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Party
of European Socialists' Newsletter

24
March

HOT TOPIC

PES
PM’s and Deputy PMs statement ahead of the European Council
24-25 March

At the European Council meeting on 24th
and 25th March 2011, decisions will be taken which will have
far reaching consequences on the European economy and our
societies.

The Party of European Socialists (PES)
and its Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers, firmly
reiterate our call for a balanced approach in tackling the
economic, financial and social crisis in Europe. We commit to
promoting efficient and fair solutions to reunite the
necessary fiscal consolidation with strong sustainable growth,
high employment and social progress.

PES
Women

PES
Women call for the EU to address mainstream issues like
gender pension gap and not just ‘women in the
boardroom’

PES Women launch
pension campaign video; “It’s different for
women”

Speaking before the launch
of the Party of European Socialists (PES)
campaign, ‘It’s
different for Women’, the President of PES
Women, and Hungarian Member of the European
Parliament, Zita Gurmai MEP stated that; “On
International Women's Day, the European Union must
send a signal that the lives of ordinary women are
central in our concerns. On the fundamental issue
of pensions, the European Commission should be
leading the charge in closing the structural gaps
between men and women. It is all very well to look
at the gender gap in the boardroom, but outside
those windows there are gender gaps that continue
long into old age”.

World

PES
Leaders support democratic changes in North Africa

PES Leaders gathering in
Athens have agreed on a strong declaration
supporting the democratic changes undergoing in
North Africa. The Socialist leaders welcomed
recent democratic revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt
and expressed their support for legitimate
democratic aspirations in the countries of the
region.

PES

PES
meeting in Budapest highlights contrast in European
media standards

Icelandic MP
outlines ‘gold standard’ proposal

The Party of European
Socialists (PES) and the Hungarian Socialist Party
(MSZP) held a meeting on European media
transparency and press freedom, on 17-18 March in
Budapest. Presentations by international experts
underlined major differences between countries in
relation to the conditions that media are facing.
The Icelandic Modern Media Initiative tabled by
progressive MPs was presented by an Icelandic
Member of Parliament as an example of media
transparency and contrasts sharply with the
Hungarian media law, which severely restricts the
freedom of the press.

Economy

Socialists
win big European Parliament vote on Financial
Transaction Tax and Eurobonds

PES President calls
it a ‘massive vindication’ of our progressive
economic strategy

On March 8th,
Anni Podimata MEP and the socialist and democrats
(S&D) group in the European Parliament
achieved a big victory on the economic direction
that the European Union should take. Despite last
minute attempts by the European Peoples Party
(EPP) to remove key proposals on FTT and
Eurobonds, the Socialist group stood firm and won
the vote.

EDITORIAL

Highlights
- PES Leaders meeting, Athens, 4-5 March

News from PES members

Congratulations to the Irish
Labour Party on entering Government

The conservative Romanian
government jeopardizes basic rights of workers and
weakens the country's welfare system

PES
declaration on
Bosnia-i-Herzegovina

Forthcoming events

24-25 March - European
Council
12 April - PES Women
Executive Meeting
13 April - PES
Foreign Policy Network
14 April -
PES Presidency Meeting

Re:new

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PES

Economy

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Environment

World

PES
Women

PES

More
news

Environment

PES
Network launches debate about a European-wide phase out of
nuclear energy

During the meeting of the PES
Environment and Climate Change Network, many social democratic
and socialists parties underlined their preference for a fast
European-wide phase out of nuclear energy. During the meeting,
members of national parliaments, MEPs and experts from civil
society discussed the conditions under which nuclear energy
could be replaced by renewable energy as soon as possible. The
discussions at the network will serve as a basis for a
declaration on this issue to be adopted by the PES Presidency
on the 14th April.

PES

The
Party of European Socialists welcomes the decision by the
Romanian Social Democratic Party to exclude Adrian Severin MEP
from party activities and calls on Mr. Severin to resign from
the European Parliament

The PES has welcomed the swift decision
by PSD to expel Adrian Severin MEP from “all political
positions within the party”. The move follows recent
revelations by a UK newspaper about the improper conduct of
Mr. Severin. PES leaders also welcomed the decision of the
Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European
Parliament, which has also expelled Mr. Severin.

Economy

PES
in Athens call for new EU economic direction

The leaders of the Party of European
Socialists (PES) adopted on March 5th the text; 'Europe
is in the wrong hands', which sets out a clear alternative
to the 'austerity only' agenda.

World

PES
Task Force on Western Balkan Enlargement discusses region’s EU
path with Commissioner Füle

The Party of European Socialists
convened its third Task Force meeting on Western Balkan
Enlargement on 17th of March 2011 in Brussels. The European
Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Füle, took part to the
meeting in the context of the annual European Commission’s
progress reports on candidates and potential candidates
countries for EU membership as well as the wider EU policy
vis-à-vis the Western Balkans. High-level representatives from
PES EU and Western Balkans Member parties were present.