Party foreign affairs spokespersons, MEPs, MPs and key representatives from the progressive political family convened via videoconference to discuss foreign policy, including EU-US-China relations as well as authoritarian attempts to undermine democracy during the coronavirus pandemic.
Chair of the network, and PvdA Member of the European Parliament, Kati Piri said:
“The world is facing an unprecedented challenge with the coronavirus. Progressives are pushing to make sure the EU lives up to the global role of champion of multilateralism it has set for itself.
“This international pandemic needs coordinated global solutions and the EU must play a central part. The ‘me first’ approach we have seen from leaders like Trump risk making the situation worse. Europe has a responsibility to find a route past US unilateralism and Chinese assertiveness, towards more global cooperation. This is the only way we can tackle an international crisis like this.
“A big part of this global response must be upholding our values. We cannot allow any government, inside or outside Europe, to use the health emergency as a pretext to deny citizens’ rights, reduce liberties or weaken democracy. Protecting health must not become a cover for centralising power, as we can see in Hungary or in Turkey.”
The Coronavirus pandemic is a multifaceted crisis with clear global implications. It is impacting the global economy, the social fabric of society, and the functioning of key state institutions. Across the world elections are being affected, parliamentary oversight is being undermined, and freedom of assembly, privacy, and movement is suspended. There has been censorship and backlashes against journalists who question how authorities have handled the crisis, and there is an increased risk of hate speech, violence against minorities, and domestic violence against women and girls. European socialists and democrats are coordinating with progressive forces across the world to stand up to these abuses wherever they take place.
The meeting was attended by:
Kati Piri, Chair of PES Foreign Affairs Network, Member of the PvdA, Netherlands, European Parliament
Maria João Rodrigues, FEPS President, Chair of the PES Financial and Economic Network
Andreas Schieder, Member of the European Parliament, SPO, Austria
Marie Arena, Member of the European Parliament, PS, Belgium
Erkki Tuomioja, Member of Parliament, Deputy chair of the committee of Foreign affairs in the Parliament, SDP, Finland
Udo Bullmann, Member of the European Parliament, SPD, Germany
Dietmar Köster, Member of the European Parliament, SPD, Germany
Javi López, Member of the European Parliament, PSOE, Spain
Nacho Sánchez Amor, Member of the European Parliament, PSOE, Spain
Evin Incir, Member of the European Parliament & SAP, Sweden International Secretary
Domagoj Hajduković, Member of Parliament & International Secretary, SDP, Croatia
Kostis Efstathiou, Member of Parliament, EDEK, Cyprus
Emanuele Fiano, Member of the Chamber of Deputies, PD, Italy
Chi Onwurah, Member of Parliament, Labour, UK
Fabian Molina, Member of Parliament PS, Switzerland
Kalina Panayotova, International Department, BSP, Bulgaria
Tero Shemeikka, International Secretary, SDP, Finland
Balázs Bárány, International Secretary, MSZP, Hungary
Luciano Vecchi, International Secretary, PD, Italy
David Kitching, International Secretary LP, Ireland
Lukas Vaigauskas, International Secretary, LSDP, Lithuania
Marc Vella Bonnici, International Secretary, LP, Malta
Jelena Mitrović, International Secretary SDP, Montenegro
Peter Hug, International Secretary PS, Switzerland
Mario Carera, Delegate, Member of PES Presidency PS, Switzerland
Konstantinos Foutzopoulos, Deputy EU Secretary Movement for Change, Greece
Ioannis Dalmas, EU Secretary Movement for Change, Greece
László Andor, Secretary General, FEPS
Marja Bijl, Vice-President, PES Women
Conny Reuter, Global Coordinator, Progressive Alliance
Dasa Sasic Silovic, Chair, International Board CEE Network for Gender Issues
Heida Bjorg Hilmisdottir, Vice President of Samfylkingin, SDA, Iceland
Erwin Van de Putte, Advisor on EU and International Affairs, sp.a, Belgium
Cyrille Cornerotte, Adviser PS, Belgium
Sebastien Gricourt, Senior research officer, PS, France
Jannis Jürgens, Policy Adviser for EU Affairs, SPD, Germany
Andrzej Szejna, Policy Adviser, SLD, Poland
Jure Tanko, Assistant to MEP Tanja Fajon SD, Slovenia
Boran Maricik, SDSM, Northern Macedonia
Francesco Carteri, Policy adviser, PES Group in the CoR
David Capezzuto, Assistant to MEP Kati Piri, PvdA, Netherlands
Eduardo Blanco Buzon, Policy adviser, S&D Group in the EP
Hedwig Giusto, Senior Policy Adviser on Migration, FEPS
Susanne Pfeil, Project Officer International Relations, FEPS
Giacomo Filibeck, Deputy Secretary General, PES
Armelle Weill, Adviser PES
Olenka Delanghe, Adviser on Asylum and Migration Policies PES
