The Party of European Socialists welcomed European Council President António Costa, our PES PMs, and other high-level figures this morning in Brussels, Belgium, for a strategic discussion ahead of today’s European Council meeting. The PES leadership expressed its support for Olaf Scholz in the upcoming German federal election in February.
PES President Stefan Löfven welcomed progressive members of the new European Commission to the meeting for the first time in their new roles: Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera, and Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness Roxana Mînzatu.
PES President Stefan Löfven said:
‘‘I am looking forward to working with the President of the European Council, António Costa, our governments, our newly appointed Commissioners, and our S&D Group in the European Parliament. Ensuring that Europe is prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow for the benefit of its citizens, is what mobilises all of us. We are the second largest political force in Europe. We stand firmly by our vision for a social, just, and sustainable Europe, and we have much to do over this mandate. We will have to defend what was achieved, and make sure that we deliver on our manifesto commitments. We welcome the decision by the Council of the EU to remove land border controls to Bulgaria and Romania, thus giving both countries full access to the Schengen area. To Olaf Scholz, the PES stands behind you and you have our full support in the upcoming German federal election.”
Commenting on global developments, PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck said:
‘‘The ongoing war with Ukraine, the crisis in the Middle East, and the recent events in Syria outline the complexity of our challenges. We need to be prepared for the abrupt political and economic shift Donald Trump might bring as soon as he becomes the 47th President of the United States.
“That’s why the PES is not only strengthening the ties between the PES member parties, but we are constantly expanding our cooperation with progressive forces worldwide. We recently had missions to the U.S. and to the Middle East, and we are at the peak of our relationship with the progressives in Asia and in Latin America. The PES has become a leading force in this process of global progressive cooperation.’’
S&D Group President Iratxe García provided updates following her recent mission to Ukraine, where she met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. She reiterated the commitment of the PES to continue supporting Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression. This support for Ukraine was reaffirmed by the PES leadership.
The meeting also focussed on developments in the Middle East and underlined the need for renewed efforts to achieve a two-state solution ensuring the right to peace and security. In neighbouring Syria, the PES leaders expressed our will for stability and a peaceful transition towards democracy.
The meeting further underlined the importance of the EU upping its preparedness and readiness as we cross into the second half of this decade. Leaders agreed that we must strengthen our resilience in the face of climate change and to ensure that the EU economy remains competitive on the international stage.
The PES leaders also congratulated the PSD for winning the parliamentary elections in Romania and the Labour Party in Ireland for nearly doubling their seats in the general election. The meeting also congratulated the Social Democratic Alliance of Iceland for winning the parliamentary election and welcomed Moldova’s decision to enshrine EU accession into its constitution.
- Photos from the meeting can be found here:
