Published Friday, May 30, 2008 at 17:25
by
Editor
in European democracy & diversity (317 views and 0 comments)
“How to improve the European project while taking into account the interests of people and countries?” This was the departure point of the input for the PES consultation given by Jean-Louis Bianco, member of parliament and president of the French Alpes-de-Haute-Provence district, and Nicolas Cadène.
“For the last years, euro-scepticism strengthened itself due to both political and economic reasons”, Bianco and Cadène say, adding that “we should “think European” as only the EU can balance the negative effects of globalisation, such as the lack of democratization in some regions of the world.
Thus, two approaches are proposed. One is to forge a European cultural model through three vectors: education, a wider use of the media's capabilities to disseminate a common identity and the reinforcement of European symbols.
“Along the French presidency of the EU, the French PS – together with its European counterparts – should materialize a common European collective conscience, needed for a political Europe”, stresses Bianco and Cadène.
The second approach relates... » read more ...
Tags: citizens, EU, transparency
Published Friday, May 30, 2008 at 16:21
by
jose reis santos 
in European democracy & diversity (255 views and 0 comments)
What can we do to change this? It is important to keep on the track of the idea expressed on the «European Democracy and Diversity» paper that suggests that the PES should present a candidate for the European Commission Presidency selected amongst all the PES national parties.
The European campaign caravan idea should also be encouraged. This campaign would be lead by the PES candidate for the European Commission Presidency and by several candidates to the EP coming from different European countries. The caravan should have a political rally in all the countries holding elections so local candidates would join it and campaign together. Another interesting idea is the one that recommends a more intense political miscegenation between PES parties.
Advantages are evident: the concept would be appealing to media and it would be much easier to present a Portuguese candidate to the Italian electorate.
We want to create an... » read more ...
Tags: blogger of the week, democracy, diversity, EU, political parties
Published Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 12:25
by
bverdeyen
in European democracy & diversity (180 views and 0 comments)
The answers, let’s say in Portugal, would be quite different from those you’d get in, let’s say, Germany. The identity of one European Union today is hardly existent. Even worse, due to (mis)communication of more locally oriented political groups, the EU is sometimes even seen as meddlesome and negative.
Democracy begins with citizenship, but if your citizens don’t feel like a part of ‘the European Nation’, it is no wonder that referenda are treated with a resolute ‘no!’ So perhaps Europe needs to turn its’ attention towards itself again and develop it’s image within the member states.
Better information, a stronger presence within education and clear visibility of the use in people’s everyday lives. A strong democracy and a social Europe also starts within the people’s minds and hearts.
Published Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 11:50
by
denis_indract
in European democracy & diversity (196 views and 0 comments)
L’Union européenne intervient dans de nombreux domaines qui touchent concrètement le quotidien de ses citoyens. Nombreux projets, travaux, rencontres, échanges, etc. sont directement ou indirectement soutenus par les fonds européens ou les réponses aux appels à proposition. Or, les citoyens n’ont pas conscience de cette réalité.
Actuellement, et même si des efforts remarquables ont été initiés par la commissaire actuelle, force est de constater que l’accumulation de logos divers et variés joue un rôle important dans cette incompréhension.
Première proposition, il conviendrait notamment de n’utiliser qu’un seul logo pour toutes les aides apportées par l’Union Européenne et ce, quelque soit la direction concernée : le drapeau européen avec, pourquoi pas, le nom de la direction pour signifier le domaine de compétence européen engagé.
» read more ...Tags: EU
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 09:50
by
jose reis santos
in European democracy & diversity (324 views and 2 comments)
In one of my last
posts I gave some general thoughts on the
manifesto2009 and the PES activists. Today I want to tell you our
idea for the development of both in Portugal and in the Portuguese
Socialist Party.
I am involved with the PES activists since the Oporto PES Congress late 2006 because I believe that the time has come to start building a truly European Socialist Party. It will be a long process, as I said, but it will be worthwhile, I’m sure. This building process has to happen in a three way dimension: firstly, the international one, secondly the domestic and, finally, the internal one.
A triptych project
The international dimension concerns your connections with other PES activists at an European level and I have to say that we have witnessed this last year important measures in that way. The Sofia Council was an important landmark as the activists took part as full members of the PES family. Following this, the Vienna meeting on the manifesto2009 will be another important milestone, to consolidate the Activists dynamism.
On the domestic... » read more ...
Tags: Activism, blogger of the week, PES Activists
Published Monday, May 26, 2008 at 14:53
by
jose reis santos
in European democracy & diversity (359 views and 1 comments)
I am very happy to be the blogger of the week. It is not every day that one has the opportunity to be an active part of a project as the one the PES is promoting. I am talking about the Activists Project and the Manifesto 2009. Most of the people that read and consult this blog already know all about these projects, but I would like to take a moment and think about them.
Initial questions: what is the PES? It is the Party of the European Socialists. But is it really a party? Is it not the PES a confederation of national parties rather than a Political Party in classical terms? If we think about it and compare the party structures at a national and European level, we rapidly come to the conclusion that at a European level we are light-years away from the national organizations as they exists. Of course that one could say that we don’t need such an organized and complex party structure, because we don’t have to be prepared to exercise power. The PES is not running to govern nothing. We don’t run to manage local administrative government; as we don’t run to put forward any kind of European cabinet. We leave that responsibility to the national parties, both regarding the local and European affairs. So, what can we do as PES activists?
