European Socialists approve candidate and manifesto

The Party of European Socialists (PES) today elected Martin Schulz as their candidate to be the next President of the European Commission, while all parties voted for the European elections manifesto, which among others includes the introduction of the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT).

Despite the Maltese Labour government's opposition to FTT, the PES manifesto says "we will cap bankers' bonuses and will speed up the introduction of the Financial Transaction Tax that we have been supporting for years as a fair contribution of the financial sector to society."

Addressing the congress, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said European governments had a duty to create the right conditions for the private sector to grow and create quality jobs.

Insisting that progressive parties were capable of managing finances and the economy, Muscat said that strong economies are based on good financial management aimed at economic growth.

At the PES Election Congress in Rome, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the Partito Democratico, Schulz was backed by 91% of delegates. Yesterday, the membership application of the Italian Partito Democratico was accepted with unanimous backing.

In his acceptance speech to the Congress, Schulz issued a call to action to all the PES supporters across Europe, saying "I want to be the first President of the Commission who is not the result of a backroom deal in a Brussels office, but the result of a democratic vote.  There is only one deal I want and that is a deal with European voters."

Setting out his policy priorities, Schulz made clear that the social democrats will fight to get Europeans back to work. "As Commission President my first priority will be jobs, good jobs.  During the next five years, for every action we take in the EU, we must be able to answer a simple question: How will this help to create jobs?"

Schulz also spoke about the core values of social democracy, and the need for equal opportunities for all Europeans. "In five years, I want to say that we are closing the gender pay gap and more women are holding top jobs; because I want my daughter to have the same opportunities my son has."

Meanwhile, the PES approved its manifesto for the European elections. PES President Sergei Stanishev said "conservatives and liberals have made a big mess of managing Europe and the crisis. Every unemployed person knows it, every woman that has had her rights stripped away knows it and every youth whose future is in jeopardy knows it. Our job is to get the biggest turnout possible to make sure that finally, the conservatives know it too. With these ten key points to guide us and with Martin Schulz as our Common Candidate we will succeed"

The ten-point roadmap which was unanimously approved focuses on job creation, re-launching the economy through a smart re-industrialization programme focused on innovation, research and training and redressing attacks on public services such as health, education and housing and ensuring that economic freedoms do not outweigh social rights.

The PES also underlined the need to have a financial sector, which serves citizens and not banks and speculators while ensuring that equality is at the heart of European citizenship.