PES saddened by the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, the man who ended the Cold War

Gorbachev speaking in 1987

Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. Photo courtesy of RIA Novosti.

The Party of European Socialists is deeply saddened by the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who took down the Iron Curtain and made the democratisation of eastern Europe possible.

PES President Sergei Stanishev said:

“Mikhail Gorbachev was a defender of peace, a man with a vision, and a political leader that will be remembered. His reforms in the USSR ensured the peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy for the European countries in the former Soviet bloc. Gorbachev was a leader devoted to multilateralism and peaceful cooperation, who will be missed by the democratic community across the world.”

The PES extends its condolences to the family of Gorbachev and all these people in Russia and in the world, who will miss the man awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1990.