European Socialist party

The European Socialist party (PSE) gathers the socialist parties , social democrat and Labor of Europe. Second European political clout after the elections of 2004, it is also the principal party of the opposition to the European Parliament. Resulting from the governmental left reformist, his traditional allies are the Verts Europeans. According to the European tradition, it can take part in majorities of circumstance with parties of the center or of right-hand side. It remains however distant with respect to the Communists and ex-Communists of the European Gauche. The PSE is related to the Internationale Socialist.

European social democracy

The PSE in Europe

Its current president is Poul Nyrup Rasmussen Danish Social democrats. The members of the PSE find themselves in the principal institutions of the European Union: with the the European Parliament, the European commission, the the Council of the European Union, the European Council and the Committee of the Areas.

The PSE is an organization associated with the Internationale Socialist. It counts at its sides an youth organization (ECOSY) as well as an organization for women (PSE Femmes). It also contributed to the launching of the Forum world progressist.

Program

Following the elections of 2004, the European Socialist party met Friday and Saturday, November 26th and 27th 2004 in Madrid to write a program: “To develop Europe”.

objectives 2007

to increase the public investments, of 2004 to 2007 of 0,3% of the European GDP;
to harmonize the tax base on the companies.

objectives 2013

a single representation of the euro area in the international institutions;
to double the European budget of research;
to increase the number of students profiting from the Erasmus program from 120.000 to 390.000;
future industrialist of Europe for 2007-2013;
budget of solidarity with the poorest areas with 0,46% of the GDP;
to revise the directive over the working time;
to adopt a directive on the public services (equal acces, quality, financing);
agricultural assistances dependant on the respect of the environmental standards;
to make pass from 6% to 12% the share of renewable energies from here to 2010.

objectives 2017

taking into account the pollution of transport and the building in the protocol of Kyoto;
to launch a program of great infrastructures;
to create a body of European frontier guards;
to set up a system of quotas as regards legal immigration;
to make adhere the Union to the European Convention of the Human rights;
to protect the individual data within the framework from the fight against the terrorrism.

The socialist movement in Europe

Since the middle of the 19th century there exist socialist parties, social democrats or members of the Labor Party in Europe. They always had bonds between them. Thus exactly hundred years ago, in August 1904, the congress of the Internationale Socialist (primarily European) joined together with $the Hague is the first stage of the unit of the French Socialists, carried out the following year.

When certain countries were under the yoke of totalitarian modes, the relations tied between the various countries made it possible solidarity between Socialists to function. Thus the left French help, clandestinely Spanish Socialists during the Civil war, that the Swedes accommodate the German social democrats or Austrians who fight against the Nazism or whom again France is used as a basis for the rebuilding of the Spanish, Portuguese or Greek left wing during the Sixties and Seventies.

The social democrats perceive the Europe like another thing that a vast market without rules. Since always, the working tradition and internationalist of social democracy led the European left into practice to put the shape of government which dominated all Europe during more than one half-century. It is the État-providence.

What characterizes the European left, it is its diversity. In Great Britain, the working trade unions built a party to represent them, it is the British socialism . In Germany or in the Scandinavian countries, the social democrat parties created a whole whole of structures to defend the rights of the workers in all the company. In France and in the Mediterranean countries, the socialist parties and the trade unions do not have as for them not institutional links.

In Eastern Europe, the current parties are either the heirs to old social democrat parties of before the Second world war, or the successors of the Stalinist parties of the Soviet era. Actually, the democratic tradition that one saw to express with Berlin and in Poland, in Hungary or Czechoslovakia between 1948 and 1981 came itself from a dynamic labor movement since second half of the 19th century. Often in the Eastern European countries, the socialist and social democrat movements are clearly separate. Whereas the traditional socialist formations have, after the Second world war, amalgamated with the Communist parties, the social democrat parties were maintained in clandestinity, and some of them in exile gathered within the socialist Union of Central and Eastern Europe. This bursting of the moderate left goes further when exist in certain countries like Hungary of the formations known as " liberal of gauche" (SzDSz).

