A more respectful, democratic and sustainable Europe – this is our common social democratic focus ahead of the European elections, leaders from the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Germany reaffirmed today.
PES President Stefan Löfven was invited to Berlin by the leadership of SPD to attend this year’s first full in-person meeting of the SPD Executive board.
This morning, the PES President met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and SPD co-leaders Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken to discuss progressive priorities for Germany and Europe. He also met with European Parliament Vice President and PES Executive Vice President Katarina Barley and Governing Mayor of Berlin Franziska Giffey. At the executive board meeting, Stefan Löfven spoke about the key challenges facing Europe that social democrats must focus on ahead of the European elections next year.
PES President Stefan Löfven said:
“We social democrats are working for a Europe that respects citizens and improves their lives, strengthens democracy, and combines sustainability with industrial progress. This fight is being led in Germany by Chancellor Scholz and the SPD. Europe’s social democratic family can be very proud of what is being achieved here.
“Today, our focus was on the challenges Europe faces in the coming year and beyond. As a political family, we are united in our drive to provide answers to these as we build up for the European elections. We will continue fighting to strengthen our Union and its values.”
Attending the meetings alongside President Löfven was PES Secretary General Achim Post and PES Executive Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck.
Speaking at the meeting, Secretary General Achim Post stressed the need to have a truly European elections campaign, built on the engagement of each of the member parties. He said:
“In these turbulent times, more than ever, cooperation is key in order to achieve a common success for our family.”
Today in Berlin, the PES leadership repeated the message sent from Brussel last year: there must be zero tolerance for corruption in Europe’s democratic institutions and society.
Inspired by the strong record of the SPD, and looking ahead to the European elections, the PES family is focused on continuing to fight for a society where every citizen is respected and lives in dignity.
European social democrats also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen democracy against right wing extremists who do not respect democratic results, in Europe and around the world. The PES and SPD leadership expressed their full support for the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, after far-right extremists attacked the country’s democratic institutions yesterday in a failed attempt to overthrow his government.
