03/04/2007
Portuguese socialists launch PES activists with child care campaign
Over 120 people packed into the Headquarters of the Socialist Party in Lisbon for the inaugural meeting of PES activists in Portugal. The topic? Child care – the campaign of the PES!
It was standing room only for late arrivals who wanted to hear Labour Minister José Vieira da Silva, one of Prime Minister José Sócrates’ closest colleagues, describe the investments made by Portugal’s Socialist Government in childcare, and how the investments are intended to boost equality of opportunity for children and between women and men. Also addressing the crowd were António de Almeida Santos, President of the Portuguese Socialists, Vitalino Canas, National Secretary and Head of the Committee of European Matters of Portuguese Parliament, Jorge Lacão, Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Cabinet, Zita Gurmai, Hungarian MEP and President of PES Women, and Portuguese MEP Edite Estrela.
Everyone was able to demonstrate their support for more and better child care in Portugal and across the rest of Europe by signing the PES ‘child care book’ – which states:
“Child care provides much more than just a great start for the future generation. It frees parents to pursue their careers knowing their children are learning in a caring environment. It allows parents and kids to become closer to the community they live in. And with more nurseries and crèches, comes the opportunity for professional child care workers to work in the job they love: helping to raise the next generation. We believe that child care should be a basic public service for all who want it. Please sign up to our campaign to encourage all governments in the European Union to commit to this aim. Help us urge governments to increase investment in childc are. Make child care available for everyone. Leave no one behind.”
José Reis Santos, one of the founding organizers of PES Activists Portugal, said “There is enormous interest among grassroots party members in getting more involved in European politics. The success of our first meeting shows that there is a hunger for supporting the PES and that child care is a topic that really matters to ordinary people. It is easy to talk about Social Europe but by focusing on concrete investments and policies for children we can really communicate with families who are working hard and doing their best. They deserve our support and the child care campaign is a good way to offer practical help.”
“Seeing all those activists has given me a new dynamism” said Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women. “It is great to have so many talented people part of our European Socialist family. They will be our European political party’s direct link with the citizen.”
On the child care campaign she added “As a mother of two boys aged 17 and 19 I feel that we socialists and social democrats have a special responsibility for the next generation. Everybody at the meeting in Lisbon agreed that childcare is very important. Portugal has a lot of work to do to improve its childcare facilities but the Socialist Government is making excellent efforts.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Julian Scola, Press Officer
Party of European Socialists
Rue du Trône, 98, B-1050 Brussels
Mobile +32 486 117 394
julian.scola@pes.org
