/ world today news/ Anti-Poverty Fund and PES think-tank, launched in his new mandate Stanishev
A Bulgarian won another victory in the heart of Europe. On Saturday evening, in the congress center of Budapest, the European socialists again nominated their leader – Sergey Stanishev – with an almost complete majority. The new old president of the PES not only turned the eyes of the old member countries towards Eastern Europe, but convinced them that a union is made with dialogue and solidarity. With nearly 80 percent of the votes of the congress delegates, Stanishev was re-elected for a new mandate at the top of the left in Europe. Until the early afternoon before the vote, his opponent, the Spaniard Enrique Baron Crespo, gave no sign of withdrawing. Despite the fact that in the secretariat of the Spanish party, the preliminary results were read as a complete disaster in Madrid. In the end, no more than 16 percent of the delegates would vote Crespo’s confidence. Therefore, and as an experienced player, Crespo gave back at the last minute, so that he could come out only with a withdrawal, and not with a catastrophic loss to Stanishev. Eurosocialists from Germany, Italy, Belgium, Scandinavia are adamant that Sergey is the right leader in the right place. The left in Europe has an ambitious road map for winning the European elections in 2019. Stanishev announced the strategy at the end of last year. And he proposed to the PES congress to create a Coordination Council to work with the national parties during election campaigns in their countries. “Within the Working Group on National Elections, we will strengthen the focus on the joint organization of activities with member parties in the EU member states in order to break out of the so-called Brussels bubble. Together with the Group of Socialists and Democrats, we will also strengthen cooperation between national parliamentary groups. We will continue to provide training for member parties and organizations and activists within the framework of the European Training Academy of PES,” announced the social leader.
Two concrete ideas of Sergey will find expression in EU documents within 2 years – the creation of the Children’s Guarantee against poverty, similar to the youth guarantee against unemployment. And the index of democracy in the member countries. The European Social Fund should set aside funds for children’s healthcare and education. “I want to initiate the creation of a Consultative Public Council to the PES, to which I will invite respected prominent figures from the European left family. I will also rely on our think-tank – the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), as well as the parliamentary group of the Socialists and the democrats,” declared the PES president.
In fact, Stanishev’s path to the top of PES also went through a phone call in October 2011 from the then president of the European Socialists, Paul Nyrup Rasmussen. After 7 years, the former Danish prime minister was at the top of the left in Europe, decided to retire, but named a Bulgarian as his successor. Stanishev promised Rasmussen to work for the expansion of the socialist family. And within a few years, PES prime ministers went from 3 to 11. That is why the Eurosocialists jumped as one in the congress center of Budapest – an impressive mandate of Sergey Stanishev – a clear strategy, concrete and convincing answers. Stanishev did not forget about Rasmussen’s trust from a few years ago – on the contrary. And he quotes the former president of the euro-left “We only matter if you fight!”. Because of Sergey’s leadership and the work of the PES team, communication in the party is now quite different. We are becoming stronger and more united in our positions. Our voice is heard in the European Parliament, and the left-wing prime ministers defend our policies at the meetings of the European Council,” says the former PES General Secretary Achim Post. In fact, last year, for the first time in the EU, there was a general campaign for the president of the EC of the whole continent, and not just in one country.And this is also a credit to PES, in particular to Sergey.
As president of PES, Stanishev announced 10 clear goals of the European left through a Manifesto voted last year in Rome. The document was titled “Towards a New Europe” and its adoption became a fact after almost a year of debates between all PES member parties. The fight against unemployment, restarting the economy, equal pay between men and women and a policy to equalize remuneration in the EU in the next programming period, as well as the insistence that economic freedoms should not take precedence over social rights are among the main messages of the Manifesto of PES. “To become the strongest political force in Europe in 2019; to become the largest group in the European Parliament in an alliance of MEPs from parties from our political family and those who share our common values and political program, and a leading group of a progressive coalition; and in order to be the next president of the European Commission from PES, we will continue to help and strengthen the member parties,” Stanishev pointed out to his people the way to victory in 2019.
11,000 activists were in Knock the vote
For the first time in the European elections last year, the socialists organized the “door to door, in favor of Martin Schulz” campaign. The initiative of social leader Sergey Stanishev “Knock the vote” was supported by nearly 11,000 activists on the Old Continent. In the impressive campaign, the messages of the European left reached over 12 million EU citizens. “You are the heart of PES, and you are going on a march to victory,” the social leader addressed the left-wing youth. Representatives of 36 left-wing parties and organizations from Europe launched the campaign for the Euro vote from the Eternal City – Rome, during last year’s PES congress. Stanishev then addressed a message to all Europeans: “Our eternal struggle for justice, human dignity, solidarity, equal rights and opportunities for everyone in Europe”. “We have achieved a lot. The proposal of the socialists for a common candidate in the previous European elections gave new strength to democracy in Europe – for the first time, citizens could vote directly for their candidate for the chairman of the EC”, Stanishev noted recently.
