PES Manifesto

Best practices on expat campaigning

Published Monday, July 28, 2008 at 16:44
by Editor (589 views and 1 comments)

With the freedom of movement that citizens enjoy within the European Union there are thousands of PES member party members living, working or studying in other European countries. With the right to vote in their country of residence, what better time than the European elections for socialists and social democrats from different European countries living in the same city to come together? The PES sees enormous potential to mobilize in their country of residence party members and supporters abroad. Many of our member parties agree, and want to work together to get all socialist and social democratic party members to work together regardless of their nationality. Already parties such as the Portuguese PS and Romanian PSD are working to integrate their members abroad into local party sections in their countries of residence, already parties such as the French PS actively welcome sister party members into their organization. In some cases it is about being in touch with, and being welcomed by, the local party in your country of residence. In other cases members from different parties living in the same city might set up a PES activist group. In the coming months the PES will work to put our member parties in touch with other party members in their country. At a recent meeting set up to discuss this work party representatives’ enthusiasm was clear ...

Tags: campaign, expatriates