Determination for 2024 European elections, as PES Congress hails new members of PES leadership team
Heads of government, European Commissioners, progressive members of the European Parliament, party leaders, delegates, and activists stood ready and strong for the upcoming European elections during the second day of the PES Congress in Málaga, Spain.
Under the title “Europe in the lead”, organised in cooperation with the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), the highest political forum of the European socialists and democrats met to set out its priorities.
PES President Stefan Löfven, the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez, Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, and other high-level speakers shared their vision for a progressive future of Europe in front of a 2000-person strong audience made up of delegates from all PES member parties, international delegations, guests, PES activists, PSOE activists, and the media.
The PES Congress warmly welcomed the new members and new positions in the PES leadership team led by the PES President Stefan Löfven – re-elected yesterday by the Congress.
After over a decade at the helm of the PES secretariat, Achim Post has stepped down as Secretary General so he can dedicate his full efforts to his new position as co-leader of SPD North Rhine-Westphalian. He hands the baton to Giacomo Filibeck (PD Italy), who takes over as Secretary General having served as Executive Secretary General since October 2022. Thomas Vaupel (SPD Germany) also joins the PES leadership team as Deputy Secretary General.
PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck said:
“I want to thank Achim for his dedication and services to the PES. For more than a decade, he has ensured that our party has worked effectively and with courage for the benefit of all Europeans. We will miss him and his insight and leadership. But we know that these strengths will be put to good use in his new leadership positions in the SPD.
“I thank the PES Congress for welcoming the new leadership today and for the trust it has placed in me. We are united as a party and focused behind one clear goal: to win the European elections so we can implement progressive solutions for citizens.”
The Congress also welcomed on stage the new leadership team of the PES:
- President: Stefan Löfven (SAP, Sweden)
- Treasurer: Caroline Gennez (Vooruit, Belgium)
- First Vice President: Iratxe García (PSOE, Spain and S&D President)
- Executive Vice President: Katarina Barley (SPD, Germany)
- Executive Vice President: Francisco André (PS, Portugal)
- Vice President: Tanja Fajon (SD, Slovenia)
- Vice President: Victor Negrescu (PSD, Romania)
- Vice President: Kati Piri (PvdA, Netherlands)
- Vice President: Andrzej Szejna (Lewica, Poland)
- Vice President: Radmila Šekerinska (SDSM, North Macedonia)
- Secretary General: Giacomo Filibeck (PD, Italy)
- Deputy Secretary General: Yonnec Polet (PS, Belgium)
- Deputy Secretary General: Saar Van Bueren (PvdA, Netherlands)
- Deputy Secretary General: Thomas Vaupel (SPD, Germany)
Reflecting the discussions that took place at the PES Leaders Meeting on Friday evening, the PES Presidency meeting on Saturday morning approved the integration of an addition to the 2023 Congress Resolution (also available in Spanish), on the section on the Middle East.
Photographs from the Congress are available on the PES Flickr.
The livestream of the Congress can be viewed on YouTube.
