Conservatives and liberals have made a big mess of managing Europe and the crisis. Every unemployed person knows it, every woman that has had her rights stripped away knows it and every youth whose future is in jeopardy knows it. Our job is to get the biggest turnout possible to make sure that finally, the conservatives know it too. With these ten key points to guide us and with Martin Schulz as our Common Candidate we will succeed”, Sergei Stanishev PES President stated in his opening speech.
The ten-point roadmap sets out what the next five years would look like with a progressive majority in the European Parliament and Commission. The ten points are:
1. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: With 27 million Europeans and nearly a quarter of young people out of work everybody in the PES agrees that the fight against unemployment must be the number one priority. Our focus on job creation will we be the overarching theme for everything we do in the next five years.
2. Boosting the Economy: Austerity-only policies have harmed Europe and punished those who least deserve it, while rewarding reckless speculation. To relaunch the economy we will invest in a smart re-industrialization programme focused on innovation, research and training.
3. A Financial Sector serving all Europeans: We will not tolerate the policy of “Pain for people – billions for banks.” Speculators will never again be allowed to gamble with people’s lives and Europe must never again spend €1.6 trillion bailing out banks.
4. A Social Europe: We will fight for a Europe that leaves no citizen behind. We will redress attacks on public services such as health, education and housing and ensure that economic freedoms do not outweigh social rights.
5. Equality and women’s rights: The principle of equality is at the heart of what it means to be a European citizen. Gender equality is of utmost importance to the progressive family. This applies to economic rights of women as much as it does to their sexual and reproductive rights. The PES will also continue the fight against all forms of discrimination.
6. A Diverse Union: We will fight for a Europe that respects everyone’s rights and obligations. True solidarity amongst Europeans must be shown via a concerted effort to eliminate the last remains of extremism on our continent.
7. Safe and Healthy Lives: European citizens deserve to live safe, healthy and happy lives. Food quality, safe consumer products and the right to protection of personal data and information should be guaranteed for all Europeans.
8. A Democratic Europe: For the first time European Citizens have a say in who gets Europe’s top job. The EU needs to be a democratic union of equality and participation. Brussels must work for Europe’s citizens, not the other way around, and the PES is committed to respecting and empowering local and national governments.
9. A Green Europe: The EU must retain global leadership in the fight against climate change, via intelligent investment in the green economy, renewable energy and smart technology. The protection of nature and natural resources must be addressed to both reduce our ecological footprint and bring down energy bills.
10. Carrying Europe’s Principles Around the Globe: The European Union must continue to promote the universal principles of democracy, peace and respect for human rights, including women’s and children’s rights. We will support social justice and play an important role in combatting global poverty.
The full Manifesto is available in six languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Polish and Italian.
