ago, to Columbia University in New York now!
Now, way forward is clear for me: we need to start on two road maps for regulatory reform, one in the US, one in Europe. But lets do it in such a way the two road maps are complementary. That is exactly what I am here trying to obtain a common direction. And we are definitely making big progress.
Obama + 8
Wouldn’t it be wonderful?
I am standing at the corner of 33rd street and 2nd Avenue reading
the headlines of a fake edition of the New York Times “War in
Iraq...
Published Friday, November 14, 2008 at 13:20
by
Editor
in Debate (178 views and 0 comments)
Obama + 8
All in the same boat, including Private Equity
No matter who I ask, from the chair of NY Fed, former CEO of SEC,
former chief of the FED, the best progressive brains dealing with
finance, Nobel prizes winners in economics, leaders of the
international institutions, they all confirm that Private
Equity were implicated in the crisis.
Leverage and debts, through highly geared lending, are used to
buy companies and withdraw money from the purchased company for
the PE fund managers . That “activity” has heavily damaged
the credit market.
We are faced with new financial market defaults: the corporate
lending market is in trouble due to the many companies, who are
now in trouble because of debt overload made by Private equity
funds. They can’t get their loans recapitalized and the risk of
default and company bankruptcy increases every day.
That is also why PE must be covered by new and effective
regulation, here in the US and in Europe, as we have insisted in
my report to the European Parliament.
Obama + 8
Finally Paulson gave up buying bad loans
Paulson now admits that the bail out package of 700 billions USD
to buy bad loans was not a good idea! We knew that when he
announced it.
Now he...
Published Friday, November 14, 2008 at 10:59
by
Editor
in Debate (136 views and 0 comments)
Obama +
7Published Friday, November 14, 2008 at 10:57
by
Editor
in Debate (121 views and 0 comments)
Published Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 11:20
by
Editor
in Debate (153 views and 0 comments)
O+7, Tuesday evening
Obama’s declared plan for withdrawal from Iraq will be the first
,urgent and huge foreign political job for the new President. And
they are preparing it already in the transition team.
But it will be linked to a reinforced presence in Afghanistan?
Soon, we will hear a new voice from Washington saying to Europe
“I need your help”. Understood, Europe must also reinforce its
presence in Afghanistan. I hope we can manage that challenge.
And I sincerely hope that we, Europe and US, can very soon make a
better day also in our efforts for peace between Israel and
Palestine.
Published Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 11:18
by
Editor
in Debate (146 views and 0 comments)
“L’hebdo des
Socialiste”, the weekly magazine of the French Parti Socialiste,
features the PES Manifesto and PES activists.Published Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 11:15
by
Editor
in Debate (150 views and 0 comments)
O+7, Tuesday
Meeting with Barney Frank’s team just confirmed my belief that US
Democrats have exactly the same conviction as the PES – namely
that the two crises, financial and recession, must be tackled
simultaneously because they are so heavily interconnected.
The financial crisis is far from over. It’s getting worse.
Someone told me it is like opening a new pandora’s box every
day.
As I see it, the US will act very soon. How? They will act by
reforming their supervisory and regulatory system, strengthening
the authority and power of the Fed. They will act by putting the
Republicans under pressure to accept a much bigger social content
in the new financial stimulus package: increased unemployment
insurance, helping families with their heating bills, helping
poor home owners with mortgages difficulties etc.
This will be combined with new assistance to State Governments to
invest in infrastructure - urgent intervention and long term
investments.
That is my judgment. When they move here, they move fast. We must
move in Europe too. It’s a discussion which will come up again at
our PES Council in Madrid, just two weeks from now on 1 and 2
December.
Published Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 17:34
by
Editor
in Debate (156 views and 0 comments)
O+7,
Tuesday
I have been told repeatedly in my many meetings in Washington DC
this week that “The problem is that we have a President in the
White House who is simply not capable of showing leadership on
the complex questions.”
I have also been told repeatedly that many over here saw the
financial crisis coming. Lots of warnings here in the US, and in
Europe, including from the PES. But the President just
didn’t react. Remember McCain saying that the fundamentals of the
economy were good.
“Now it will be different with the new President” they say. The
work to get the financial markets under control is barely
started.
Published Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 17:18
by
Editor
in Debate (136 views and 0 comments)
O+7, Tuesday morning
“When they distributed a loan, no matter the quality or security,
they just got their fees immediately.” So of course, they
distributed more loans to get more fees. I listened carefully to
the nicely suited CEO from one of the lobby organizations
of the financial industry. “It was all fees driven” he added.
Yes, I thought, and driven by unlimited greed. No wonder it all
broke down, now wonder the bubble burst.
