Today there are 226 days* to go until the polling stations across Europe open for the European Parliament Election 2014.

We will enter the election campaign as a united, coherent and modern political family. In order to reach this goal we took a historic decision to bring the European democracy a giant step forward in 2009.

Four years ago, the PES congress decided that we should propose one common candidate for the position of European Commission President in 2014. Ever since the resolution was adopted, PES member parties have been working with PES treasurer Ruairi Quinn on the drafting of a process to select our common candidate. Resulting in the adoption of a competitive, flexible, democratic and transparent process, designed for one or more candidates competing for the member parties vote. On 1 October the nomination process opened and will close on 31 October.

The PES presidency on 6 November will formally announce the nominated candidates. The results of the votes of member parties and organizations will be aggregated at the PES Congress, where one common PES candidate will be elected. Exciting times ahead.

Our political family is the only one that can genuinely combine cutting edge online campaign and real grassroots engagement. This website is an illustration of that. Our victory lies in us being able to mobilise our sympathisers to come to the polls next 22-25 May. In 2009 the average turnout for the European election was 43% but thanks to your great efforts, we are reaching into the heart of communities all across Europe, telling people face to face why Europe needs a new direction, and why their vote counts. With your help we can increase our turnout and make Europe start working for the people.

Please check out all our new features including specific pages dedicated to your Member Partyhttp://www.pes.eu/your_party and information on campaign events taking place close to youhttp://www.pes.eu/our_events . And we will of course let you know when Martin is coming to your country or region.

We will launch a special mobile app next week so that when you are out door-to-door canvassing, you can register all the contacts you make. We will even have a leaderboard on our ‘your party’ section so that the hardest working canvasser will be there for all to see!

My last word for now is this; thanks to the PES team we have this great new tool, but it can only really work with your help and dedication . So far, with your knock the vote’ efforts, you have made the PES proud. Now, for the next 5 weeks, let’s use pes.eu together to make Europe proud. Good luck to you all on the campaign trail. Talk to you soon, Sergei.

First of all I would like to thank all who took part in the European elections between 22 and 25 May. To our voters: thanks for your support and for your trust. Our representatives will do their utmost during these 5 years to work towards a new Europe.

I would also like to thank all our member parties, their candidates, our 30.000 activists and the PES team for their dedication and energy. And last, but not least a special thanks to our common candidate Martin Schulz. He has been campaigning tireless throughout Europe to promote and defend our social democratic beliefs, our values and our agenda. As a true European! The PES campaign has been the most visible campaign of all European political parties thanks to you.

These elections have been historic. For the first time we were able to build a stronger European campaign with our member parties in the lead. For the first time 4 other European political parties followed our initiative, to campaign around a common candidate. This is an important step towards more democracy in Europe. This also was the first election since the European Parliament was first elected in 1979 in which the trend of an ever lower participation of voters has been reversed.

Although some of our member parties have lost seats and some have won, altogether we were able to stabilise as a European political family. Unlike the conservatives, liberals and greens who all had to face considerable losses. However, fact remains that although the EPP is weakened, the EPP won and we became second.

I would like to put the spotlight on the PD in Italy. This member party achieved a historical victory. 40% of the Italian voters supported PD, a result that hadn’t been achieved by any party since the 1950’s. Of course, I was very happy of the results obtained by PSD Romania, the Maltese Labour Party, the PS in Portugal, by our Swedish member party SAP and by the one obtained by SPD in Germany.

During the weeks to come Brussels will be engaged in the negotiations on the new commission and the roles in the European Parliament. It will be for us of utmost importance to ensure that the negotiations for changing EU policies will follow our defining text, the PES Manifesto, and our common policies. I believe that the only possible commission president – for the sake of European democracy – will be one of the common candidates.

Most important is that we are – after these elections – in a strong position to continue our fight for a Europe with more jobs, more growth and more democracy. Let’s continue this fight together.

Best regards,
Sergei Stanishev

First of all I would like to thank all who took part in the European elections between 22 and 25 May. To our voters: thanks for your support and for your trust. Our representatives will do their utmost during these 5 years to work towards a new Europe.

I would also like to thank all our member parties, their candidates, our 30.000 activists and the PES team for their dedication and energy. And last, but not least a special thanks to our common candidate Martin Schulz. He has been campaigning tireless throughout Europe to promote and defend our social democratic beliefs, our values and our agenda. As a true European! The PES campaign has been the most visible campaign of all European political parties thanks to you.

These elections have been historic. For the first time we were able to build a stronger European campaign with our member parties in the lead. For the first time 4 other European political parties followed our initiative, to campaign around a common candidate. This is an important step towards more democracy in Europe. This also was the first election since the European Parliament was first elected in 1979 in which the trend of an ever lower participation of voters has been reversed.

