The PES to train 15000 activists for European elections

The PES to train 15000 activists for European elections

The 2019 Campaign Academy will see leading campaigners from PES member parties and organisations come together over the coming months for workshops and panel discussions on election hot-topics.

Ahead of the PES Congress which takes place in Lisbon on 7-8 December, the 2019 Campaign Academy has organised a two-day Campaign Camp for activists.

The Lisbon event is being led by the progressive organisers and strategists behind election successes in the USA, Sweden and the UK. They will train activists on a broad range of election techniques, including boosting voter turn out, digital campaigning, grassroots mobilisation, and how to combat fake news and hate speech.

The Campaign Camp is the latest phase of a plan by the PES to train 15000 activists for the European elections. Activists attending the event in Lisbon will not only put the techniques they learn into action themselves, they will share their knowledge with other progressives in their home country.

Marije Laffeber, the PES Deputy Secretary General who has overseen the creation of the 2019 Campaign Academy, said:

“The pan-European progressive movement is strengthened by solidarity and mutual support among its members. This is why the PES is bringing together leading campaigners to prepare for next year’s European elections. Through the Campaign Academy 2019 we are organising the biggest progressive mobilisation ever for the European elections.

“We want to train the next generation of political and campaign leaders and forge connections between member parties. A strong base of well-trained campaigners, working together, is a prerequisite for victory. This is something the PES has been building because through the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we can alone.”

The Campaign Camp is an evolution of the PES Campaign Academy, which has trained activists from all over Europe on a variety of political issues.

Photos from the event can be downloaded on the PES Flickr.