Welcome to the heartbeat of ‘Yourspace’: an open consultation by the Party of European Socialists on priorities and progressive policies for our common manifesto for the European elections in June 2009. For more detailed discussion see the four themes at the top of this page.

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  • Åsa Westlund: A case for Turkey and Islam in Europe

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    Published Friday, May 9, 2008 at 19:05
    by asa.westlund in European democracy & diversity (101 views and 1 comments)

    A couple of months ago I visited Verdun in Northern France. It is an important site for all Europeans. For its historical importance and for what it means for our future. Just outside the town, the battle of Verdun took place during the First World War. It was one of the most important, but also deadliest, battles of the war raging from 21 February until 15 December 1916. The losses in the war in the trenches were enormous. In Verdun, the dead were counted in hundreds of thousands.

    To understand Europe today, it is important to visit places like Verdun in order to understand why a closer union among the peoples of our continent are so important. Building and enlarging Europe is essentially about peace and security. One of the most important memorials at Verdun is Douaumont Ossuary were the remains of 13.000 soldiers rest. Around the building there is a vast cemetery with line after line of white crosses. But if you take a closer look you will notice that there are not only crosses. Some are stones turned towards Mecca. Here lays the remains of soldiers of a Muslim faith who gave their lives for France. And yet there is some who says that Islam is not a part of European History. Or of European culture. ... » read more ...

    Tags: blogger of the week, democracy, diversity, EU, multiculturalism

  • What sort of EU do we want?

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    Rating: 5/5 with 2 votes

    Published Friday, May 9, 2008 at 11:36
    by Editor in European democracy & diversity (98 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

    Tags: EU, PES

  • Flemish social democrats have their say

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    Rating: 5/5 with 1 votes

    Published Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 17:27
    by Editor In the spotlight (97 views and 0 comments)

    Yesterday Flemish social democrats concluded their debate on the PES manifesto. Over the last month Sp.a, the Flemish social democratic party, has hosted four debates on the themes of the PES manifesto consultation – yesterday evening was the closing event, a final discussion of common priorities for the 2009 elections.

    Among other things the evening featured testing of ‘carbon footprints’, videos, debates with NGOs, labour unions and politicians, and speeches by Caroline Gennez, leader of the Sp.a, and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, PES President.

    See more pictures from the evening in Brussels here

    Tags: activists, manifesto, political parties

  • Åsa Westlund: Think global - act local

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    Rating: 5/5 with 1 votes

    Published Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 12:07
    by asa.westlund in Save our planet (122 views and 2 comments)

    Almost daily we hear alarming news about one of the biggest challenges of our time – the one about the global warming. As citizens and consumers we have a responsibility to act. A responsibility not always easy to handle. Scientific reports from governments, companies and others are sometimes contradictory, and it’s easy to lose hope and feel powerless. This is where the EU, as a big actor on the world wide market has an important role to play. It is here we see the necessity of political action rather than just letting the free market decide.

    But it is not enough- It must also be easier for all European citizens to make environment friendly decisions and thereby taking their own responsibility! The environmental crisis is to enormous and complex to be solved on just one political level. Its first when we act both individually, locally, in larger regions and globally that we can make a change. It does not mean that we can wait for someone else to take responsibility, rather that we all must take action now. We have to act as a united front. Many citizens are trying to take action. With everyday actions, like leaving the car at home and travel by bus, or buying locally produced and bio grown products, everyone can make a difference. » read more ...

    Tags: blogger of the week, climate change, consumer, environment

  • Linda McAvan and WWF: The future is in our hands

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    Published Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 11:23
    by Editor in Save our planet (135 views and 0 comments)

    Socialists are pushing for more action on climate change, since it is necessary to act now, leaving aside the disastrous “business as usual approach”. Socialist MEP Linda McAvan (Labour UK) hosted the WWF debate “EU Climate action : Do 30% NOW!” on 6 May 2008. Here are a few conclusions from the meeting:

    EU has proven to be on the right path in fighting against climate change but more has to be done. Achieving deep emission reductions in Europe by 2020 is not only a question of available technologies but rather one of taking right political decisions. At national level, governments have to create the right incentives to support energy efficiency and promote investments in low carbon technologies and renewables, while at the European level, the European Emissions Trading Scheme should form the central part of the overall European strategy.

