Já pegou, aparentemente

Estou em Madrid e ouvi no noticiário a assinatura do «Tratado de Lisboa».
Parece que vai pegar.

Assinatura do Tratado de Lisboa

É hoje assinado no Mosteiro dos Jerónimos o Tratado que altera o Tratado da União Europeia e o Tratado que institui a Comunidade Europeia.

Conheça a versão integral em português do tratado reformador das instituições europeias.

PES Activists

Dear friend,

Thank you very much for trying to take part in PES Council. We are very happy with the outcome as all PES member parties gave their support to the PES manifesto campaign and to our ambition for a common 2009 election programme.

Resolutions on climate change, on financial markets and on the EU and the international scene were adopted. Along the way we proved that lively debates and strong common positions can go hand in hand.

Unfortunately the weather didn’t want to join this success story, and a heavy fog over Sofia badly hit the airport before, during and after PES Council. The result was that many party leaders, delegates, journalists and PES activists could not reach Sofia.

I regret that they were forced on a tiring odyssey of delays, re-routing and cancellations. I would like to apologize to all PES activists who tried to reach Sofia and who were finally forced to return home without being able to participate.

I know you tried and I really appreciate your effort and commitment. Your presence was missed but your effort did not go unnoticed. In the end only 15 of more than 50 registered PES activists for Council were able to make it.

I would like to thank those who were there as you have represented PES activists very actively and very ably. The PES and all delegates appreciated your input as grassroots representatives and your presence was another important step in strengthening the PES as a major player in European politics which is connected to the people and takes their needs seriously.

I hope the PES will benefit from your support for future events. You are our strength and provide us with inspiration and encouragement

With socialist regards,

Philip Cordery

PES Newsletter n°23 - December 2007

PES Newsletter n°23 - December 2007
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Watch PES Council!
Despite travel chaos caused by heavy fog, PES Council - the biggest gathering of European socialists and social democrats in 2007 - took place in the capital of Bulgaria and featured lively debates on international relations, climate change, financial markets and the PES manifesto for the 2009 European elections. Special guest was Barney Frank, Democrat chairman of the US House Committee on Financial Services. See all the adopted resolutions and watch the debates on video.

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Manifesto2009 - join in

Have your say on what should be in our European-wide manifesto for the 2009 European elections - take part in the 'Yourspace' open consultation on what progressive policies the PES should highlight in its manifesto. There are lots of ways to participate on line and in meetings.

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Employment ministers act on PES Council resolution

PES Employment Ministers, led by Portuguese Minister José Vieira da Silva, endorsed the resolution adopted at PES Council on financial markets and agreed to write to President José Manuel Barroso, bringing his attention to the demand of European socialist and social democratic parties for more transparency in financial markets and better protection of companies and workers from leveraged buy-outs.
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PES PMs agree on Treaty

Six Prime Ministers took part in the PES meeting just ahead of the EU Summit on 18 October in Lisbon that agreed the new Reform Treaty. PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said afterwards that the new treaty has social democratic values and progressive goals.

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Where MPs fear for their lives

The PES launched a declaration in support of 41 Lebanese MPs living for over forty days under armed guard in a hotel in Beirut unable to leave due to fears for their safety. The action followed a PES delegation to the Middle East led by Swedish Social Democrat Carin Jamtin which visited the Lebanese MPs confined in the hotel.

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A year of child care campaigning
The PES child care campaign resulted in new commitments on child care services from Governments, PES Member Parties and the European Commission. Watch the video or read the brochure highlighting the campaign's successes.

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European Socialist TV
Have you seen the PES TV channel? No one will ever be able to say again that there's nothing worth watching on TV!

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Congratulations Caroline, Piero and Walter
Congratulations to Walter Veltroni for becoming leader of the new Italian Democratic Party in primary elections supported by over 3 million voters! Congratulations are also deserved for former Democratic Left leader Piero Fassino for working so hard to create the new centre-left party, and for becoming EU special envoy to Burma. More congratulations, this time for Caroline Gennez for becoming leader of Flemish Socialist Party Sp.a.

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Romania elects 10 Socialist MEPs

In the first ever European elections in Romania 10 members of the PSD - Romanian Social Democratic Party - were elected to the European Parliament. The Romanian Social Democratic MEPs include former Foreign Minister Adrian Severin, current PSD Secretary General Titus Corlatean and PSD international secretary Victor Bostinaru.

