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The European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity was founded in January 1993 by the social democratic parties and political foundations from EU countries. The European Forum is dedicated to support the transformation and democratisation processes in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe. By serving as a platform for co-operation between social democratic parties, organisations and personalities it aims to contribute to the development of (social-) democracy. Within the European Forum 12 social democratic foundations and 20 social democratic parties play an active role.
News
Pro-European coalition wins Serbian elections
Tue 13 May 2008
Parliamentary elections in Serbia, held on 11 May, were won by the pro-European coalition led by the Democratic Party (DS) of President Boris Tadic. The elections were called after the governing coalition of DS and Prime Minister Vojistav Kostunica’s Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) collapsed early March due to differences over Serbia’s course towards European integration. DSS argued against further ties with the EU now that most member states have recognized Kosovo’s independence, whereas the DS, which also was against Kosovo independence, does not think this issue should influence Serbia’s European integration. This remained one of the biggest themes during the campaign period leading up to the elections, and led many to see the elections as a referendum on Serbia’s future path – towards EU integration, or towards isolation and enhanced ties with Russia. [more] |
Dmitry Medvedev inaugurated as Russia’s new president, Vladimir Putin new prime minister
Thu 08 May 2008
At a Kremlin ceremony on 7 May, Russia’s former president Vladimir Putin formally stepped down and Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as his successor. Dmitry Medvedev won the 3 March presidential elections, in which he was actively supported by Putin who had named him his preferred successor. [more] |
EU to sign Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia
Tue 29 Apr 2008
On 29 April, EU foreign ministers decided to allow Serbia to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, initialled in November 2007. Up until now, signing of the agreement had been blocked by the Netherlands and Belgium, which demanded Belgrade to complete its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal before the document was being signed. [more] |
Country Updates
Morocco Update
(last update: Thu 08 May 2008)The parliamentary elections of September 2007 were the most democratic and orderly ran elections in the history of Morocco, analysts stated afterwards. The government and the parties had put much effort in the election campaign in order to make the Moroccan electorate enthusiastic for the coming elections. However, the turnout of only 37% on the election day was a huge disappointment.
Jordan Update
(last update: Tue 29 Apr 2008)The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan holds a strategic location in the Middle East, sharing borders with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Israel and the West Bank. Since Hussein bin Talal became King of Jordan in 1952 democratic institutions were introduced. After his death in 1999, Hussein’s oldest son, Abdullah, succeeded the throne. In his position as Chief of State, Abdullah has followed a policy of continuing his father's paternalistic style of rule from a moderate, pro-West political viewpoint, claiming to gradually evolve the political landscape in Jordan from an autocratic state into a democracy with political pluralism. However, this notion is fiercely contested by the opposition, which regards the king’s policies as anti-democratic. Especially in the light of the newly amended political parties law, raising the barriers to establish political parties, and the still expected electoral law, which was supposed to be finished even before the 2007 elections, the opposition speaks of a deteriorating political situation. Moreover, the extensive history of clans and tribes hinders the democratisation process at large.
Syrian Arab Republic
(last update: Fri 18 Apr 2008)INTRODUCTION The Syrian Arab Republic is a country in the Middle East bordering Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Israel. Officially, Syria is a parliamentary republic, but in reality it is an authoritarian regime, whereby the power is in the hands of the President Bashar Al-Assad and the ruling Baath Party. Political opposition is harshly suppressed. In December 2007, the Syrian government has detained at least 12 activists who attended a meeting of opposition groups in Damascus.
Activities
Energy & Environment policy: between power politics and alternative power sources
Sat 01 Dec 2007
On 1 December 2007, the European Forum organized a conference on 'Energy & Environment policy: between power politics and alternative power sources' in Kyiv, Ukraine. The conference focused on two interlinked challenges for Europe: energy security and climate change. The PES resolution of December 2006 stated that it is high time to commit to ambitious targets regarding energy and climate, since high energy prices and the evident consequences of the changing climate underline the urgency of a new energy strategy for Europe and the planet. This conference aimed to facilitate setting the social democratic energy and climate agenda.
European Neighbourhood Policy at Work
Tue 27 Nov 2007
The parliamentary elections of September 2007 were the most democratic and orderly ran elections in the history of Morocco, analysts stated afterwards. The government and the parties had put much effort in the election campaign in order to make the Moroccan electorate enthusiastic for the coming elections. However, the turnout of only 37% on the election day was a huge disappointment. During the 1990s and since King Mohamed VI came to power, following his father’s death in 1999, the democratic perspectives for the future of the Kingdom of Morocco improved. Already, gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997. Parliamentary elections were held for the second time in September 2002. The elections of 2007 could be seen, despite the low turnout, as a new step towards full democracy now the leader of the biggest party in parliament, Abbas El Fassi of the Istiqlal-party, has been appointed by the King as Prime Minister of the new government. Morocco however still has a number of human rights’ issues to resolve, and the international border issue with the Polisario Front over the territory of Western Sahara remains unsettled. Since the accession of Spain to the European Economic Community (now EU) in 1986, Morocco is one of the neighbours of the EU. To strengthen the relationship with these neighbours, the EU signed the Association Agreement with Morocco in 1996 and has developed (since March 2003) the European Neighbourhood Policy, in which Morocco participates. The European Forum has been organising Wider Europe conferences in Ukraine in 2003, in Moldova in 2004, in Georgia in 2005 and in Russia in 2006. This is the first conference to focus on the Southern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