    If Europe is quite confident that they will move all together in the same direction, what about the others? We have to bear in mind that even if climate change is a global issue, developed countries have an historical responsibility towards developing ones. Therefore OECD countries have to help developing countries to decouple economic... » read more ...

    Tags: climate change, CO2, development, environment

  • About inclusion of women in the labour market

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    Rating: 5/5 with 2 votes

    Published Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 14:34
    by uno.aldegren in New Social Europe (154 views and 0 comments)

    Without improving the position of women in the labour market, it is hard to create a socially coherent Europe. A fundamental step in this direction is the inclusion of women in the labour market. Today the employment level of women differs across the Union, but the level is in general lower than it is for men. That is why an increased inclusion of women in the labour market must be an important principle in the PES manifesto for the 2009 European elections. The goal should be the elimination of differences in employment level between women and men. During the last decades women in general have gained a stronger economic position, but they have not received the same economic independence as men. The social environment in our society influences the economic equality between women and men; this is in particular true when it comes to the conditions in the labour market and in the educational system. The design of the transfer system and the allocation of unpaid work (at home) are other important influences.

    However, an increased inclusion of women in the labour market is not without problems. In the beginning of the PES discussion paper "New Social Europe" it... » read more ...

    Tags: women

  • Åsa Westlund: A strategy to promote healthy globalisation

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    Rating: 5/5 with 1 votes

    Published Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 10:56
    by asa.westlund in New Social Europe (127 views and 1 comments)

    On the plane to Brussels yesterday, I read the Financial Times, and found an interesting comment by Lawrence Summers. To put it simple he says that workers’ scepticism against free markets is logic, because although the economy in general terms benefit from free trade and globalization, there is no guarantee that the working class will. As countries have taken globalization as an argument to cut down on social security and tax levels, the working class are right in being anti-globalization in Summers´view. Therefore, he calls on the US to take the lead in promoting global co-operation in the international tax arena, and to end the race to the bottom on social standards and try to find an international co-operation to raise the standards all over the world.

    I welcome free trade and globalization, but I also recognise that globalization and free trade demands much of each individual. In my generation people have had time-limited contracts for ten years. That puts people under lot of stress. Every person in the labour market nowadays has to be flexible, be able to educate themselves again and again, and to start new jobs again and again. But people can not be left to manage this totally be themselves. No, in the globalized world that we live in today the responsibility of the... » read more ...

    Tags: blogger of the week, trade, welfare

  • Plutôt Schuman que Marshall !

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    Rating: 5/5 with 1 votes

    Published Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 09:34
    by yoan.abiven in EU in the world (122 views and 0 comments)

    S’inspirer de soixante années d’expérience de la construction européenne pour avancer un nécessaire projet d’Union Méditerranéenne est, à première vue, une idée excellente. Vigilance pourtant au moment de manipuler le vocabulaire et les méthodes de la success story européenne.  L’Europe des pères fondateurs ne se résume ni à quelque technique habile, ni à quelques mots magiques, pas plus qu'à des partenariats économiques tous azimuts. Elle oblige génétiquement à un partage de souveraineté sur ce qui fait mal.  L’Europe politique n’est pas née seulement et durablement des moyens financiers offerts par le plan Marshall. Elle s’est imposée dans le sillage d’un geste politique historique, celui de la déclaration Schuman. Or, cette initiative allait bien au-delà du champ économique. Il ne s’agissait pas d’annoncer la restauration du théâtre de Bayreuth avec des prêts bonifiés ! A cette époque, on voyait plus loin, on visait plus haut. On confiait à une autorité politique nouvelle ce... » read more ...

    Tags: citizens, economy, immigration, security, solidarity

  • New online community for European socialists

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    Rating: 5/5 with 1 votes

    Published Monday, May 5, 2008 at 15:55
    by Editor In the spotlight (159 views and 1 comments)



    PES activists Romania is welcoming socialists and social democrats to a new online community! Visit the brand new virtual community here.

    Tags: activists

  • Josep Borrell: We need to promote fair trade

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    Rating: 4.8/5 with 4 votes

    Published Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 16:37
    by Editor in EU in the world (233 views and 2 comments)

    Josep Borrell is Member of the European Parliament for the Spanish socialist party, PSOE. He was President of the European Parliament 2004-2007 and in this video he gives his ideas for the PES manifesto:



    Do you agree with Josep Borrell's suggestions for the PES manifesto?

    Tags: development, European Parliament, fair trade, solidarity