Now the shadow banking system has gone. And will not come back.
If we make the right regulation we can say goodbye to
unlimited, uncontrolled and deeply irresponsible
“securitization”, and goodbye to the opaque loan packages that
have poisoning the global economy.
Published Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 18:07
by
Editor
in Debate (138 views and 0 comments)
Published Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 17:58
by
Editor
in Debate (160 views and 1 comments)
Obama + 6,
Monday 10th, early evening
Of course, it is your fundamental right to be a member of a trade
union. We in Europe regard this as a natural thing. This is not
the case in the US.
It is possible now that American workers will get the same trade
union rights as European workers. For many years the
conservatives and big economic powers in the American
economy have prevented workers from enjoying that
fundamental freedom.
And the effects are illustrated by hard fact. Inequalities have
never been bigger. The average income of the richest five percent
in the US is 22,000 times an industrial workers yearly income.
Every ten minutes one of these guys earns the yearly income of an
American worker.
The American Trade Union confederation AFL CIO looks forward to a
change. I am bringing a “Employee Free Choice Act, Now!” badge
back home with me. This is one of the most important reforms for
American workers. Will they succeed? It is not going to be easy,
but with Obama it is within reach.
I will join those saying about this reform: ”Yes, we can!”.
For more on the bill to give American workers the right to join a
trade union see
Published Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 17:39
by
Editor
in Debate (144 views and 0 comments)
Published Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 16:23
by
Editor
in Debate (112 views and 0 comments)
Published Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 15:51
by
Editor
in Debate (118 views and 0 comments)
O + 6, Monday
afternoonPublished Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 15:40
by
Editor
in Debate (140 views and 0 comments)
Published Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 15:31
by
mochinho 
in Debate (155 views and 0 comments)
This claim may be the essence of the discussion which the German Member of the Federal Parliament, Ortwin Runde (SPD), had invited to in Hamburg, Germany, on 2008-11-06. Subject of this evening meeting was how the current financial crisis could be mastered. As special guests Runde could welcome trade union chairman Michael Sommer (DGB), Knut Fleckenstein (SPD, Member of the Hamburg Parliament, MEP candidate 2009), and the former Secretary of State Dr. Cornelie Sonntag-Wolgast (SPD).
The panel reminded that today’s measures towards the financial
crisis were against the zeitgeist of the last 30 years which were
neo-liberal or market-radical then. People claiming these tools
had been laughed at and been put aside. Obviously the current
crisis will affect the small people in the end. Therefore the SPD
and the trade unions have to back these people and develop a
convincing socio-financial policy. The panel was of the opinion
that the economy has to be democratically controlled and that the
state should use and demand its influence. No one doubted the
(social) free-market economy, but the panel saw today’s world
economy as a kind of casino capitalism. The debaters argued that
the former German red-green government had its share in the
problematic developments in Germany. However, that government had
been fallen victim of the former zeitgeist, but could withstand a
total subjection under pure economic interests, e.g. in the field
of consumer...
Published Friday, November 7, 2008 at 14:01
by
Editor
in Debate (374 views and 1 comments)
Jean Quatremer,
correspondant á Bruxelles pour le journal Libération, vient de
publier un post très polémique sur son blog. Le sujet est une
lettre de Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (Président du PSE) envoyée à Nicolas
Sarkozy avant le sommet informel de l’Union Européenne sur la crise
financière que le Président Français a convoqué aujourd’hui.Published Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 16:24
by
Editor
in Debate (444 views and 3 comments)
A regulatory reform
of the financial market and an action plan to re-launch the
European economy are what Europe needs. The PES is determined that
social democrats should continue to provide leadership in
protecting European citizens from the worst effects of the crisis.
The solution to the crisis is social democratic, the right does not
have an answer!Published Friday, October 24, 2008 at 14:51
by
jcordier
in Debate (466 views and 1 comments)
Depuis hier (23.10.2008), le Parti Socialiste (Belgique) invite ses membres à rejoindre les militants du PSE via son site
Nul doute que cette initiative contribuera fortement au développement des militants en Wallonie et à Bruxelles.
Dans le même ordre d'idée, le premier groupe de militants issu du PS verra le jour le 7 novembre prochain à Namur. A cette occasion, une rencontre-débat se tiendra sur "Les enjeux des élections européennes de 2009"
read moreTags: activists, Belgiqum, campaing, PES, PS
File:
Invit 07 11 2008 _2.pdf
Published Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 14:49
by
Editor
in Debate (612 views and 6 comments)
On the 15th of October the PES organized a Prime Ministers’
meeting, prior to the EU Summit.