Guarantee for the young
The youth guarantee was one of the first causes with which social leader Sergey Stanishev united European socialists. The Youth Guarantee has become a new approach to combating youth unemployment, which ensures that all young people – whether registered with employment services or not – receive a quality concrete offer within 4 months of leaving formal education or remaining out of work. EU countries endorsed the principle of the Youth Guarantee in April 2013. Now the socialists propose that a new 10 billion euros be set aside for the youth guarantee, so that all young people under the age of 30 can benefit from it. The PES insist that an economic plan be drawn up to be implemented in 28 member countries with different levels of economic development and different budget possibilities. The European Commission allocated 6 billion euros to combat unemployment among young people under 35 years of age.
Over 122,000 wanted him as leader
Social leader Sergey Stanishev made a powerful campaign on the Internet with the main messages about the vision of the Party of European Socialists. Nearly 140,000 activists from all over Europe united behind Stanishev’s candidacy for a new term at the head of PES. Hours before the Red Congress in Budapest, Stanishev had collected 122,644 virtual votes for his governing platform. “I believe that with the values of European socialists we can build a better future for every citizen in the EU,” said the PES president. On the Facebook page Stanishev 4 PES President socialist number 1 gathered over 40,000 fans from Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania. And activists from Sofia to London held flash mobs for Stanishev’s candidacy.
The left won the Juncker plan
300 billion euros in the real economy will revive growth, the Eurosocialists announced
The main credit for including the investment plan in the program of EC President Jean-Claude Juncker goes to the socialists. Precisely at the suggestion of social leader Sergey Stanishev and the chairman of the group of socialists and democrats in the European Parliament Gianni Pitela, a seminar on “Investments in the future” was held in Brussels last October. The European leftists discussed the priorities and proposals for the implementation of Juncker’s plan for 300 billion euros of public and private investments in the real economy. Stanishev recalled a few months ago that the group of socialists supported the new European Commission against a strict commitment to a strategic investment plan. And in December, Jean-Claude Juncker kept his commitment to the Eurosocialists and presented a plan worth 315 billion euros aimed at stimulating economic growth and employment in the EU. “For the past 5 years, our family has been fighting against the budget cuts that have led to stagnation throughout Europe. Growth and employment can only be achieved with real policies to stimulate the economy,” the social leader said categorically. “The reforms proposed by the socialists mean real investments in the development of human capital, improving the standard of living and creating new jobs,” emphasized Stanishev.
The Reds stopped the ACT
Among the achievements of PES President Sergey Stanishev is the suspension of ACTA. On his initiative, with a declaration of the group of socialists and democrats, the leftists said “NO” to Internet surveillance. Three years ago, Stanishev announced during a discussion in the European Parliament that the anti-piracy agreement ACTA died “under the meteor shower of the changing world” like the dinosaurs, because it did not meet the modern requirements of the modern and constantly developing world. After a series of debates, the European Parliament overwhelmingly rejected the ACTA agreement. Stanishev reminded that millions of citizens organized signatures and took to the streets in protest to defend their rights. In addition, despite persistent right-wing attempts to derail European Socialist opposition to the deal, all five EP committees rejected the ACT. The agreement was subjected to sharp criticism from the very beginning – because of the lack of publicity during the negotiations, the serious concerns that the personal freedom of citizens is being violated and because of the issue of access to generic drugs.
Zita: He is my leader
It is a privilege to have Sergey as the first socialist in Europe. It protects women’s rights and helps us fight for them. This was stated by the new old president of PES-Women, Zita Gurmai, during the congress in Budapest. Just ten days ago, the fiery lady demonstrated her full support for Stanishev’s new mandate at the top of PES and in Sofia. Gurmay said that the election for the PES president is between a young, energetic, father, husband who understands women’s problems and fights for them, and an old, experienced candidate who has held various positions. “My choice is clear. I am voting for Serhiy, because I am convinced that he is the right president of PES,” Gurmay said categorically. People in the know recalled that in recent years the two have been fighting against the pay gap between men and women, which is close to 16% for EU countries. The left in Europe is categorically against violence against women. Last but not least, Stanishev and Gurmai singled out the struggle for women’s rights and the protection of maternity.
In 2019, the top of the EC will be ours
Sergey Stanishev, President of PES
My political goal is for the PES to win the European elections in 2019 and elect the next EC president. We have achieved a lot in 4 years. Because of PES, Europe today has an Investment Plan for 315 billion euros.
On the initiative of the young socialists, we started the campaign for the Youth Guarantee. Today it is already a fact and 6 billion euros will help thousands of young people find work. On the idea of PES, European citizens for the first time voted directly for the President of the European Commission. I remember with great emotion the inspiring campaign of Martin Schulz. When I became the head of the European left family, we had only three prime ministers, and today there are already eleven socialists sitting around the table of the European Council.
Europe is now entering a new period. Guided by our values, we will offer a progressive left vision for the future of the Union. For me, a strong PES means more solidarity, more investment in education and health, re-industrialization and economic growth. To change Europe!
New parties joined the left
Social leader Sergey Stanishev insisted on the creation of a special program, providing for the holding of events in support of national parties, especially in countries where elections are coming up. At the previous congress in Rome in 2014, the party of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi joined the PES, and at the upcoming one in Budapest, the number of associated parties will be increased.
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