Shaping the future for strengthening the progressive family
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Election of new Global Coordinator
40 parties from all continents participated in Brussels in PA board meeting on the invitation of the Party of European Socialists whose President Stefan Löfven welcomed the participants insisting on the alliance of progressives worldwide and inviting them to continue working better together.
PS Belgium President Paul Magnette presented in his statement the European Initiative to tax the rich and their windfall profits. Although the ECI being a European initiative for which the organisers will have to collect 1 million signatures in at least 7 countries, it shall be part of a larger fight for restructuring the global financial system.
Kevin Kühnert, SPD Secretary General sent a video message to congratulate PA for its 10th anniversary. Katarina Barley, PA board member for SPD, reiterated the commitment of her party to PA.
UNAMOS President Suyen Barahona thanked PA for the solidarity campaign during her 627 days in jail of Ortega/Murillo dictatorship and invited PA to continue to engage for the liberation of the political prisoners in Nicaragua.
For the S&D group Vice-President Nacho Amor enlarged the perspective of the European elections to its global importance around the issues of Peace, renewed multilateralism and democracy.
Global Coordinator Conny Reuter introduced the activity report referring to the challenges mentioned by Nacho Amor as they have been the leading thematic topics of PA in the last 3 years.
PA regional coordinators Esteban Paulón (The Americas), Marlon Cornelio (SocDem Asia/Pacific), Bonaventure Mbaya (Central Africa), Mustafa Benafaâr and Khelil Ezzaouia (Arab Socialdemocratic Forum) reported on the PA development in their respective regions.
The board acknowledged the activity reports. Peter Hug, PS Switzerland and PA auditor, presented the financial report. He insisted on strengthening PA by increasing the voluntary contributions and a legal status which would allow funding and access to international institutions. Following his proposal the board acknowledged the financial report and voted discharge of the Global Coordinator.
Machris Cabreros (Akbayan/Philippines) introduced her paper on “Progressive Politics in times of Global Change” targeting the major challenges of Inequality, Climate Change, the Digitalization Gap, Democratic Erosion, and the Return of War as an instrument in foreign policy. Her paper was very much welcomed by the discussants.
After introducing themselves Machris Cabreros and Sandro Liniger were unanimously elected as next Global Coordinator and Auditor.
Before closing the board meeting the following parties were accepted as new members:
– Pan-African Union for Social Democracy, UPADS (Republic of the Congo)
– Social Democratic Party of Kyrgystan
– Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS (Venezuela)
– Cambiemos (Venezuela)
– Avanzada Progresista (Venezuela)
Due to logistical constraints the outgoing Global Coordinator proposed to circulate the submitted resolutions for an online vote.
Before closing the meeting FATAH and PNI representatives invited the PA board to hold the next meeting in Palestine and Israel in the framework of a study mission on the situation in the region.
Conny Reuter closed the meeting by thanking technicians, staff and interpreters for their work and all participants for their real or virtual presence.
