By Alex Smith / alexsmith1982
CORRECTION: With regard to the below, the Party of European Socialists have contacted me to reassure readers that it is not the party itself that is changing its name; rather, it is the affiliate group in the European Parliament that has altered to accomodate the 21 MEPs from the Italian Democratic Party. Apologies for publishing the email from the CE Steering Committee, and I will be in touch with them to make them aware of their error.
It’s like a bad dream that just keeps coming back to haunt you again and again, no matter what you try and do to stave it off. It’s that anxious feeling that what you’re doing for a cause is constantly being ignored – in spite of warm words words such as “listening”, “changing” and “responding” that would suggest the contrary – by the people at the top of the organisation whose heads are so involved in top-down projection of what is deemed their project that they neglect to act on the needs or requests of the people who put them there.
I’m talking about the email I received today which shows a lot of attractive repositioning and movement building a the top of the fomerly named Party of European Socialists, but that simultaneously shows a willful lack of communication with the grassroots. The email is reproduced in full below:
Dear friends,
It’s come to my attention that the Party of European Socialists is set to change its name.
The reason for this, is that some of the Italian contingent from the Democratic Party of Italy in the European Parliament, do not like the use of the term “socialist” as it doesn’t sound moderate enough. And to accommodate this group, the PES is going be called something like “Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and Fluffy-Wuffy Bunnies” … OK, I made the last bit up.
So the brand which Mr Rasmusson and his team have been working so hard to build is to be changed. But the issues run deeper than that.
There is a membership group, called PES Activists – to provide a way for ordinary members to express their opinions. I’ve been very keen on PES Activists, but it’s never been clear what power, if any, lies with being a PES Activist. It appears PES Activists are not being asked about this change. Is this making a mockery of any scraps of democratic involvement?
It seems that the ideas we believe in are to be diluted – on the cheap – to accommodate a group of liberal MEPs from Italy.
In my opinion, the change calls into question the whole concept of PES as something around which members of EU parties can unite. It also illustrates the confusion that now lies at the core of European social democracy. What are we here for, and what do we stand for? If we cannot explain that, simply, we stand for an ethical and socialist future, why should we bother ?
From a European Parliament perspective the change might make sense. But all this illustrates the divide between the politicians who claim to represent working people and socialist ideals, and everyone else.
Co-operation between the EU socialist parties is vital – but this doesn’t have to involve an overly bureaucratic or opportunistic approach. Our next online meeting will be focussing on the initiative “Building The Good Society” which is becoming a trilateral co-operation between British Labour, German SPD and Hungarian SZDP supporters. I hope everyone can join in this initiative, and begin setting the basis for a genuine renewal of grassroots social democracy across Europe.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
CE Labour steering committee
My anger at this news is not the name change per se – I approve of consensus building. Besides, few of the MEPs in the former PES are socialists at all. Rather, it is the seeming disregard with which the groups that purport to represent ordinary working people – and which many thousands of others fight for based on the values of social justice and equality for all – show to their membership. It is also another way in which some of our centre-left institutions are concentrating as much on the semantics as on policy.
If anyone else feels the same way, get in touch via [email protected] and I will pass your messages on to the Central Europe Labour steering committee.
More from LabourList
Exclusive: Poll shows Starmer more trusted than PM on Middle East crisis
Revealed: Poll shows 1 in 4 Tory voters says Rayner faces ‘smear campaign’
‘Ignore the noise – the soft left is alive and well in Open Labour and beyond’