Although some of our member parties have lost seats and some have won, altogether we were able to stabilise as a European political family. Unlike the conservatives, liberals and greens who all had to face considerable losses. However, fact remains that although the EPP is weakened, the EPP won and we became second.

I would like to put the spotlight on the PD in Italy. This member party achieved a historical victory. 40% of the Italian voters supported PD, a result that hadn’t been achieved by any party since the 1950’s. Of course, I was very happy of the results obtained by PSD Romania, the Maltese Labour Party, the PS in Portugal, by our Swedish member party SAP and by the one obtained by SPD in Germany.

During the weeks to come Brussels will be engaged in the negotiations on the new commission and the roles in the European Parliament. It will be for us of utmost importance to ensure that the negotiations for changing EU policies will follow our defining text, the PES Manifesto, and our common policies. I believe that the only possible commission president – for the sake of European democracy – will be one of the common candidates.

Most important is that we are – after these elections – in a strong position to continue our fight for a Europe with more jobs, more growth and more democracy. Let’s continue this fight together.

Best regards,
Sergei Stanishev

First of all I would like to thank all who took part in the European elections between 22 and 25 May. To our voters: thanks for your support and for your trust. Our representatives will do their utmost during these 5 years to work towards a new Europe.

I would also like to thank all our member parties, their candidates, our 30.000 activists and the PES team for their dedication and energy. And last, but not least a special thanks to our common candidate Martin Schulz. He has been campaigning tireless throughout Europe to promote and defend our social democratic beliefs, our values and our agenda. As a true European! The PES campaign has been the most visible campaign of all European political parties thanks to you.

These elections have been historic. For the first time we were able to build a stronger European campaign with our member parties in the lead. For the first time 4 other European political parties followed our initiative, to campaign around a common candidate. This is an important step towards more democracy in Europe. This also was the first election since the European Parliament was first elected in 1979 in which the trend of an ever lower participation of voters has been reversed.

Although some of our member parties have lost seats and some have won, altogether we were able to stabilise as a European political family. Unlike the conservatives, liberals and greens who all had to face considerable losses. However, fact remains that although the EPP is weakened, the EPP won and we became second.

I would like to put the spotlight on the PD in Italy. This member party achieved a historical victory. 40% of the Italian voters supported PD, a result that hadn’t been achieved by any party since the 1950’s. Of course, I was very happy of the results obtained by PSD Romania, the Maltese Labour Party, the PS in Portugal, by our Swedish member party SAP and by the one obtained by SPD in Germany.

During the weeks to come Brussels will be engaged in the negotiations on the new commission and the roles in the European Parliament. It will be for us of utmost importance to ensure that the negotiations for changing EU policies will follow our defining text, the PES Manifesto, and our common policies. I believe that the only possible commission president – for the sake of European democracy – will be one of the common candidates.

Most important is that we are – after these elections – in a strong position to continue our fight for a Europe with more jobs, more growth and more democracy. Let’s continue this fight together.

Best regards,
Sergei Stanishev

First of all I would like to thank all who took part in the European elections between 22 and 25 May. To our voters: thanks for your support and for your trust. Our representatives will do their utmost during these 5 years to work towards a new Europe.

I would also like to thank all our member parties, their candidates, our 30.000 activists and the PES team for their dedication and energy. And last, but not least a special thanks to our common candidate Martin Schulz. He has been campaigning tireless throughout Europe to promote and defend our social democratic beliefs, our values and our agenda. As a true European! The PES campaign has been the most visible campaign of all European political parties thanks to you.

These elections have been historic. For the first time we were able to build a stronger European campaign with our member parties in the lead. For the first time 4 other European political parties followed our initiative, to campaign around a common candidate. This is an important step towards more democracy in Europe. This also was the first election since the European Parliament was first elected in 1979 in which the trend of an ever lower participation of voters has been reversed.

Although some of our member parties have lost seats and some have won, altogether we were able to stabilise as a European political family. Unlike the conservatives, liberals and greens who all had to face considerable losses. However, fact remains that although the EPP is weakened, the EPP won and we became second.

I would like to put the spotlight on the PD in Italy. This member party achieved a historical victory. 40% of the Italian voters supported PD, a result that hadn’t been achieved by any party since the 1950’s. Of course, I was very happy of the results obtained by PSD Romania, the Maltese Labour Party, the PS in Portugal, by our Swedish member party SAP and by the one obtained by SPD in Germany.

During the weeks to come Brussels will be engaged in the negotiations on the new commission and the roles in the European Parliament. It will be for us of utmost importance to ensure that the negotiations for changing EU policies will follow our defining text, the PES Manifesto, and our common policies. I believe that the only possible commission president – for the sake of European democracy – will be one of the common candidates.

Most important is that we are – after these elections – in a strong position to continue our fight for a Europe with more jobs, more growth and more democracy. Let’s continue this fight together.

Best regards,
Sergei Stanishev