The Party of European Socialists welcomed European Council President António Costa, our PES European commissioners, party leaders and other high-level figures from the PES-family via video conference this morning. During the meeting leaders discussed the developments surrounding the Trump-Putin phone call, the bombardments on the Gaza Strip by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, competitiveness, and other geopolitical developments.
PES President Stefan Löfven said:
‘‘Today, we are seeing escalating violence in the Middle East and concerning developments in Ukraine following the Trump-Putin phone call.
The recent series of airstrikes on Gaza by the Israeli government is of grave concern to the PES. We call upon the European Union and the international community to respond to the deliberate violation of human rights and international law by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. We cannot be accomplices or history will judge us.
Regarding Ukraine, I remain extremely concerned about Trump and Putin’s plans, and the risk of seeing the new US administration sidelining Ukraine and Europe. Ukraine is Europe, and we will protect our European ally for as long as it takes in the face of Russian aggression.’’
Following the unlawful detention of Istanbul’s CHP mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the PES expresses its solidarity with our member party in Turkey, CHP. We stand by Özgür Özel and Ekrem Imamoglu, and we call for democracy and the rule of law to be respected.
Discussing defence, progressive leaders agreed that the individual rearmament of 27 member states is not in itself an EU-wide solution, which is what we need. Leaders agreed that we need to agree on financing at EU level and purchasing European military equipment is a priority.
On multilateralism, Stefan Löfven expressed that he was pleased to see that United Nations Secretary General António Guterres would be part of the dialogue today. As a strong defender of multilateralism, global stability, and sustainable development goals in these difficult times, Guterres has the full backing of the PES.
Regarding competitiveness, the PES stood by its position that we support a realistic simplification agenda for our industries and SMEs. It is essential to provide predictability, consistency, and investment security. We must ensure that simplification does not lead to deregulation, which would result in right-wing forces dismantling social and environmental progress that has been achieved in recent years.
The competitiveness agenda must support the green, digital and just transition, it must support cohesion, and the social agenda. At the same time, we need the necessary resources. An Investment Plan for these transitions is essential.
Concerning the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), it is imperative for Europe to remain consistent in its objectives with an ambitious budget. As mentioned by President of the European Council António Costa, we must approach this discussion with “an open mind” and in a “spirit of collective responsibility”, particularly also taking into account the future reimbursement of Next Generation EU.
