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ECOSY Bureau Meeting

Brussels, Belgium 26th 28th November 2010Organized thanks to the hospitality of ANIMO and MJS Belgium

RESOLUTIONS AND DECLARATIONS


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ECOSY Young European Socialistswww.ecosy.org

ECOSY Bureau MeetingResolutions and Declarations

Held thanks to hospitality of Animo and MJS BelgiumIn Brussels, Belgium 26th 28th November 2010

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RESOLUTIONS AND DECLARATIONS

Title Page

Resolution For a more democratic and federal EuropeProposed by: ECOSY Presidium

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Resolution EU Commission has to keep word in state aid forEuropes coal industryProposed by: ECOSY Presidium

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Resolution Resolution on the Youth on the Move initiativeProposed by: ECOSY Presidium

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Resolution Fight against the European Right!Proposed by: SJ Austria, ANIMO, Young Labour, MladiForum

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Declaration Fight (higher) education cut plans in Europe!Proposed by VSSt Austria, Animo Belgium, LabourStudents UK, SONK Finland

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Declaration Workers right to strike for better workingconditions must be defended

Proposed by: SONK & SDY Finland

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Declaration ECOSY supports open methods in selecting thePES candidate for the European Commission

PresidentProposed by: SONK, SDY-F, Sinistra Giovanile, FGSItaly, SSU and SSF.

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Declaration Fight family allowance cuts Solidarity withstudent protests in Austria!

Proposed by: VSSt Austria, SJ Austria

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Declaration DECLARATIONProposed by: Societas Hungary

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Resolution Multiple Discrimination demands singular focusProposed by: ECOSY Presidium 17


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For a more democratic and federal Europe1Proposed by: ECOSY Presidium2

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According to the principle of subsidiarity, political decisions should be taken at the4most appropriate level thus guaranteeing effectiveness for the benefit of the people.5Therefore ECOSY demands that that challenges that require a European-wide6

approach are dealt with on the European level. With 27 member states it has become7of the utmost importance to reform the existing institutional framework. ECOSY 8Young European Socialists stand for a federal and democratic Europe that allows the9Union to be a strong political actor and calls for a New Consensus For Europe and its10immediate implementation.11

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1. Democratise the EU institutions1314

ECOSY - Young European Socialists believes that the European Union should not be15the Europe of the member states only. For the member states and the European16citizens the European Union is the level of strong and active cooperation to which17competences have to be delegated in order to tackle and solve problems the18European society and people are facing today. For ECOSY, pursuing a democratic and19federal Europe is both an ideal and ambitious agenda to reform the current20institutional framework. In order to reach this the legitimacy and the capacity of the21European institutions have to be improved.22

23

The reform of the European Parliament (EP) is, for ECOSY, a necessary start.24It needs to have the power to co-decide on all Union legislation, full25budgetary powers and the right of initiative. The European Parliament is the26only institution directly elected by the citizens of the Union. In order to27increase its legitimate representation the seats should be gradually -28proportionally to population - distributed. In that, adequate representation of29all the Member States has to be ensured.30

31

The European Council should limit itself to exclusively long term coordination.32 The EP and the Council of the European Union together hold the legislative33powers of the Union as a bicameral system. The Council of the EU should be34transformed into a truly representative upper house of the Unions bicameral35system, representing the member states and consisting of delegates36nominated for fixed terms of national legislature. The European Parliament37should share the legislative power with this upper house.38

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The Commission should be reformed and then developed into the government40of the EU, as the main executive power. This Commission must promote the41interests of all European citizens. The EU administration has to be thoroughly42reformed in order to improve its effectiveness and transparency. In order for43the Commission to efficiently function as a European government, it is44essential that the Commission is appointed as such, based on a joint45government policy paper adopted by a majority in the European Parliament.46The Commission must be formed as a coalition between political groups,47without interference from member state governments or parliaments. The48composition of the Commission must follow the results of the European49Parliament elections. Every Commissioner should be appointed to a concrete50portfolio, and the number of Commissioners should be fixed accordingly.51European political parties have to name their candidates for the Commission52


