Newsletter

Piero Fassino: "The Name of the Socialist Group is Enlarged"

Date(s) the 28/10/2019

"On 28 October the Assembly of the Socialist Group of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe approved by a very large majority my proposal to adopt the name "Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats".

This decision allows us to give visibility to the plural character of our group. In fact, out of 193 Group members, 138 members belong to 31 socialist and social-democratic parties and 53 members of 43 progressive parties of different inspiration. Alongside the local elected socialists and social democrats, German, Dutch, Icelandic, French, Finnish and Swedish Greens sit in our group. There are representatives of democratic left parties such as the Greek Syriza, German Die Linke, Diko of Cyprus, Kurdish AHP and with them representatives of democratic-progressive parties from Central Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Ukraine and Russia.

In fact, we can say that local socialists have gathered around the Socialists on a broad front of parties of the democratic and progressive left and it is therefore right that the plural character of the Group should also be valued in the name.

It is a choice they have also made to the European Parliament where our Group is called "Socialists and Democrats" and to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe where our Group has adopted the name "Socialists, Greens and Democrats".

Joining all progressives is all the more important today in the face of the populist offensive that in many European countries undermines democracy and the rights of citizens. United to be stronger in defending local democracy and to win our values ??of democracy, solidarity, social justice, gender equality, sustainability.

I am sure that this unitary spirit motivates each of us to multiply our daily political commitment". Piero Fassino