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Party
of European Socialists' Newsletter

24
June 2010

HOT TOPIC

PES
President Rasmussen travels to US and Canada in concerted push
for ‘concrete measures’ on financial transaction tax ahead of
G20 summit

PES President Poul
Nyrup Rasmussen is on a week-long visit to US and Canada ahead
of the G20 Summit to push for concrete measures on a world
Financial Transaction Tax (FTT). The PES has long called for
an FTT to curb the excesses of speculators and to help
stabilize financial markets. Mr Rasmussen met IMF President
Dominique Strauss Kahn in New York and called for a concerted
action by EU countries participating in the G20 in favour of a
FTT, as
decided by EU leaders last week. During last week’s EU
Council, conservative leaders agreed on further developing an
FTT; however the ‘moment of truth’ is yet to come as Angela
Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy risk forgetting their vow during
the G20 meeting. “Unfortunately recent history shows that
another u-turn from Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy is
not an unlikely event.” the PES President said.

Economy

PES
leaders call on European Council to ‘Get Europe Working
Again’

The Conservative majority
of the EU, decided last week in the European
Council to keep running their austerity-only way
out of the crisis. The PES opposition to this
policy found fresh allies in the European business
community and the US Administration, who fear
Merkel’s recessionary vision could strangle the
way to recovery. Against such a conservative
approach, the PES calls for a European
Debt Agency to be 'seriously
explored') by the EU. The mechanism is based
on the simple principle that this agency would buy
national debt in the form of bonds and then sell
them as Euro-bonds on the financial markets.

Social
Europe

Conservative
Majority European Council wrong-headed ‘austerity only’
approach

The
EU2020 strategy – the EU action guidelines for the
next ten years – was adopted last week by the EU
Council. Trade unions, business representatives
and a vast majority of the European Parliament
have already joined their voices to the criticisms
by the PES: “This strategy should have been about
concrete plans for economic co-ordination that
rediscovers European solidarity. Instead we have
the macho politics of punishment. The Europe 2020
Strategy risks leaving one rather important
element behind – its people”, PES President
stated.

Environment

PES
says European carbon tax should not be postponed any
further as European Commission meets to launch
discussion on energy taxation

After years of debate and
despite advancing climate change, a tax on carbon
emissions has yet to be introduced in Europe. “It
is high time that we put a price on carbon
emissions”, stated Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President
of the Party of European Socialists (PES).

World

Spanish
Presidency has made "invaluable progress" on Millennium
Development Goals but Financial Transaction Tax
essential

EU Development Ministers
met today in Luxembourg to agree an EU position on
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In
September a UN High Level Meeting in New York
called by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will
assess and boost progress. The Spanish Presidency
and the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton
have been highly committed to a strong EU position
and have worked jointly towards this outcome.

EDITORIAL

It
feels good to be setting the agenda rather than
following
Poul Nyrup
Rasmussen, PES President

The G20 summit is the priority this week. However it
is unclear whether we will see any real progress in
Toronto. However what is clear is that the G20 order of
business reflects the ability of the PES to influence
the political agenda. The fact that the issue of a
Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) is on the table is due
to the persistence of PES leaders, and activists,
working together to make sure that the idea of an FTT
did not go away.

I hope you enjoy Red Alert, the new format for our
newsletter. It is part of our continual drive to keep
you informed of PES developments.

News from PES members

Elio Di Rupo and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen call for a consensual
approach to form a stable Government in Belgium

Socialists
biggest political force in Belgium after
elections

PS
France gives full support to PES crisis recovery
plan

Forthcoming events

25 June - Modernizing
politics network

5-10 July - Young
political leaders delegation to China

9 July - PS
Italy Congress

Re:new

My
PES

Economy

Social
Europe

Environment

World

PES
Women

PES

More
news

PES Women

Tandis
que les vuvuzelas assourdissent les supporters enthousiastes,
la Coupe du Monde ne détourne pas l'attention des
organisations de femmes sur les thèmes de traite des êtres
humains

La Coupe du Monde de football bat son
plein en Afrique du Sud, au son des vuvuzelas à chaque coin de
rue. Les supporters se rassemblent pour suivre les matchs de
leurs équipes favorites partout dans le monde et mêmes ceux
que le football n'intéressent pas tant remarquent un
changement dans l'air et discutent des joueurs et des matchs
entre amis et collègues. Toutefois, comme pour toutes les
autres Coupes du Monde, tout cet enthousiasme cache un aspect
nettement moins reluisant, liés à des faits terribles.

Let's
make the bankers pay for their mess - join the Twitter storm
and send your message to the G20

In response to the current crisis,
governments around the world have stabilized their economies
with taxpayers’ money. Now, the financial sector should pick
up the bill! A global financial transaction tax of only 0.05%
could yield revenue of about 1% of world GDP per year.
Progressive forces have been advocating the creation of a
global financial transaction tax for decades. At the European
summit of June 17, EU leaders have put the transaction tax
back on G20 agenda. The next G20 summit will take place in
Toronto on June 26-27. Let’s remind them: we want a global
financial transaction tax!

European
Socialists say Bildt ‘should not risk tainting Sweden’s
reputation abroad’

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt is
in a delicate position as the company Lundin Oil on which he
was a board member between 2000-2006 is under investigation.
Lundin Oil is suspected of complicity in Sudanese Security
Forces human rights abuses. Until the role of Lundin Oil and
the level of awareness of Mr Bildt in the matter are clear,
“it is only right that Mr. Bildt withdraw from his role as
Sweden’s official face abroad”, according to the PES
President.

Economy

‘Cuts
in budget and in civil liberties are not the way forward for
Romania’

“Romania is in a state of social and
economic crisis”, said Party of European Socialists (PES)
President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen in advance of the PES Leaders
on the eve of tomorrows European summit. He continued: “In
recent weeks we have witnessed a serious assault on Romania’s
social welfare and democratic systems. After loading the
entire burden of the crisis on to the shoulders of state
employees, children and pensioners, Mr. Basescu, the Romanian
President, now seems set on curtailing civil liberties,
including the legitimate right to protest. Romania deserves
better”.