06/04/2009
Another woman leader for the PES
The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) has chosen a woman as its new leader. Ildikó Lendvai, a women’s rights supporter and former teacher who led the Socialist Group in the Hungarian Parliament from 2002 to 2006, received 91% of delegates’ votes at the party congress in Budapest on Sunday. In doing so the MSZP has joined a growing number of PES member parties with women leaders. In her first speech in the post, Lendvai praised the work of her predecessor, the outgoing Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány.
Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women and fellow Hungarian Socialist, said “This is absolutely fantastic news. Ildikó Lendvai has an exceptional record, having founded the Women’s Section of the MSZP and fought tirelessly for women’s political representation and participation, a gender-equal labour market and more rights for mothers.”
PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen echoed these comments, saying “I am delighted at the election of Ildikó Lendvai to party leader and am confident that she will offer the strength and vision necessary in these turbulent times of economic crisis. I am proud that our political family continues to lead the way in championing gender equality.”
Gurmai, who is one of three women to lead the MSZP list for the upcoming European elections, added “This just goes to show that Europe’s socialists and social democrats are streets ahead of the liberals and conservatives in the fight for gender equality. It is in tellingly stark contrast to the right-wing leadership in the Czech Republic, where the government of Václav Klaus and Mirek Topolanek has been one of the most chauvinistic in recent times”.
In February this year, Zita Gurmai, along with leading PES politicians from Spain and Slovenia, successfully led opposition to attempts by the Czech EU Presidency to water down child care targets, putting the principles expressed in the gender equality chapter of the PES manifesto into practice. The manifestos of the European liberals and conservatives, however, make no reference whatsoever to gender equality.
Find out more about PES women.
Read the gender equality chapter in the PES manifesto.
Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women and fellow Hungarian Socialist, said “This is absolutely fantastic news. Ildikó Lendvai has an exceptional record, having founded the Women’s Section of the MSZP and fought tirelessly for women’s political representation and participation, a gender-equal labour market and more rights for mothers.”
PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen echoed these comments, saying “I am delighted at the election of Ildikó Lendvai to party leader and am confident that she will offer the strength and vision necessary in these turbulent times of economic crisis. I am proud that our political family continues to lead the way in championing gender equality.”
Gurmai, who is one of three women to lead the MSZP list for the upcoming European elections, added “This just goes to show that Europe’s socialists and social democrats are streets ahead of the liberals and conservatives in the fight for gender equality. It is in tellingly stark contrast to the right-wing leadership in the Czech Republic, where the government of Václav Klaus and Mirek Topolanek has been one of the most chauvinistic in recent times”.
In February this year, Zita Gurmai, along with leading PES politicians from Spain and Slovenia, successfully led opposition to attempts by the Czech EU Presidency to water down child care targets, putting the principles expressed in the gender equality chapter of the PES manifesto into practice. The manifestos of the European liberals and conservatives, however, make no reference whatsoever to gender equality.
Find out more about PES women.
Read the gender equality chapter in the PES manifesto.
