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The Party of European Socialists - that brings together all Europe's socialist, social democratic and labour parties - is running an ever more successful European-wide internet consultation on its manifesto for the 2009 European elections.

Since October 2007 the PES' manifesto consultation website has had over 120,000 visits. Manifesto2009 is fully interactive with visitors able to submit articles, comment on-line and award stars to the best articles. The PES manifesto consultation also has a YouTube channel where grassroots party activists can send their own videos as well as watch party leaders talking about the manifesto, and a Facebook group.    

"We in the PES do not want a manifesto that has been drawn up in a closed room by a handful of politicians" said PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. "That is yesterday's politics. We want a manifesto that offers not only a clear choice between left and right, and that has also been shaped through consultation and debate. We want to show that social democrats have different politics from the conservatives, and that we do politics in a different way too."

In contrast the conservative European People's Party has launched a misleadingly named "Dialogue TV" where visitors can listen to EPP politicians talking, but where there is no interactivity and no dialogue. A video presenter invites visitors to submit questions, but there is no obvious means of doing so and the videos currently available do not address questions submitted (except for some blatantly set-up questions from young children). 

Instead the PES is working with its member parties to organize consultative meetings on the manifesto for the 2009 European elections, as well as holding a genuinely interactive on-line consultation. There are currently 16 events listed in the PES' manifesto2009 website from London to Bucharest via Brussels, Tallin and Kiel with more in the pipeline.  

"Today's internet age is the era of interactivity" said Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. "People want their say - and they expect to be heard. The PES must provide leadership, but we must also listen. That is what we are doing - on the internet and in meetings." 

He added "A consultation across Europe - covering 27 countries with 23 official languages - is not easy especially when you do not have the resources to translate everything into all languages. The PES is trying something unique, and we are getting a very encouraging response. Internet activism has not taken off in Europe like it has in America but we are getting there."

As a result of the more than 120,000 visits there are over 230 articles posted on the site, and many have been viewed by several hundred people. Over 3,000 people have signed on as 'PES activists'. The consultation runs until June 2008 and the manifesto will be adopted at a meeting of PES member parties in November in Madrid.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Julian Scola, Communications Advisor - Media & Campaigns
Party of European Socialists, Rue du Trône, 98, B-1050 Brussels
Mobile +32 486 117 394, julian.scola@pes.orgThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it