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posts in the electoral campaign. The Commission and its members have to be53individually accountable to the EP.54

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2. Citizens need to be actively involved5758

The involvement of the civil society in European decision-making is crucial for the59 participation of citizens and the legitimacy of its institutions. During the recent years,60the number of critics of the European Union has been growing. People feel a distance61between the Union and its purpose.62

63

Citizens of Europe need to be empowered to follow, scrutinise and engage in64the work of the EU. The principle of transparency must be realised. Freedom65of information and public access to official records are our right. All66proceedings of the Council should be open to the public.67

68

Civil society has to be engaged in the decision-making process. The69establishment of citizens fora should be used as a tool by which a European70public sphere is reinforced. The guidelines of the involvement of the Economic71and Social Committee needs to be thoroughly reviewed.72

73

Lobbying at the European level should be organised according to transparent74and democratic mechanisms, and information about all funding and donations75- public as well as private - to the parties and candidates must be made easily76accessible to the public, and has to include all stakeholders. We must77strengthen the protection of citizens activism throughout Europe, especially78in areas where participatory democracy and citizens freedoms of association79are threatened.80

81

We want to give the European elections a true European dimension. As82recommended in the EP Report on the future of the European political parties83

Statutes, we believe that a political party statute should be adopted on the EU84 level. What is more, ECOSY fully supports the idea of common electoral85manifestos and campaigns, which is why we welcome the new regulations86allowing the European political parties to campaign on the national level. We87want the members of the European parliamentary groups to be accountable88to the European parties and their programmes and to state which political89group they intend to join in the assembly. The European foundations, created90by the European political parties in 2007, have to be further developed and91lead the mission of research and citizens education.92

93

The common European identity of all of Europes citizens has to be94strengthened. To increase the citizens participation, ECOSY promotes the95idea of European debates throughout the Member States, and fully supports96

the right of a citizens initiative and the establishment of a real European97media.98

99

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3. A constitution for Europe101

102

Since its foundation, ECOSY has worked towards a Union of citizens that has a strong103political role to play. For this reason ECOSY strives towards a federal and democratic104EU, which principles and core policies are to be codified in a Constitution. ECOSY 105


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Young European Socialists demand political leadership to bring the necessary106institutional reforms forward, in combination with strengthening the social dimension107of the Union.108

109

The direction for institutional reforms, as outlined in the Lisbon Treaty, has to110be advanced. The content of the future constitution has to include the111

development of majority voting, changing the modification procedure and112 making enhanced cooperation mechanism more flexible.113114

It is necessary to design a roadmap for re-launching the European115constitutional process. ECOSY Young European Socialists call for the116inclusion of a new civil dialogue on this matter. Young people should be117especially empowered to participate in drafting this roadmap and engage in118the new civil dialogue.119

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A new European constitution should put more emphasis on: a social and121employment agenda, protection of public services, tackling climate change, a122sustainable energy policy, disarmament, an enlargement policy and reform of123the financial system.124

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Once drafted, the European Constitution should be submitted to the European126citizens for acceptance through the process of a European wide referendum.127


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EU Commission has to keep word in state aid for Europes coal128

industry129Proposed by: ECOSY Presidium130

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In July the EU Commission took surprisingly a decision to stop the state aid for132Europes coal industry by 2014. The state aid is not financed by the EU. Its financed133

by the member states which still have coal mines. But the EU Commission is affected134because of the common market law and state aid regulation. The decision was135surprisingly because the existing EU state aid regulation for the coal industry is136guaranteeing the public grants until the year 2018. Thus EU Commission is not137keeping its word.138

139

The state aid is essential for the remaining coal mines Europe because the coal is not140competitive on the world market. Without any state aid the remaining coal mines in141Europe will have to close in the near future. More than 100.000 workers are still142directly employed in the coal industry in Europe. The number of workers which are143affected by the decision indirectly is even higher and can only be approximated.144

145

Reasons for subsidizing the coal industry146 Firstly, only a few of Europes remaining coal mines are competitive on the world147market. Coal from Europe is more expensive than coal from other regions in the148world because of various reasons. Besides geological aspects the high security149standards for workers in European coal mines are a lot higher than in other regions150in the world. Safety at work is an achievement of Europes labor movement and is151not negotiable. This justifies the public grants.152

