European Parliament elections 2009 (81): PES without vision and without tact

You know from previous posts that I like the way the Party of European Socialists (PES) has managed to develop a European campaign.

But when I see the open letter PES leader Poul Nyrup Rasmussen has written to "attack" the European Liberals and Democrats (ELDR) which start their European campaign today with an event in Brussels, I feel kind of lala.

The positions expressed in the letter may sound social democratic or socialist, but in general they sound rather anti-European and anti-EU.

This is what the European Socialists have to offer? Arguments against the European Union? Amazing. Where have they been over the last 20 years?

The letter doesn't present answers, and it is backwards looking, without much good reasoning. Jon Worth, a social democrat and European blogger, puts forward many good arguments against the propositions of Mr Rasmussen and I don't have much to add besides repeating that this letter sounds deeply anti-EU and is a huge minus for the European Socialists in my eyes. If ELDR campaign people are intelligent enough, that's an easy target...

And another issue regarding campaign strategies:

I have received the open letter in advance yesterday evening from the PES, together with other EU bloggers like Nosemonkey, Kosmopolit or Jon Worth. We were told that we would get this letter in advance exclusively because we were top 10 bloggers for the PES. Still, we were asked not to publish the letter before this morning and to keep an embargo because it would be published in some main(stream) media and would cause great interest.

It's "sweet" (quote from Nosemonkey on Twitter) to be among the top 10 bloggers, and I like to get background information directly from the source instead of living with hearsay. But to be treated like a campaign tool ("You may have exclusive information, but you may only publish them when we want to.") is not very pleasant. And this with a letter of this quality - a letter that didn't cause any great interest so far, at least I haven't seen anything.

If I am among the top bloggers for the PES, I would like to get the exclusive information that Mr Rasmussen will run against Barroso, that he stops beating about the bush, and to do what you expect for a true democratic campaign: To offer a choice to the citizens.

And if I may publish the information exclusively, why not with other bloggers, then I would feel privileged as a blogger. But more important: I would feel happy as an EU citizen - more happy than with a lame letter without good arguments!

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Under the category "European Parliament elections 2009" I am following up national and European activities on the path to the European Parliament elections 2009.

For an overview over all articles in this category have a look at the overview article.

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Rasmussen NATO Secretary General: The secret conditions

Yes, the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen will become NATO Secretary General.

His (secret) contract conditions will include the prohibition to look at any caricatures while being in office, especially those which harm the reputation of military personal of highest level or which attack militaristic dogmas and other idiotic world views promoted and worshipped (attention: worship, not warship) by NATO.

The Turkish government tried to get rid of these contract terms put in by Saint Obama but were duped by El Presidente Berlusconi (he did the same with the British Queen and the German Princess).

However, in exchange to these concessions, Turkey may now restrict the cultural freedom of Kurds, so far forbidden by Article 301 of the Turkish penal code.

PES leader Rasmussen against Barroso

From an interview with PES (European Socialists) leader Poul Nyrup Rasmussen - not to confuse with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen who has been proposed as NATO secretary general - in Le Monde (own translation):

What do you think about the socialist leaders who support Mr Barroso, like the British Prime Minister Brown or the Spanish, Mr Zapatero?

I speak in the name of the PES. Not in the name of national governments. One thing is sure: the PES will not support Mr Barroso. He is the candidate of the European People's Party (EPP). He will never represent the opinions of the socialist family, even though some social-democratic governments are supporting him, for national reasons. The last word will be for the [European] Parliament after the elections.

Sounds like a little conflict in the PES family!

Update (30 March): EUobserver has taken up the story.