Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats | |
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European parliamentary group | |
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Name | Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats |
English abbr. |
S&D[1] (23 June 2009 to present) |
French abbr. |
S&D[6] (23 June 2009 to present) |
Formal name |
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament[1] (23 June 2009 to present) |
Ideology | Social democracy[11][12] Pro-Europeanism |
European parties | Party of European Socialists |
Associated organisations | Progressive Alliance |
From | 23 June 1953[3] |
To | Present |
Chaired by | Gianni Pittella |
MEP(s) |
187 / 751
|
Website | http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/ |
The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D[1]) is the political group in the European Parliament of the Party of European Socialists (PES).[13] The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats was officially founded as a Socialist Group on 29 June 1953 which makes it the second oldest political groups in the European Parliament after ALDE. It adopted its present-day name on 23 June 2009.[14] Centre-left in orientation,[15] the group mostly comprises social-democratic parties, and is affiliated to the Progressive Alliance.
Until the 1999 European Parliament elections it was the largest group in the Parliament, but since those elections it has constantly been the second-largest group. During the 8th EU Parliament Assembly, the S&D is the only Parliament group with representation from all 28 EU member states.
In the European Council, 8 out of 28 Heads of State and Government belong to the S&D Group and in the European Commission, 8 out of 28 Commissioners come from PES parties.
European Union |
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Policies and issues
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Contents
History[edit]
The Socialist Group was one of the first three groups to be created when it was founded on 23 June 1953[3][16] in the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community. The Common Assembly was the predecessor of the European Parliament. A group bureau and secretariat was established in Luxembourg. The group continued through the creation of the appointed Parliament in 1958 and, when the Parliament became an elected body in 1979 following the first European election, the group became the largest in terms of returned MEPs.
In 1987, the Single European Act came into force and the group began co-operation with the European People's Party (EPP) to secure the majorities needed under the cooperation procedure.[17] The left–right coalition between the Socialists and EPP has dominated the Parliament since then[18] and (with some exceptions[19]) the post of President of the Parliament has been split between the two groups ever since.
Meanwhile, the national parties making up the group were also organising themselves on a European level outside the Parliament, creating the Confederation of Socialist Parties of the European Community in 1974.[4][5][20] The Confederation was succeeded by the Party of European Socialists (PES), in 1992.[4][20] As a result, the parliamentary group was renamed the Group of the Party of European Socialists on 21 April 1993.[3]
In 1999, the Parliament refused to approve the Santer Commission's handling of the EU budget. Allegations of corruption centred on two PES Commissioners, Édith Cresson and Manuel Marín. The group initially supported the Commission but later withdrew their support, forcing the Commission to resign.[21]
The group was renamed again to the Socialist Group in the European Parliament[7] on 20 July 2004[3] and was given a different logo, to further distinguish the PES group organisation from the PES European political party.
In 2007, the Socialist Group was the second largest group in Parliament, with MEPs from all but two member states, Latvia and Cyprus.[22] However, the 2009 European election saw a reduction in the number of PES MEPs returned from 2004. The group sought additional members in the Democratic Party of Italy, which was not affiliated to the PES in 2009.[23][24] By the conclusion of the 2004-2009 parliamentary term, the Democratic Party had 8 MEPs in the Socialist Group (coming from Democrats of the Left), but also had 8 MEPs in ALDE Group (coming from The Daisy). The Democratic Party is a big tent centre-left party, strongly influenced by social democracy and the Christian left, and had MEPs who were former Christian Democrats or had other political views.[25] So a new and more inclusive group name had to be found.
The group was going to be named Alliance of Socialists and Democrats for Europe (ASDE) but this was seemed too similar to Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).[26] The name Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats was suggested on 18 June by group president Martin Schulz[27] and it was renamed on 23 June 2009.[14] The English abbreviation was initially unclear, being variously reported as PASD[28] or S&D Group[29] or PASDE.[30][31] Dissatisfaction by Socialist MEPs towards the new name led Martin Schulz to admit that the name was still under consideration and that the group was to be referred to as the 'Socialists and Democrats' until a final title was chosen.[32] On 14 July 2009, the first day of the constitutive session of the 2009-2014 term, the full formal group name was Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament[1] and the abbreviation was S&D.[1]
The S&D Group joined the Progressive Alliance upon its official foundation on 22 May 2013[33] and is a member of the organisation's board.[34] The group was formerly an Associated Organisation of the Socialist International.[35]
Presidents of the European Parliament[edit]
For Presidents of the European Parliament from the group, see President of the European Parliament.