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Cut VAT on Condoms

Please support the campaign of the PES Group in the European Parliament to make condoms more affordable by applying only the minimum rate of VAT.

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Action for Decent Work!

Join the PES in supporting the Decent Work Decent Life Campaign's Call to Action for Decent Work! PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, Chair of the European Parliament's Development Committee Josep Borrell and Director General of the ILO Juan Somavía, have already signed up.

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No to racism

PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen supported a joint statement of the Italian and Romanian Socialist delegations in the European Parliament on aggression against Romanians in Italy following the murder of an Italian woman allegedly by a Romanian of Roma origin. The PES recently proposed to other European political parties to update Charter of European political parties for a non-racist society.

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

PES Diversity and Integration Network

Will have a fact-finding mission to the UK on 28 January and its next network meeting on 14 February in Brussels.

PES @ctivists

Launch of PES activists Netherlands will take place on 15 December in Amsterdam, while PES activists in Poland are gearing up to campaign for Poland to sign up to the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Welcome to the 500 new PES activists from Flanders

Nuestros hemanos

Parece que ganha momento a construção do Manifesto 2009.

Parece que há uma nova iniciativa alemã; e em Espanha há este excelente blogue, que, com simpatia, nos publicou. O texto é inédito e espera publicação nacional, pelo que ainda não o divulguei.

Sofia, Madrid, Lisboa
December 08, 2007
José Reis Santos nos envía, en portugués, esta reflexión sobre el Congreso del Partido Socialista Europeo celebrado recientemente en Sofía. Todo ello con la vista puesta en Madrid, donde se aprobará el Manifiesto 2009 para toda Europa

«Após o Congresso do PES organizado no Porto, em Dezembro de 2006, a expectativa em torno do Conselho de Sofia era elevada. E estas não foram defraudadas, pois o seu contributo político foi muito intenso. Confirmou-se o papel central que o Manifesto 2009 assumirá na vida próxima do PES e, inevitavelmente, dos diversos partidos socialistas nacionais; bem como o papel que o movimento dos Activistas pode, e deve, desempenhar na boa condução desta original iniciativa.»
Read the rest of this entry →

'Cimeira UE-África: Sócrates diz que foram cumpridos "todos os grandes objectivos" '

'O primeiro-ministro português José Sócrates declarou, no discurso de encerramento da Cimeira União Europeia-África, que durante os dois dias da iniciativa foram cumpridos "todos os grandes objectivos". No entanto, lembrou que a História fica agora com uma página em branco para escrever.

"Cumprimos todos os grandes objectivos a que nos tínhamos proposto", declarou Sócrates, lembrando a adopção de uma estratégia conjunta, um plano de acção e um mecanismo de monitorização para o acompanhar. Os líderes africanos e europeus assumiram ainda uma agenda para responder a desafios como a paz, os direitos humanos, a imigração e as alterações climáticas.

Para Sócrates, esta cimeira - nas suas palavras um "acontecimento verdadeiramente extraordinário" - foi "capaz de conquistar um lugar na História" e um momento em que "nos encontrámos olhos nos olhos, entre iguais, com um espírito novo".

"A ideia mais repetida, mais partilhada foi a de que esta cimeira representa um virar de página na história". No entanto, acrescentou, "a nova página ainda está por escrever. Esta é a nossa maior responsabilidade".

O primeiro-ministro disse também que a cimeira "soube dar voz a quem precisa dela" e citou os direitos humanos, os refugiados, imigrantes e as "legítimas aspirações ao desenvolvimento dos países africanos" e a uma "globalização mais justa".

Esta voz "fica para o futuro na Declaração de Lisboa", que "resume a nossa vontade, a nossa visão e o nosso compromisso com o futuro".'

Publicado no Jornal Público, no dia 09/12/07

Tratado de Lisboa - Alterações na Organização e Funcionamento dos Órgãos da União Europeia

Caros(as) Amigos(as)

Como sabem, o Tratado de Lisboa alterou significativamente a organização e funcionamento dos Órgãos da União Europeia, designadamente o novo tratado generaliza (com certas excepções) o processo de “co‑decisão” em que participa o Parlamento Europeu, e o Conselho - constituído pelos ministros dos Estados-Membros.

Por outro lado, o Tratado Reformador determinou que a votação será efectuada por maioria qualificada em quarenta domínios - como a segurança do abastecimento energético e a ajuda humanitária de emergência nas zonas críticas do mundo; porém a unanimidade continuará a vigorar como regra geral, nomeadamente no que diz respeito à fiscalidade, à política externa, à defesa, à segurança social e à cultura.