Parties affiliated to the PSE

Parties full members

Germany: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD)
Austria: Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ)
Belgium: : Socialist party (PS); : Socialistische Partij-Anders (sp.a)
Bulgaria: Българскасоциалистическапартия (BSP)
Cyprus: Κινήμα Σοσιαλδημοκρατών ΕΔΕΚ (KS EDEK)
Denmark: Socialdemokraterne
Spain: Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE)
Estonia: Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond (SDE)
Finland: Sosiaalidemokraattinen Puolue (SDP)
France: Socialist party (PS)
Greece: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα (PASOK)
Hungary: Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP); Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt (MSZDP)
Ireland: The Ploughing Party
Italy: Democratici di Sinistra (DS); Socialisti Democratici Italiani (SDI)
Latvia: Latvijas Socialdemokratiska Strandnieku Partija (LSSP)
Lithuania: Lietuvos socialdemokratų partija (LSP)
Luxembourg: socialist working Party Luxembourg (LSAP)
Malta: Left Laburista (MLP)
Norway: Det norske Arbeiderparti (DNA)
Netherlands: Partij van of Arbeid (PvdA)
Poland: Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej (SLD); Unia Pracy (UP)
Portugal: Partido socialista (PS)
Romania: Social Partidul Democrat (PSD)
the United Kingdom: GB: The Ploughing Party (Lab); Northern Ireland: Social Democratic and Ploughing Party (SDLP)
: Socialni demokrati (SD)
Sweden: Socialdemokratiska arbetarpartiet (SAP)
: Česká strana sociálne demokratická (ČSSD)

Associated Parties

: Socijaldemokratski Sojuz Na Makedonija (SDUM)
Bulgaria: ПартияБългарскисоциалдемократи (PBS)
Croatia: Socijaldemokratska Partija Hrvatske (SDP)
Swiss: Swiss Socialist party (PS)
Turkey: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP); Demokratik Toplum Partisi (DTP)

Observant parties

Andorra: Party Socialdemòcrata (PS)
: Socijaldemokratska Partija BiH
Iceland: Samfylking
: העבודה; מרצ - יחד
San Marino: Partito dei socialisti E dei democratici (PSD)

History

1957-1992: The Confederation of the socialist parties of the European Community

Ancestor of the PSE, the confederation had like first chair the German Wilhelm Dröscher. The France has a statute of heavy truck there. As of its foundation, the confederation works with the development of a common program which was used as a basis for engagements of the European Socialists for the elections of 1979. It is Michel Rocard which is charged to write the part devoted to the economic policy of it. In 1978, Robert Pontillon becomes president of the CPSCE.

In May 1979, Paris accommodates the Spring of the European Socialists who gather two hundred candidates and twenty thousand people. François Mitterrand and Willy Brandt militates at this time for a party able to transcend national left cleavages, with a truth capacity of impulse. The following year, the watchword for the work of the Socialists, it is " Socialists against the droite" , to fight against the parties which recycle the survivors of the dictatorships which have just crumbled in Greece, to the Portugal or in Spain and against the rise of the hard Rights in France, in Germany, in the Scandinavian countries or in Great Britain.

With beginning of the year 80, the European Socialists fight against the thatcherism which is practiced in Great Britain and which influences some other countries. But the more time passes and the more the maladjustment of a structure which is not that a framework of coordination is felt. The victory of the left to the European elections made socialist group, the first group with the the European Parliament.

In 1989-1990, the History accelerates and the Socialists intend to be with the height of the events. The Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Reunification of Germany, the disintegration of the Soviet block, which involves the disappearance of the Stalinist modes in Central Europe and Eastern lead the Social-démocratie to think further. Reinforcement of Europe which is not yet that economic becomes priority.

1992-1997: Party of the European Socialists to the European Socialist party

In 1992, the signature of the Traité of Maastricht inserts political Europe in a new phase which makes essential the transformation of the CPSCE. The new treaty envisages the constitution of left European for the elections. The congress of the November 9th and 10th of the same year, which is held with $the Hague, gives birth, after nine months of negotiations to the Party of the European Socialists. The new party accommodates in addition to the members of the old confederation, the Swedish, Finnish parties and the Italian PDS. The first president of the PSE is the Belgian Willy Claes. The new party adopts the parity in its authorities and the observant parties have there more rights.

The European elections of 1994 confirmed the place of the PSE like first party with the the European Parliament. Claes leaves soon the presidency of the PSE, leaving the place to the German Rudolf Scharping in 1995. Then the British Robin Cook succeeded Rudolf Scharping in 2001 with the head of the PSE which is from now on called European Socialist party.

The goals which the PSE set are:

reinforcement of the socialist movement and social democrat in the European Union and the remainder of the Europe.
the development of close relations between the national parties members, their parliamentary groups, group PSE with the the European Parliament and the PSE itself.
development of common policies for the European Union and, finally, the adoption of a proclamation common at the time of the elections to the the European Parliament.