Organisation[edit]
The group is led by a President and a Bureau of Vice-Presidents. There is also a Treasurer and a Secretary General.[36]
Presidents of the Group[edit]
Presidents of the Group include:[37]
Vice-Presidents[edit]
Current Vice-Presidents of the group appointed at the start of the current legislature in 2014 [39]
Victor Boştinaru (Romania),
Tanja Fajon (Slovenia),
Isabelle Thomas (France),
Enrique Guerrero Salom (Spain),
Marju Lauristin (Estonia),
Jörg Leichtfried (Austria),
Knut Fleckenstein (Germany),
Maria João Rodrigues (Portugal),
Kathleen Van Brempt (Belgium),
Péter Niedermüller (Hungary)
Previous Vice-Presidents of the group appoited at the start of the 2009 legislature:[40]
- María Badía i Cutchet (PSOE, Spain) – Communication Policy and Public Relations
- Monika Beňová (Smer, Slovakia) – Europe of the Citizens
- Véronique De Keyser (PS, Belgium) – Human Rights, Development and International Trade
- Stephen Hughes (Labour, United Kingdom) – Economy and Social Policy
- Stéphane Le Foll (PS, France) – Budget and Territorial Cohesion
- Adrian Severin (PSD, Romania) – Foreign Policy and Defence
- Gianluca Susta (PD, Italy) – Agriculture and Fisheries
- Hannes Swoboda (SPÖ, Austria) – Parliamentary Affairs and Relations with International Organisations
- Marita Ulvskog (SAP, Sweden) – Sustainable Development and Competition
Previous Vice-Presidents of the group for the 2004-2009 term were as follows:
- Harlem Désir (PS, France)[36]
- Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop (PSOE, Spain)[36]
- Robert Goebbels (LSAP, Luxembourg)[36]
- Linda McAvan (Labour Party, UK)[36]
- Pasqualina Napolitano (Sinistra Democratica, Italy)[36]
- Hannes Swoboda (SPÖ, Austria)[36]
- Kristian Vigenin (BSP, Bulgaria)[36]
- Jan Marinus Wiersma (PvdA, Netherlands)[36]
Treasurers[edit]
Current/previous Treasurers of the group are as follows:
- Magda Kósáné Kovács (Hungary, MSZP)[36]
Secretaries General[edit]
Current/previous Secretaries General of the group are as follows:
- Manfred Michel (West Germany)c1970-c1985
- Paolo Falcone (Italy)c1986-1989
- Julian Priestley (UK)1989-1994
- Joan Prat (Spain)1994-1999 (Deputy Sec Gen Richard Corbett UK)
- Christine Verger (France)1999-2004
- David Harley (UK)2004-2006
- Anna Colombo (Italy)[36] since 2006
MEPs[edit]
MEPs from the following parties sit in the group:[41]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Seats by political group in each Member State: definitive results at 14 July 2009 at 09:00 CEST", 14 July 2009, from http://www.elections2009-results.eu/
- ^ a b c "Democracy in the European Parliament" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "PES on Europe Politique". Europe-politique.eu. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Confederation of the Socialist Parties of the European Community Collection". Iisg.nl. 2005-12-07. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ a b c d e "Political Groups of the European Parliament". Kas.de. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "Sièges par groupe politique dans chaque État membre 14 juillet 2009 à 09:00 CEST", 14 July 2009, from http://www.elections2009-results.eu
- ^ a b c "Political Groups Annual Accounts 2001-2006". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "European Parliament profile of Martin Schulz". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "European Parliament profile of Pauline Green". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "European Parliament profile of Ernest Glinne". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ Parties and Elections in Europe: The database about parliamentary elections and political parties in Europe, by Wolfram Nordsieck
- ^ Marie-Claire Considère-Charondu (2010). "Irish MEPS in an Enlarged Europe". In Christophe Gillissen. Ireland: Looking East. Peter Lang. p. 157. ISBN 978-90-5201-652-8. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ Tapio Raunio (2012). "Political Interests: The European Parliament's Party Groups". In John Peterson; Michael Shackleton. The Institutions of the European Union. Oxford University Press. p. 340. ISBN 978-0-19-957498-8. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- ^ a b "European socialists change name to accommodate Italian lawmakers" from http://www.monstersandcritics.com
