European socialists have descfinished on Amsterdam to hash out what the future of their relocatement should view like, as senior figures gather on Friday to vote on a shared political line for the continent’s centre-left.
The meeting of the Party of European Socialists (PES), the umbrella group for Europe’s social democratic parties, comes amid electoral decline across the EU, with socialist leaders holding power in only 3 of the 27 EU countries. PES gathers national centre-left parties from across Europe, including the UK’s Labour, Germany’s SPD and Italy’s Democratic Party.
The conference offers a chance for centre-left lawcreaters to attempt to bridge growing divides, as the party is increasingly split along regional lines over migration, LGBT issues, and defence.
Southern members back a humanitarian stance on migration, while northern parties push for stricter migration rules. In Central and Eastern Europe, some groups are pivoting toward conservative rhetoric. Romania’s PSD, for instance, plans to replace “progressivism” in its political platform with “national, religious, and traditional” values.
Whatever their differences, all leaders will have to vote on Friday on a common pan-European socialist line on the issues laid out in 14 resolutions. The resolutions, seen by Euractiv, are named “More feminism = More democracy,” and “For a just green transition”.
None, however, is exclusively dedicated to either migration, defence, or competitiveness – all high-stakes issues at centre-stage in EU politics. “That’s worrying,” a socialist source from a Nordic counattempt informed Euractiv. “We can’t go against the direction that EU politics are shifting.”
A spokesperson for the socialist leader in the European Parliament, Iraxte Garcia Perez, downplayed talk of divisions. “It’s not a matter of division; sometimes it’s a matter of the sensitivity of a counattempt,” they stated.
The Nordics are the outliers, they added. “Historically, Denmark has had a special position in topics such as defence, Schengen and also migration.” While one resolution recalls that PES has in the past rejected any of the EU’s practice of extfinishing migration controls to third countries, this remains a cornerstone of policies pursued by the Danish government, led by social democrat Mette Frederiksen.
To taunt Trump or not
A last-minute alter to a resolution on Europe’s place in the world suggests that foreign policy is also a contentious issue. A draft of the meeting conclusions from earlier this month, approved by PES leadership, took direct aim at the US president, writing: “Only by standing united can we have the critical mass necessaryed to reverse the dangerous course charted by Trump and his allies.”
In a newer version, floated on Thursday, the first day of the conference, Trump’s name has disappeared and been replaced by softer language, calling to “fight back for a future of peace, democracy, equality, and progress.”
The PES party did not respond to Euractiv’s request for comment on why the alters were created.
Attfinishance reflects divisions
Finding common ground on key issues seems to split European socialists, but delegates are expected to rubber-stamp the current leadership, keeping former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven as president, and Italian Giacomo Filibeck as secretary general.
The Amsterdam meeting takes place just weeks before national elections in the Netherlands. Dutch centre-left leader and former EU Commissioner, Frans Timmermans, is set to address the congregation on Friday, flanked by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Timmermans is hoping to join a compact club of PES heads of government, currently only counting Sánchez, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Malta’s Robert Abela. Neither Frederiksen nor Abela is expected to attfinish.
No Danish MEPs will be present, after delegation leader Christel Schaldemose cancelled her participation at the last minute, citing urgent private matters.
One out, three in
The conference will formalise last month’s decision to expel Slovak leader Robert Fico’s SMER party, but viewing to gain three more, Euractiv has learned.
PES is onboarding the Serbian centre-left SSP party, as well as the Kosovan LVV party, and French senior lawcreater Raphaël Glucksmann’s Place Publique party. In the European Parliament, Place Publique is already caucapplying with the centre-left S&D group.
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