PES activists consultation

Submitted by desmondotoole on Mon, 28/09/2009 - 13:08.

Average: 5 (2 votes)

First of all I'd like to say a big thank-you to all of you who travelled to Dublin for the PES activists Forum 09 a few weeks ago. This was the first time that the European Left has ever met in Ireland in such numbers and it was a privilege to welcome you all to our capital city. I hope that you found the political debate and the hospitality of our city to be worth your travelling to Dublin.

There were two debates that took place during the forum about the future role and direction of PES activists. During those debates PES activists were invited to submit ideas to the PES in time for them to be considered at the PES Congress that will take place in Prague in early December.

In my view it is essential that this debate be as full and as extensive as PES activists can make it. It is very important that the views of all city groups and individual activists are canvassed to help shape our future role and direction. Opinions can be promoted on the PES blog. However, in order to provide a means by which we can actively debate our ideas I have put a wiki text online which summarises the discussion so far and offers some suggestions for progress. If you would like to join that debate and help develop a joint text then please send an email to me at otooledg@tcd.ie and I will provide you with access to the text.

These are exciting times for PES activists. Our political family is currently engaged in an important process of reflection on the position of social democracy in Europe after the disappointing results in the elections to the European Parliament. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen has identified PES activists as having an immensely important part to play in building our pan-European movement and of creating a true cross-border democracy in the EU.

It is my very strong view that PES activists should not simply be recipients of decisions made by others but that we should take an active part in developing our own ideas on how we might respond to the confidence that Poul has shown in us. These next two months will be our opportunity to help shape the future role and direction of PES activists and I would encourage everyone to play their part in this important debate by joining and contributing to the debate on our wiki page.

Desmond O'Toole PES activists Dublin.

[photo credit: Aleksander Glogowski, PSE Paris]

Mr. Pesc

Submitted by giannibianco on Fri, 20/11/2009 - 17:12.

Thank you Mr Brown, Mr Shultz, Mr Zapatero etc. Do you read sometime the Good Society Debate? Most of participants to this debate agree that one need to work at an European level. e.g. Mr. Henri Weber said “ If it wants to return to power, European social democracy must propose a new political offer. And such an offer has to be conceived, from its inception, at the level of the European Union.” And Danis McShane: “The European Union, for example, must be the servant of the national citizens of Europe, not the replacement or grave-digger of the nation.” And Katy Dillon: “The necessary co-ordination between the national parties, European institutions and European party is yet to be demonstrated”. And Stefan Collignon: “Modern social democratic policy must be European if it seeks to correct the inequality created by the single market, and if it wishes to ensure that the losers of Europeanisation can live an emancipated and dignified life in the European Union”. And Jan Niklas Engels and Gero Maass: “We therefore need more ‘European courage’ for social democratic answers to the challenges of globalisation in general and the current financial and economic crisis in particular. Globalisation will have a social future only by virtue of an active European Union.” And so on. Now we all know that it isn’t true, that single nations problems once again had stopped the hope for a new European social politic, since it’s evident that Baroness Ashton has been designated not for her competences but because she is weak enough not to disturb single nations politics. Another missed opportunity. The last of a long list. Today I’m very gloomy.

Dear Mr giannibianco, Your

Submitted by admin on Wed, 25/11/2009 - 10:45.

Dear Mr giannibianco, Your comment – even if the tone is bitter – shows that you care very much for our socialist goals, for ensuring fair and just societies. Ten years ago socialists had the majority of the EU governments. Today we are losing grounds in all over Europe. That’s why we need a reflection on the challenges, our aims and priorities.

I invite you to read the two resolutions which will be adopted on PES Congress in Prague on December 7 and 8. They will be publicly available on our website. The two resolutions will be a start to a PES reflection on a general programme for the European party.

What is very important is that we learn to see the EU and the nation states not as antagonists but as complements. We are living in a globalised world. No European nation can shape the future for its people alone. Only through shared, democratic sovereignty, a common European approach can give our peoples the power that we have lost to global forces. We need a common socialist vision how to shape European politics.

The current crisis – financial, economic, environmental and social –make it imperative to bring lasting transformational change to our economies and societies. Only with a strong PES we can tackle the challenges and convey the fact that the global crisis is fundamentally a failure of conservative and liberal ideology across the world.

We need to continue our struggle for fair and just societies. And we hope on your support, especially in times that are tough.

Niall said that in this time

Submitted by jacksee on Fri, 05/03/2010 - 07:56.

Niall said that in this time of economic difficulties, governments unfortunately tend to cut funding for equality programmes, which are too often considered as the kind of secondary policy you can only afford in more positive times. However, according to Niall, an “equality crisis” preceded and led the economic crisis we are going through. Studies show that not only do the most vulnerable groups benefit from equality policies, but the society also does, for a more equal society is a more peaceful, healthier, and happier one. Therefore we should focus on putting equality at the core of the public debate in Europe, and protect mcts 70-562 the infrastructure that is in place to implement it.