Yourspace met Sergei Stanishev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria,
Wouter Bos, Minister of Finances and deputy Prime Minister of the
Netherlands, and Alfred Gusenbauer, Austrian Chancellor, and
recorded their comments on the current financial crisis – what is
behind it and how can socialists and social democrats tackle the
crisis.
Check the videos out and share your opinion on Yourspace.
read more
Published Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 12:27
by
Editor
in Debate (390 views and 0 comments)
Tags: European elections, PES
File:
Angst and Hope - Socialists, Europe and the World.doc
Published Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 17:55
by
Editor
in Debate (763 views and 3 comments)
Tags: activists, Council, FEPS, PES
File:
Invitation Training Day Activists.pdf
Published Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 17:45
by
Editor
in Debate (502 views and 1 comments)
Le City Group PSE de Loire-Atlantique, très actif comme toujours, a participé à la fête de la rose de Préfailles. Karine Daniel, Secrétaire fédérale Europe International, et Cyril Hunault, Délégué Fédéral Europe, ont écrit un post pour partager cet expérience avec Yourspace et ses utilisateurs.
Pour la première fois, les membres actifs du City Group PSE de
Loire-Atlantique se sont organisés pour tenir un stand à la fête
de la rose de Préfailles. Ce stand, approvisionné de documents du
PSE (Parti Socialiste Européen), a été le lieu de rencontres
entre militants intéressés pour vivre leur militantisme
socialiste au niveau Européen, et ce, à la veille d’élections qui
devront voir la gauche progresser en Europe.
La tenue de ce stand a permis de renforcer notre City
Group, puisque plus de 60 militants ont manifesté leur
intérêt pour faire partie de ce groupe, qui sera le relais du PSE
en Loire-Atlantique. Une réunion aura lieu le 30 octobre à 20h00
(au café Villa Flora, cours des 50 otages - Nantes), elle nous
permettra de mieux connaître le PSE, son fonctionnement, ses
actions et de parler des initiatives prioritaires à prendre en
2008/2009 pour le groupe de Loire-Atlantique.
Nous...
Published Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 17:24
by
Gianfranco.Scavuzzo
in Debate (524 views and 2 comments)
First of all, I introduce myself: my name is Gianfranco, I am 20 and I study Classic Literature in Palermo, Sicily. I have been a member of the Partito Socialista Italiano (PSI) since last year, and I am also coordinator in my city, Bagheria, and member of the Federazione dei Giovani Socialisti.
The
Italian Socialist Party, led by Riccardo Nencini, just organised
a three days event “Socialistinfesta@Mondoperaio” in Vieste, in
the South of Italy.
The PSI: its name is self-explanations, but it is good to underline that it is the only Italian political force which openly declare itself to be inspired by European Socialism’s progressive reformist values.
The title of the event “FUTURE PRESENT! The conflict of ideas” well summarises its theme. A moment for meeting all the forces and reformist spirits, not just the socialist ones, a step for starting building a new political platform able to guarantee to our Country a stable reformist government.
Influential representatives from the political, cultural and social world participated the meetings and discussed themes that have always concerned the...
read morePublished Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 15:24
by
Editor
in Debate (500 views and 1 comments)
Le premier forum des militants du
PSE fait déjà parti de l’histoire. En juillet 2008 plus de 300
militants du PSE se sont réunis à Vienne.Tags: activists, PES
File:
Activistes Charleroi Vienne 2008 reportage.pdf
Published Monday, September 15, 2008 at 14:14
by
Editor
in Debate (474 views and 0 comments)
On August 30th and 31st, the Belgian Parti Socialiste organized
its traditional 'Rencontres d’Eté' (or Summer Meetings)
in the provincial property of Chevetogne in Belgium.
For the second year in a row PES activists and the Council of
representatives of European Socialists held a stand during the
two days.
Europe was very much at the heart of the discussions during these
Summer Meetings, in particular during the workshops dedicated to
the topic of "A Europe of solidarity between workers" and "A
model based on solidarity", chaired respectively by MEPs
Véronique de Keyser and Alain Hutchinson.
Our stand was visited by numerous activists and party officials,
among whom the Chairman of the PS Elio Di Rupo and the president
of the Walloon government Rudy Demotte.
No doubt the network of PES Activists will increase in the coming
weeks in Belgium.
PS Activists, join the PES Activists!
Pictures: To the left, PS Chairman Elio Di Rupo; to the right, the President of the Walloon Governement Rudy Demotte with a PES Activist
read more
Published Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 11:10
by
Ceciliag
in Debate (559 views and 0 comments)
Près d’une centaine de nouveaux militants et trois nouveaux city
groups ! C’est le premier bilan du stand du Parti Socialiste
Européen (PSE) à l’université d’été du PS à La Rochelle
(France).