- ^ Andreas Staab (2011). The European Union Explained, Second Edition: Institutions, Actors, Global Impact. Indiana University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-253-00164-1. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ^ "Organisation - History - The Socialist Group in The European Parliament". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "EPP-ED Chronology - 1981-1990". EPP-ED Group website. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
- ^ Settembri, Pierpaolo (2007-02-02). "Is the European Parliament competitive or consensual ... "and why bother"?" (PDF). Federal Trust. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^ "Interview: Graham Watson, leader of group of Liberal Democrat MEPs". Euractiv. 2004-06-15. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
- ^ a b How does the PES work? Archived January 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Ringer, Nils F. (February 2003). "The Santer Commission Resignation Crisis" (PDF). University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^ "MEPs by Member State and political group – sixth parliamentary term". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-11-07.
- ^ Taylor, Simon. "New alliance emerges in European Parliament | Policies | EU governance | Parliament". European Voice. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090618021225/http://www.agi.it/politica/notizie/200906111208-pol-rt11086-pd_franceschini_da_pse_ok_alleanza_socialisti_e_democratici. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2016. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ^ "Italiani All'Estero - Parlamento Europeo - Il Pd Nell'Asde (Alleanza Dei Socialisti E Dei Democratici). Il Cammino E' Cominciato Anche In Europa" / News / Italian Network". Italiannetwork.it. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ Julien Frisch (2009-06-17). "Julien Frisch: PES not to become ASDE?". Julienfrisch.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "Schulz: «Sì dei socialisti europei al gruppo parlamentare Pse-Pd". Il Sole 24 ORE. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "http://www.roumanie.com/romania-news-1001426.html". Roumanie.com. Retrieved 2010-06-18. External link in
|title=
(help) - ^ "News - Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament". Socialistgroup.eu:80. 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "Euro MPs build new alliances". BBC News. 2009-07-02. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "http://www.euractiv.com/en/eu-elections/european-parliament-groups-elect-leaders/article-183450". Euractiv.com. Retrieved 2010-06-18. External link in
|title=
(help) - ^ "Socialists bid to grab key Commission portfolios | EU - European Information on EU Treaty & Institutions". EurActiv.com. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gpes/public/detail.htm?id=138237§ion=NER&category=NEWS&startpos=&topicid=&request_locale=EN. Retrieved May 22, 2013. Missing or empty
|title=
(help)[dead link] - ^ "Progressive Alliance Board" (PDF).
- ^ Progressive Politics For A Fairer World. Socialist International. Retrieved on 2013-08-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Presentation". Socialist Group website. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
- ^ "History". Socialist Group website. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
- ^ http://www.fes.de/archiv/adsd_neu/inhalt/nachlass/nachlass_f/fellermaier-lu.htm
- ^ "News - Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament". Socialistgroup.eu:80. 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
- ^ "News - Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament". Socialistgroup.eu:80. 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "PES Members". PES website. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
- ^ On 14 October 2007 the Democrats of the Left merged with Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy to form the Democratic Party. A minority of Democrats of the Left MEPs did not join the Democratic Party and sat in the PES group affiliated with Democratic Left.
- ^ The party became the Italian Socialist Party in October 2007. The Italian Socialist Party had 4 MEPs for the remainder of the 2004-2009, the additional two from Socialists United for Europe, formerly Non-Inscrits.
External links[edit]
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