About: social democrats Archives

A wave of opposition in Central Europe to so-called “gender ideology” has led Bulgaria on 15 February, and then Slovakia yesterday (22 February) to oppose ratifying the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The Czech centre-left Social Democrats opened talks on forming a government with last year's election winner ANO yesterday (21 February), aiming to break a deadlock that has prevented the formation of a majority coalition.

The Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) picked former parliament speaker Jan Hamáček as their chairman yesterday (18 February), bringing closer a possible breakthrough in forming a viable government.

Maria João Rodrigues, Portuguese MEP, and Vice President of the Social Democrats, joins EURACTIV Reporter, Brian Maguire, Over A Coffee.

Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said yesterday (17 July) his leftist-led government had scrapped a plan to tax companies' turnover.

Austria's main parties agreed to hold an early parliamentary election on 15 October, Chancellor Christian Kern said yesterday (16 May), in a vote that might bring the far-right Freedom Party into government.

In order to revive the European project, the progressive forces must have an ambitious vision that goes beyond an intergovernmental system and implements a genuine Community method, MEPs from the Progressive Caucus alliance write.

Europe's Socialists and Democrats hit out at conservative political parties across Europe and promised to end German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble’s policies. EURACTIV.com reports from Rome.

Germany's centre-left candidate for Chancellor, Martin Schulz, has criticised US President Donald Trump's policies as "un-American" and warned against lifting sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.

Macedonia's president on Monday (30 January) resumed the search for a new prime minister after the former premier failed to form a government, despite his party's narrow election victory.

Lithuania's Peasants and Greens Union said yesterday (9 November) it had agreed a deal with the Social Democrats to form a coalition that will focus on reducing inequality in a country where more than a fifth of the population lives below or close to the bread-line.

Croatia's government fell Thursday (17 June) after Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic lost a confidence vote in parliament, in a serious blow to the country's nationalist rulers after only five months in power.

Romania's leftist Social Democrats (PSD) won most votes in countrywide local elections yesterday (5 June), according to an exit poll, putting them in a strong position before a parliamentary election later this year.

The European Commission has sent a letter to the Danish government expressing concern that its new agriculture package is in breach of three environmental directives.

Austria's embattled chancellor was greeted yesterday (1 May) with loud boos as he addressed around 80,000 people in Vienna on May Day, a week after the government's disastrous defeat at the hands of the far-right in a presidential ballot.

Denmark's parliament yesterday (26 January) overwhelmingly voted in favour of reforms aimed at dissuading migrants from seeking asylum by delaying family reunifications and allowing authorities to seize valuables, under legislation that has sparked widespread condemnation.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) played the German card during the European elections, riding on the nationality of its top candidate Martin Schulz, who is primarily responsible for the SPD’s spike in votes, according to Michael Kaeding.

The European Union’s economic and financial challenges left the bloc in no doubt that its most populous member state is also its most politically powerful. On 22 September 2013, Germans will decide in a federal election whether that power remains within its current ruling conservative coalition led by incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), or whether to entrust it to the Social Democrats or a new coalition. In the run up to the elections, Europe has largely remained off the agenda.

Miloš Zeman, a leftist former prime minister seen as pro-European, won the Czech Republic's first direct presidential election on Saturday (26 January), marking a departure from Václav Klaus, the departing president who had pushed the country towards the margins of the European Union.

The French and German socialists are hoping to create a common front against the centre-right's current management of Europe and in particular of the euro crisis. To do so, they will have to overcome dramatically different national political traditions.  EURACTIV France contributed to this article.

All but one of Slovakia's MEPs are running for renewed mandates in the upcoming EU elections, but parties have opted to put better known national politicians at the head of the lists. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.

Leaders of centre-left parties from EU Member
States give unanimous endorsement to EU's plan to expand
eastwards