Plus motivés que jamais, les militants du PSE se sont équipés, au
stand du PSE, de T-Shirts, drapeaux, et autre matériel de
campagne, pour affronter la droite conservatrice européenne dans
la campagne des élections européennes 2009.
La Nouvelle Europe Sociale, rapport de J. Delors et P.N.
Rasmussen (Président du PSE et ancien Premier Ministre du
Danemark), a également remporté un franc succès chez les
militants du PSE. Prochain rendez-vous : le Conseil de Madrid !
Tel est le message que le PSE a fait passer aux militants qui
sortaient de l’atelier sur le Manifesto, le programme du PSE pour
les prochaines élections européennes, dont la version finale sera
adoptée lors du Conseil de Madrid, les 1er et 2 Décembre
2008.
Le débat de l'atelier s’est poursuivi autour d’un apéritif à
l’aquarium de La Rochelle en présence de Philip Cordery,
Secrétaire...
Published Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 16:33
by
Editor
in Debate (504 views and 0 comments)
Democratic governance
relies on active participation, both in terms of those who stand
for political office and those who elect them.
If you are interested in attending the event in order to have an
overview of the different electoral systems and voting patterns
across the EU, as well as explore particularities of specific
electorates such as expatriates and ethnic minorities, younger
and older voters, or women, you just have to fill in the online
registration form available here.
The conference will take place @ the Headquarters of the
Committee of the Regions (Room 52, rue Belliard 101, B-1040
Brussels) on 10 September 2008 (09h30-13h30).
The program and further information are available on the PES Group – Committee of the Regions
website.
Published Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 17:35
by
Editor
in In the spotlight (1092 views and 1 comments)
Some of our
activists are already started spreading the voice about the
Vienna Forum! Here are some of their reactions:
- More than 10 posts have already been published by activists on YourSpace.
- Nils, from the PES secretariat, created a Facebook group.
- Aleksander, from Paris, posted photos on Flickr. And so did Francisco and the PES Secretariat
. You can also find photos on Emilio's Picasa web albums.
- Paula, from Brussels, posted photos on Facebook. And so did
read morePublished Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 09:52
by
carlosmoret
in European democracy & diversity (895 views and 0 comments)
The
Vienna forum was a very rich encounter. As for me the
presentation of activist campaigning was especially interesting,
since I tend to get easily involved. On the one hand there is the
manifesto2009, well under way that gives us a common platform for
the parliamentary elections, but that does not give me clues as
how to campaign. The Manifesto is an excellent tool, but we have
to sell it.
In the presentation "Experience Europe - Cross-border campaign exchanges" the panel was formed by four activists presenting different aspects of their campaigning in Ireland, Spain, Portugal and France.
Adrian O'Sullivan presented us his experience with PES activists
coming to Ireland to help in their election. I wasn't planning to
make a report, and therefore took no notes, just took pictures.
Adrian mentioned that integrating the non Irish activists was a
priority. There were the logistic...
Tags: activists, campaign, forum, PES
File:
J_Reis_Santos_vienna.ppt
Published Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 09:33
by
desmondotoole
in European democracy & diversity (813 views and 5 comments)
Immediately
following the NO vote in the recent Irish referendum activists
from the Irish Labour Party, French Parti Socialiste and others
have set up PES activists Dublin. We were
already planning such an initiative but the referendum result
gave added urgency to our work. We recognise that this is
potentially a defining moment in Ireland's relationship with the
EU and as a consequence in the structure and dynamics of Irish
politics.
The inaugural meeting of PES activists in Ireland was held on
Tuesday 24th June in the Labour Parliamentary Room in Leinster
House, Dublin - the home of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament). We
met below a mural which showed the early and more modern leaders
of the Irish labour movement grouped around an image of Marianne
leading the French people in the Revolution of 1830. Ireland's
republicanism and our socialism owe much to the example of the
French revolutions and meeting beneath this mural was our way of
paying homage to that tradition.
Our aim is to build European Left politics on the ground in
Dublin. Since June, more than 70 activists have joined our city
group. There is enormous interest both in Dublin and across
Ireland in what we are proposing. PES people are "on the move" in
Ireland! Two events in particular have brought in extra
members:...
Published Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 16:47
by
Editor
in In the spotlight (824 views and 0 comments)
The PES manifesto consultation has ended – after over 300,000 visits to Yourspace and more than 600 contributions posted! But our dialogue on ‘Yourspace’ goes on! We will continue to debate the hot issues that will shape the European elections – migration, climate change, rising food and energy prices, jobs, equality, the EU treaty – as well as getting ready for the elections: presenting PES candidates from different countries, discussing campaign activities, heari
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