Berlin, 08/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) confirmed, on Tuesday in the German capital, the appointment of British Foreign Minister Robin Cook to the Party's leadership. Mr Cook was elected by 257 votes to 3 and 13 abstentions. The Congress also adopted a declaration by Berlin, which mainly insists on furthering European integration and on the modernisation and the strengthening of the EU's social and economic model. As far as external matters are concerned, the text affirms that the Union must take the lead in the fight against poverty through more equitable conditions for trade, debt reduction and direct aid. Concerning the future reform of the treaty, the PES takes a stance in favour of a broad and open debate on the aims of the EU, its structures and its decision-making processes and in favour of a short IGC that would follow a process like that of the Convention that drew up the draft Charter of Fundamental Rights and which would involve the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council, the national parliaments and the regional authorities. The text also urges for strengthening the Barcelona Process and for enhanced cooperation with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. "We want the EU to play a leading role in the protection of the environment, and in climate change in particular. We call on all countries, and especially the United States, to comply with the Kyoto Protocol", the PES also stresses. It supports "a new approach to agriculture to guarantee safer food" while preserving rural cohesion.
An initial and already very consensual text has been diluted still further to take into account the requests by British labour members. Thus, it now only mentions "review of the statute of the Charter of Fundamental Rights" although it did at the outset evoke the possibility of giving it a binding nature by annexing it to the treaty. In the face of Labour opposition, the French delegation did not manage to have a reference to the political union mentioned either or the strengthening of workers' rights or the adoption of the European directive on worker information and consultation.
Other texts adopted by the Congress include, in particular, a programme of activities for 2001-2004 which gives PES priorities as: - the construction of a Europe to the service of citizens; - enlargement; - the debate on the post-Nice process; - common security and defence policy; - food safety and agriculture (a working group has been set up); - sustainable development (a working group will be formed during the Gothenburg Summit and will give its conclusions at the PES Summit in Barcelona in spring 2002); - immigration policy; - the preparation of European elections in 2004. On this last point, Spanish national Enrique Baron told journalists he felt confident the Socialist Group would again become the leading EP group on this occasion.
Other declarations cover: (1) the trafficking of women and children: the PES calls for reinforced means to fight against such criminal activities, mainly in the context of the Stop and Daphné programmes; (2) a modern, pluralistic and tolerant Europe: the PES insists on the refusal of any alliance or cooperation with xenophobic parties or parties that incite racism; (3) Algeria: The PES condemns the recent violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in which 60 died and hundreds were injured; (4) the assassination of Manuel Jimenez Abad: the PES condemns this new murder by ETA terrorists and calls for an end to violence that prevents the free expression of public opinion.
Left wing calls for more democracy
The 70 signatories of the memorandum for a federal and social Europe (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.9) also sent an open letter to Robin Cook in which they call on him to "make the PES a democratic party". Reform, that they recommend with the Club of the European Social Republic mainly comprises: - the election of delegates by the congresses of the parties that belong to the PES; - the right for member parties and for delegates to submit resolutions to the vote; and the election of the whole PES leadership by Congress.
During a press conference, the French Secretary of State for Housing, Marie-Noëlle Lienemann, deplored the fact that debates within the PES were reduced to their most simple expression. "There is no European Socialist Party", added the PS deputy at the National Assembly, Henri Emmanuelli, who pointed out that this first text supported by the members of several delegations "has greatly troubled the PES leadership". Greek MEP Ioannis Koukiadis, who wondered with what point on the socialist manifesto the EPP could be in disagreement, felt "the liberalism of the PES is leading it to its ruin". Belgian national Jean Maurice Dehousse found it shocking that the outgoing president should welcome the incoming president before the new president is even elected. The French Socialist delegation showed
its dissatisfaction over the content of the Berlin declaration stressing its lack of ambition: Four representatives voted for, 3 against and one abstained. "We would have preferred a more federalist president", said one member of the delegation although he did stress Robin Cook's personal qualities (the French left delegation abstained during the vote). Out of the eight votes from the Belgian delegation, one abstention symbolised a challenge to the current way the PES president is designated.
Giorgio Napolitano (Democratici di Sinistra) also criticised the weaknesses of the declaration and urged for "more open procedures for debate". Some members of the Italian delegation are expected to abstain during the vote on the declaration "not to disassociate themselves from what is written but to stress what is not written", he said.
In response to criticism, Mr Scharping said he was able to share the concerns regarding democratisation of the PES. He went on to say, however: "I have followed several congresses of national parties and I am not sure that there are very great differences even when it comes to electing leaders". "During this congress, we have already made real progress by organising round tables", while some leaders would no doubt have preferred to have us just listen to speeches, said Mr Scharping. He felt that "one should not hope to change at European level what one is not able to change at national level".
Debate: some participants press for a constitution
The debate on Tuesday morning allowed those at the Congress to express much of what was left unsaid in the Berlin Declaration. Giorgio Napolitano stressed that enlargement will modify the Union to such an extent that it will necessarily be accompanied by the reshaping of its foundations, for which the constitution could become the symbol. He said Member States should not fear a constitution that only clarifies their own powers. The Spanish president of the EP Socialist group, Enrique Baron, urged for a constitution of which the Charter of Fundamental Rights would be the opening section. "You never fall in love with institutional architecture", said French PS First Secretary François Hollande, who called for a "true political project". The Belgian PS president, Elio Di Rupo, deplored the "lack of political vision within the PES, where it is almost impossible to find common solutions". He took a stance in favour of a constitution and integration of the Charter in the Treaty.
Commissioner Günter Verheugen said that the "EU wanted enlargement" and must now assume it. He criticised the "pettiness" shown by Member States who are unable to adopt a Community position in these negotiations and the manoeuvring of some countries to link negotiations to demands concerning agricultural policy or structural funds. Mr Verheugen said, moreover, that he was opposed to review of Agenda 2000. German Finance Minister Hans Eichel was also highly critical of the attempts, during accession negotiations, to make "packages" and said that all current Member States must accept sacrifices, including those that have so far been the main beneficiaries of the Cohesion Fund. Drawing a parallel with German reunification, Mr Eichel considered that the same mistakes must not be made again by doing away with borders before the economies of the new Member States are able to hold out in terms of competitiveness.
Speaking before a group of journalists, François Hollande said that he understood the request for PES democratisation. Today, one must "fight to obtain the freedom to vote for members of the delegations and make extravagant diplomatic efforts to present an amendment", he noted, while recalling for his part also that Mr Cook's appointment as PES leader is a compensation obtained by Tony Blair following Pauline Green's replacement by Enrique Baron at the head of the PES group at the EP. He said, however, that he felt confident about Robin Cook's "dynamism".
Jospin still refuses to comment on Schröder's proposals
During a joint press conference with Mr Schröder and Mr Scharping, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin affirmed that the "PES is the most coherent force within the European Union" and that it "develops its proposals democratically". In answer to the proposals by Mr Schröder on the future of Europe, he said that the text of the SPD is a contribution to the debate on the future of Europe that must result towards 2004. "We have time", he said, while denying any "embarrassment" on this subject. A little later, he added that the SPD's text only comprises two pages on institutional issues and that "all the rest is on other subjects on which we can have a very similar position".