1997-2005: Conflicts and prospects

The European Socialists more than ever are however divided since end of the year 90. The debate structuring on the orientation of the European Social-démocratie crystallizes quickly on the personalities of Tony Blair and Lionel Jospin. One defends with Gerhard Schröder the opening towards a “third way-a new center” ( The third way, Der Neue Mittel ) and the other fight for the maintenance of the traditional line, that which defends a role of the State and public services and the concept of political and social Europe. Division appeared in full day at the time of the European elections 1999, when in spite of the adoption of a common program of the PSE, the English and German leaders published a few weeks before the poll a program preaching a " New center". While the French Socialists allure the parties of the south, as well as the Belgian Socialists, Greek or Italian, the Ploughing and SPD find followers on the side of the new socialist formations resulting from the communist ex-block.

At the time of the congress of Brussels of 2004, for the first time, there were two candidates. Danish Poul Nyrup Rasmussen is the tacit candidate of the French who wish a true European party which is the avant-garde of a more close European integration. Italian Giuliano Amato is the “official” candidate supported by the outgoing president Robin Cook and principal trainings like the Ploughing or SPD. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen is finally elected with some voices in advance.

The PSE counts today 32 parties members (Slovak party SMER being suspended) of the 27 countries of the European Union, as well as Norway. 6 associated parties and 7 observant parties are added to it. In spite of the recent resumption of the leadership by Tony Blair on the European Social democracy, this one seems still divided on the strategies to follow towards European construction. Linked in the defense of “yes” with the European Constitutional treaty, the victory of “not” in France and in the Netherlands reinforced the currents euro-skeptics or on the left. The ditch enters holding them of a " socialism with the center" , which accepts and accompanies the economic liberalism (Social-liberalism), and holding them of a Socialisme on the left, which maintains its will to exceed the Capitalisme does not cease widening. In Germany, one of the historical leaders of the SPD Oskar Lafontaine thus left its party to try one to gather on the left between WASG and PDS néo-Communist.

European socialist leaders

Members of the European authorities

With the European Parliament

Josep Borrell Fontelles, president of the European Parliament for 2 years and half, since 2004
Martin Schulz, president of the socialist group
John Attard-Montaldo, president of the Maltese delegation
Enrique Barón Crespo, president of the Spanish delegation
Monika Benová, president of the Slovak delegation
Maria Shepherd, president of the Austrian delegation
Philippe Busquin, president of the Belgian delegation
Proinsias de Rossa, president of the Irish delegation
Publishes Estrella, president of the Portuguese delegation
Robert Goebbels, president of the Luxembourg delegation
Toomas Hendrik Ilves, president of the Estonian delegation
Stavros Lambrinidis, president of the Greek delegation
Reino Paasilinna, president of the Finnish delegation
Borut Pahor, president of the Slovenien delegation
Bernard Poignant, president of the French delegation
Bernhard Rapkay, president of the German delegation
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, president of the Danish delegation
LIBOR Roucek, president of the Czech delegation
Aloyzas Sakalas, president of the Lithuanian delegation
Inger Sengelström, president of the Swedish delegation
Marek Maciej Siwiek, president of the Polish delegation
Csaba Sándor Tabajdi, president of the Hungarian delegation

At the European commission

Joaquín Almunia, Police chief with the Economic affairs and monetary
Danuta Hübner, Police chief with the Regional policy
László Kovács, Police chief with the Taxation and the Customs union
Peter Mandelson, Police chief with the Trade
Vladimír Špidla, Police chief with Employment, the social Affairs and the Equal opportunity
Günter Verheugen, Police chief with Industry and the Companies
Margot Wallström, Police chief with the institutional Relations and the Communication strategy

National leaders

Gordon Brown, the United Kingdom
Ferenc Gyurcsány, Hungary
Jose Sócrates, Portugal
Jose Shine Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain

and Lithuania

Some historical leaders

Willy Brandt, former German chancellor
Jacques Delors, former president of the European commission
Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Gyula Horn, former Hungarian Prime Minister
Lionel Jospin, former French Prime Minister
François Mitterrand, former president of the French Republic
Olof Palme, former Swedish Prime Minister
Helmut Schmidt, former German chancellor
Mário Soares, former Portuguese president

See too

Internal bond

ECOSY, European Community organization off Socialist Youth (Organization of socialist youths of the European Community)

External bonds

Official site
Site of the socialist group in the European Parliament

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