Além disso, o Tratado reforçará o controlo democrático da UE, dado que confere funções mais importantes quer ao Parlamento Europeu quer aos Parlamentos nacionais.

Acresce que, os cidadãos terão o direito, pela primeira vez, de propor à Comissão que adopte uma determinada iniciativa legislativa.

Por último, irá ser instituído um Alto Representante para a Política Externa e de Segurança Comum, sendo que se trata de uma nova figura institucional que exercerá simultaneamente dois cargos: o cargo de Alto Representante para a Política Externa e de Segurança Comum e o cargo de Vice-Presidente da Comissão.

Por conseguinte, é inexorável que estamos no bom caminho!

Marco Lacomblez Leitão

Romania elects 10 Social Democratic MEPs

Romania elects 10 Social Democratic MEPs
30 November 2007

[from PES]
A big welcome from the PES to the 10 Social Democratic MEPs elected in Romania’s first ever European elections!
New MEPs (Romania has had non-elected MEPs since it joined the EU on 1 January 2007) include PSD secretary general Titus Corlatean, PSD international secretary Victor Bostinaru and Catalin Nechifor.
Returning MEPs are Adrian Severin, Rovana Plumb, Daciana Sarbu, Silvia Ticau, Ioan Mircea Pascu, Gabriela Cretu and Corina Cretu.
The PSD got over 28% of the vote – making it the second party after the EPP-affiliated PD party of President Basescu. The turnout was a less than 30 per cent! The far-right Greater Romania Party did not make the 5% threshold.
PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said “It is good to welcome back some old friends and to have some new blood too. In the difficult political circumstances in Romania, the PES is glad that ten MEPs were elected from the Social Democrats. I know they will make an excellent contribution to the European Parliament.”

Via Europa. Partidos Europeus?

[via Manifesto 2009]

European political parties

Published Friday, November 30, 2007 at 11:38

by together in European democracy & diversity

European political parties can play an important role in shaping European democracy and therefore they should play an important part in our manifesto theme on European Democracy and Diversity. In order to start a discussion, I would like to present two short texts. One is a translated paragraph from the new SPD (German social democrats) manifesto "Hamburg Programme". It is taken from the chapter "Democratic Europe". The second text is composed of a few paragraphs drawn up by me.
1.) This is a quote from the German social democrats on "Democratic Europe":
European democracy requires a European public scope. European media, organizations of civil society, social partners, but even strong European political parties are indispensable for this. Our aim is to develop the Social Democratic Party of Europe to become a functioning members’ and program party. We are favouring the elaboration of a program of social democratic principles for Europe. In the elections to the European Parliament we want to present a pan-European candidate.
If you are interested in reading the whole chapter, you can download the SPD "Hamburg Programme" here
2.) This would be my suggestion for PES statements on representative democracy in the EU:
Strong European parties which put up different models of society in EU elections are a fundamental condition for a democratic Europe. Only if the citizens can understand their options and the consequences of their vote, the electorate has a true and democratic influence on institutions.The target of the European socialist family is to empower citizens to identify the consequences of their EU vote upon their societies.
Europe's socialist parties assume the responsability to elaborate a clear socialist model of society in EU elections which is analogue to political chromatics on national level. The PES has elaborated and is promoting an election program which defines a social and progressive European Union.
We believe that European parties should always consider the European principal of subsidiarity and their policies should reflect the consequences of European lawmaking to national, regional and local level. Therefore Europe's socialist family believes in the benefit of a European party of parties. At the same time the PES activates individual members to discuss EU politics and the PES vision for the New Social Europein their regional and local frame. Their experience should be reflected in our definition for a social and progressive EU.
In my eyes this is what we, as a European party, can offer citizens and we should promote such a statement in the next elections. Now I am looking forward for your comments and amendments!

Activismo Europeu

Carlos,
Obrigado pelas gratas palavras e pelas referências. De facto conheço o trabalho do Carlos Carnero, espanhol e europeista convicto, e de alguns dos activistas nuestros hernanos.
É, como imaginas, com algum orgulho que vejo o nosso trabalho recolhecido. Tenho, no entanto, que referir que não o considero de louvar. Estamos, ainda, no ínicio. Elogios só ao fim. Até lá, trabalho.