Bring EU to the next level
First we can start by thinking what the role is for political... » read more ...
Tags: activists, Blogger of the week, democracy
Published Friday, May 23, 2008 at 15:24
by
Editor
in European democracy & diversity (347 views and 0 comments)
The second day of the
extraordinary Turin meeting of the PES group in the
Committee of the Regions started with a roundtable on European democracy and diversity. Four highly
interesting speeches put forward some very precise ideas for the
PES manifesto 2009.Published Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 09:23
by
carlosmoret
in European democracy & diversity (221 views and 0 comments)
Published Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 09:57
by
joelld
in European democracy & diversity (373 views and 1 comments)
Rainbow Rose, the
network of socialist, social-democratic and Labour LGBT activists
in Europe, is fully committed to support Michael CASHMAN's efforts for a new comprehensive
directive against discriminations, covering the whole field of
Article 13 of the Treaty on the European Community.
This very important social question was part of our contribution
for this consultation of the PES's activists. One can see the
text of our contribution, presently supported by nearly 30 PES
MEPs, on our website.
As Michael reminds us, the Barroso Commission has to deliver,
before the elections. José Manuel Barroso himself committed
himself to do so in 2004, and Commissioner Vladimir Spidla
(Employment and Social affairs) repeatedly said he would make
efforts to achieve such a new directive.
Rainbow Rose acknowledges the PES' support for a comprehensive
directive. We think that, in the coming month, the PES should
produce a clear statement, for example at the next leader's
conference on June 19th, calling for the Commission to match its
own promise. Europe must deliver, and the socialists must be...
» read
more ...
Tags: citizens, discrimination, equality, fundamental rights, gay, LGBT
File:
Rainbow_Rose_letter.pdf
Published Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 17:26
by
Zita_Gurmai
in European democracy & diversity (338 views and 0 comments)
I completely agree
with PES activist Natalia Reyes when she writes that gender equality
should be one of the top priorities of the PES manifesto – as it is
a priority for the Spanish government. Having Zapatero and PSOE in government in
Spain has demonstrated that when women vote for a socialist party
their lives really improve. In many ways we are experiencing the
New Social Europe in Spain: Equal pay, childcare and attention to
violence against women.Published Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 10:42
by
Editor
in European democracy & diversity (459 views and 5 comments)
Today is the
International Day against Homophobia – a good day to
discuss discrimination and what we can do to fight it.
Michael Cashman (Labour, United Kingdom) is one of many
socialist Members of the European Parliament who are working hard
for the introduction of a new and more far-reaching
anti-discrimination directive:
"Since the Barroso Commission was elected in 2004 socialists
in the European Parliament have been calling for a new directive
on anti-discrimination, but nothing has happened yet. In its 2008
work programme the Commission mentions discrimination on grounds
of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability,
age or sexual orientation (article 13 Treaty Amsterdam). But
since then, the Commission has indicated it will proceed only on
prohibiting discrimination on disability,” explains Michael
Cashman.
According to him the integrity of Barroso and his Commission is
at stake with the lack of a new inclusive directive:
“In 2004 the European Parliament was close to rejecting the whole
Commission,... » read more
...
Tags: discrimination, diversity, European Parliament, fundamental rights, gay, LGBT
Published Friday, May 16, 2008 at 19:08
by
Editor
in European democracy & diversity (294 views and 1 comments)
Member of the European Parliament Gary Titley (Labour UK) is the
Chair of the PES network on diversity and integration. In this video interview
he gives his suggestions for the PES manifesto:
Tags: diversity, European Parliament
Published Friday, May 9, 2008 at 19:05
by
asa.westlund
in European democracy & diversity (479 views and 3 comments)
Tags: blogger of the week, democracy, diversity, EU, multiculturalism
Published Friday, May 9, 2008 at 11:36
by
Editor
in European democracy & diversity (365 views and 1 comments)
In a PES statement for Europe Day, PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said the real debate was not for or against Europe but what sort of European Union do we want. Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women underlined the PES commitment to develop a new agenda for Europe for the next European elections in June 2009 that recognises citizens’ aspirations and concerns for the future.
Read the press release here
Published Friday, May 9, 2008 at 11:33
by
Editor
in European democracy & diversity (242 views and 0 comments)
Often we express our political ideas in words and rarely in
images. Now the PES Group in the Committee of Regions gives you
the chance to express your visions for Europe in a more creative
way. Today, on Europe Day, the PES Group launches a photo
competition on intercultural dialogue seen through the eyes of
young Europeans.
If you are between 18 and 25 years old you are invited to share
your vision of the dialogue between cultures in their city and
region.
The competition is organized within the framework of the “Europe
Works” project, in collaboration with the think tank Notre Europe
and the photo agency Agence VU'.
For more information on the photo competition and how to
participate, please visit the website of the PES Group in the CoR.
Tags: diversity, EU, multiculturalism
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