Party
of European Socialists' Newsletter

12
November 2010

HOT TOPIC

European
Council outcome: Creating an EU of punishment and fear

The European Council of 28-29 October
marks a new step in the Conservatives’ and Liberals’ austerity
agenda for Europe, as unjustifiable sanction mechanisms are
adopted.

Economy

European
progressives call on the G-20 to support Financial
Transaction Taxes

The Europeans For Financial
Reform (EFFR) coalition* urges G-20 leaders to
make concrete progress towards the introduction of
an internationally coordinated financial
transactions tax (FTT) at the G20 summit in
Seoul.

Social
Europe

EU Commission Single Market
proposals ‘not ambitious’ enough - Too little is done
for citizens says PES

The Single Market Act
presented by the European Commission on 27
October is a step forward, but not ambitious
enough. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen,
President of the Party of European Socialists
(PES), stated: “I welcome the fact that the
European Commission is finally taking steps to
promote the completion of the Single Market, but I
am concerned by the gaps between the interests of
the economy and the interests of the people.
Adopting a ‘Citizenship Report’ which outlines how
citizens receive support in buying property in
other EU countries or how to register their cars,
does not address the real concerns of citizens:
The social dimension in the Single Market Act is
weak and it does not sufficiently answer the
challenge of 23 million unemployed Europeans and
80 million living in poverty.”

Economy

Statement
by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen on the AIFM directive agreement
between European Parliament and Council 26 October
2010

“I welcome the European
Parliament’s efforts in striking a compromise on
the AIFM directive in the face of fierce lobbying.
It has improved the original proposal of the
European Commission, notably on depository
liabilities and asset stripping. Hedge funds and
private equity funds will now have to be more
transparent on their investment strategies and on
the use of leverage. I look forward to the
European Parliament ratifying this deal on 11
November.

Social
Europe

Conservatives
and liberals object to strong employment policies and
social progress at Council meeting

The conservative and
liberal majority in the Employment and Social
Policy Council (EPSCO), meeting on 21 October, has
objected any progress on fighting unemployment and
overcoming poverty.

EDITORIAL

G20
lack of progress should put pressure on Europe to
lead
Poul Nyrup
Rasmussen, PES President

Just before the start of the G20 meeting in
Seoul, South Korea, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told
journalists that the participants should realise;
“budget consolidation and growth are two sides of the
same coin”. Encapsulated in this little phrase is all
that is wrong with the Conservative view of economic
recovery. If they are two sides of the same coin, then
one side is in great danger of being corroded into
little more than rust. The ‘slash our way to recovery’
approach cannot work, as now, more than ever, there is a
real dependency on public funds to stimulate recovery.

News from PES members

Greek
Socialists win first round of local elections

CSSD
wins Senate majority as Czechs say No to Austerity

Hungary’s ruling party Fidesz
overturns Constitutional Court prerogatives in an
unprecedented and undemocratic move - Tax increase to be
retroactively applied

PES Secretary General Pays
Tribute to Northern
Ireland’s only Pro-European Party

European
Conservatives ‘demeans EU politics with petty personal
attack on Zoran Milanovic’

Forthcoming events

November
15-16 - Socialist
International Council
22 - General
Affairs Council
24 - Conference and
Gender Ministerial on Combatting Violence against Women

25-26 - PES Delegation Middle East

Re:new

My
PES

Economy

Social
Europe

Environment

World

PES
Women

PES

More
news

Environment

PES
call Commission’s Energy 2020 plan a charter for traditional
energy companies - European Socialists draw up alternative
energy vision for 2050

Commenting on the European Commission’s
communication on Energy 2020, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President
of the PES, stated that: “Commission Oettinger posed the
question today whether the EU was currently well prepared to
meet the coming challenges on energy. His answer was no.
Unfortunately, today’s communication of the European
Commission ‘Energy 2020’ fails to make real progress on the
main challenges. There is no real commitment on the core
issues of reducing energy use, increasing the supply of
renewable energy and upgrading energy grids. Instead of
addressing the needs of energy consumers, such as rising
energy prices, the Commission mainly prioritizes the interests
of energy companies. This is a charter for traditional energy
use.”

Last
chance to get Accommodation for Activists at PES Council
Warsaw

There are some last spaces to be filled
for the PES activists Council and PES activists Forum 2010 in
Warsaw so you can still register.

PES Women

Pay
Gap for Women must be reduced

PES Women welcomes the commitments made
at the Conference
on Equal Pay held Monday and Tuesday by the Belgian
Presidency. In particular, it approves
of the proposals for the EPSCO Council Conclusions in
December, as presented by Belgian minister of Work and Equal
Opportunities Joëlle Milquet.

World

PES
Foreign Policy Network calls for EU foreign policy ‘based on
fairness and boldness’

“We welcome the finalisation of the
process on the European External Action Service (EEAS) and
congratulate High Representative Catherine Ashton for the
complex work and the institutional planning she has done since
taking office in late 2009. The EEAS will be up and running on
December 1st 2010, in time for the first anniversary of the
Lisbon Treaty”. said (PES) Foreign Policy Network (FPN) and
former Prime Minister of Bulgaria Sergei Stanishev.