Party
of European Socialists' Newsletter

15
December 2010

HOT TOPIC

Eurobonds
and a European Stability Agency are the GPS that the eurozone
ship desperately needs

In a strongly worded statement,
European Socialists addressed the upcoming European Council
and called for a coordinated action to tackle the crisis and
the establishment of Eurobonds. This statement was issued
on Monday 13th December and has already generated
considerable momentum. Wednesday morning saw German SPD
members publically advocating the PES line. Thursday
16th December will see a crucial vote in the
European Parliament on the issue. All these measures are
designed to put extra pressure on the European Council.

PES

Europe
needs a ‘Marshall Plan’ for Recovery

PES President Poul Nyrup
Rasmussen and SLD Leader Grzegorz Napieralski
presented at a Press Conference the conclusions of
the PES Council, which was held on 2-3 December in
Warsaw, Poland.

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen stated
that: “Europe needs a Marshall Plan for Recovery.
A plan which is truly European, which places jobs
and growth at the heart of economic recovery.

PES

PES
agree next step in selecting ‘lead’ candidate for
European elections 2014

The PES Council held in
Warsaw on 2 and 3 December approved a Resolution to
define a Process for the PES ‘lead’ candidate for
the European Elections in 2014. The details of the
decision included the creation of a working
group and ensuring that the steps would be
‘Democratic and Transparent’.

Social
Europe

A
European Employment and Social Progress Pact for fair
growth adopted by the PES Council

The PES Council agreed that
social and employment policies need to play a more
important role in tackling the current crisis. The
PES’ priority number one is to overcome mass
unemployment and social exclusion, while promoting
fair, green and smart growth. This is a
precondition for economic recovery, and should
therefore guide all socialist and
social-democratic policies and actions. To achieve
this objective we demand a European
Employment and Social Progress Pact to be
adopted at local, national and European
levels.

My PES

MyPES:
Europe needs YOU!

MyPES is a
new tool for progressive activism in Europe. It is
an online platform which allows PES activists to
meet with each other, to promote debate on
European politics, to propose initiatives and to
join PES Campaigns. In other words, PES activists
have now their own forum for changing Europe!

EDITORIAL

Conservatives’
policies leave Europeans cold
Poul Nyrup
Rasmussen, PES President

The promise of a long cold winter hangs over
Europe. A first wave of cold has seen many families
unable to keep their homes warm, as successive cuts in
salaries and social benefits affected their capacity to
access something as basic as proper heating.
The
austerity measures imposed by the conservative-dominated
governments have caused an increase in unemployment. The
lack of investment policies has made growth even more
sluggish. Without economic growth and with the
systematic dismantling of the welfare state, more and
more EU citizens are suffering the direct consequences
of the conservative way of dealing with the crisis.

News from PES members

The Polish
Democratic Left Alliance confirms strong position in
local elections

Forthcoming events

16-17 December - European
Council

Re:new

My
PES

Economy

Social
Europe

Environment

World

PES
Women

PES

More
news

Environment

Cancún
Climate Change Conference a step forward but fails to deliver
effective, binding results

The UN Conference of the Parties ended
on Saturday 11 December in Cancún with an agreement to extend
the commitment period under the Kyoto protocol beyond 2012.
This year’s conference gathered Environmental Ministers from
almost 200 countries to discuss and decide actions to be taken
against Climate Change on a global level.

PES Women

Employment
and Social Affairs Council rejects fair maternity leave
standards for Europe

The Employment and Social Ministers of
the EU meeting on 6 and 7 December failed to endorse the
proposals for 20 weeks full-paid maternity leave adopted by
the European Parliament (EP) in October this year.

PES Women

PES
Women adopts declaration on Women's sexual and reproductive
rights in Warsaw

Around 100 participants from over 29
countries gathered in Warsaw on December 3rd to
sign PES Women Declaration
for equal sexual and reproductive rights for all Women in
Europe.

World

PES
President warmly congratulates Alpha Condé

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the
Party of European Socialists (PES), warmly congratulated Alpha
Condé on his election at the head of the Republic of Guinea,
in the second round of the Presidential Elections, held on
November 9.

Red
Hot Socialism at -20°C; PES Activists Forum at the PES
Council

On Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th
of December, despite freezing temperatures, the PES activists
Forum 2010 took place in Warsaw Poland, bringing the warmth of
socialism to the chill of winter. Over 150 activists took part
in both the Council and the Forum and the debate and talks
which followed were lively.

Re:new

Re:new
debate up and running!

With over 67 topics already launched
and almost 300 individual contributions made, it is clear that
PES Re:new
platform is already a big success. Issues that are adding
to the growing momentum include debates on subjects as diverse
as Palestine, the Far-Right parties in Europe, Green Taxes and
the European Citizens Initiative. The Economy and Jobs feature
prominently in an ongoing discussion about what kind of
economic governance (or government) the EU should
have.