The twelfth Secretaries General Conference for Renewal and Modernisation centres on ‘Relaunching Social Democracy, Renewing Politics’. It is hosted by the Danish social democratic party Socialdemokratiet (SD) and is chaired by PES secretary general Achim Post.
Mr Post said:
“The PES’s focus in 2019 will be on the key Europe-wide issues that unite our political family. But we also know that it’s our member parties in each EU country who will fight the campaign on the ground, engaging with voters and communicating their vision of a more equal, more progressive Europe.
“That’s why our mission is to connect and support our parties in every way we can. This is particularly important since the elections in 2019 will determine the EU’s direction for the future.”
SD secretary general Jan Juul Christensen, host of the meeting, said:
“I am pleased that we have managed to gather such a strong group of representatives from our entire European family today here in Copenhagen. The challenges facing us are huge and the need for social democratic solutions to these challenges has never been greater.
“Therefore, our meeting today is tremendously important. We need to meet in order to share our thoughts and ideas for how to bring our political family forward and reconnect with those constituencies that we are set in this world to represent: normal European people.”
Alongside regular meetings of secretaries general, PES also organizes specific networks for communications and media professionals, campaign managers and training for party activists at all levels of organisation, as well as regular coordination meetings for party leaders, ministers and other elected representatives.
The meeting was attended by 40 representatives of PES member parties and member organisations.
PES president Sergei Stanishev, who also attended the meeting, added:
“I am pleased to welcome representatives from the UK Labour party to our meeting in Copenhagen. Although the UK will not take part in the 2019 elections, they have reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation with their European sister parties via the PES and continue to play an important role in our family.”