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Secondly, Europe is highly dependent on energy imports (mainly oil and natural154gas). Cola is a natural resource which is available in a huge amount in Europe. If the155last coal mines are shut down the prices for coal on the world market will explode156because there are only a few countries exporting coal. As long as Europe is still using157coal for energy production we are dependent on few exporting countries. Those158

countries are brought in a monopoly position by closing our coal mines. To reopen a159closed coal mine high investments are necessary and it will take a few years until the160depletion can begin again. Thus, Europe is having a strategic interest keeping its coal161mines open.162

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Thirdly, the shift towards energy production from 100% renewable energy will take164decades and will cause enormous costs. Higher energy prices are the consequence.165For Europes industrial sector low energy prices are essential to compete in the world166market. An industrial sector is important for Europes economy. The industrial sector167is creating real values and guaranteeing a stable economy.168

169

What we want170

ECOSY Young European Socialists is demanding171

- The EU Commission has to keep its word and to guarantee the state aid for172the coal industry until 2018.173

- The EU member states should reject the proposal for the new state aid174regulation on coal industry.175

- We declare our full solidarity with the workers fighting against this EU176Commission proposal.177

- We further support the trades unions especially in Spain, Hungary, Poland and178Germany in their struggle against this EU Commission proposal.179


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Resolution on the Youth on the Move initiative180Proposed by: ECOSY Presidium181

182

In September 2010 the European Commission published a communication on the183flagship initiative "Youth on the Move". ECOSY - Young European Socialists, while184wholeheartedly supporting all efforts to achieve better education and higher mobility,185

is disappointed with the initiative exactly for not properly addressing those186objectives.187

188

The European Commission narrows students down to future workers when it189addresses the improvement of the quality of education according to the criterion of190employability, academic enrichment down to professional skills when aiming to191increase student mobility, and sacrifices democratization of education for the192university-business dialogue.193

194

ECOSY - Young European Socialists believe that education should be at the centre of195the Youth on the Move flagship initiative. Its objective should not just be to "help196young people succeed in the knowledge economy", but in society and achieve self-197fulfilment as human beings. Education should be about learning, forming opinions,198participating and emancipating oneself.199

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Education should not be denied to anyone. Yet, the Commission's commitment to the201youngest learners is insufficient. Reducing early school leavers from 14.4% to 10% is202non-ambitious at best. At worst, it neglects one of the fundamental principles that is203shared across the political spectrum and widely supported in society: that no child204should be left behind. Children, more than any other group, deserve a second chance205as well as a third; in fact, as many chances as it takes. No education is ever wasted206and no child is a failure: nothing can ever justify society turning its back to a child's207education.208

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ECOSY - Young European Socialists call on the European Institutions not to give up210

on Europe's weakest and never to accept the phenomenon of school drop-out, at211whichever rate.212

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We applaud the Commission's intention to "develop more flexible learning pathways214to allow people to move between different education levels and attract non-215traditional learners" because ECOSY believes that all barriers to education should be216removed, including those put up by rigid education systems. It is therefore217disappointing, that the ambition disappears from the later parts of the flagship218initiative; even from the second line of action that aims to raise enrolment levels.219Furthermore the initiative should build in effective guards against new barriers being220thrown up by flexibilization of education systems.221

222

Initiatives presented under the heading of quality and enrolment levels, while in223large majority both laudable and necessary, do little to increase the participation224level of European citizens in higher education and VET, especially considering the fact225that exchange programmes only benefit those already in education. Mobility actions226that would effectively increase participation levels and improve the quality of227education include the active targeting of the youngest learners, those in lower levels228of education, and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, the active229inclusion of HEIs and student organizations in the development of instruments that230exploit the benefits of students having completed an exchange, more effective231


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incorporation of exchanges into the general higher education systems and to232specifically allow the structural funds to be used for improving the learning and233academic infrastructure of member states.234

235

ECOSY - Young European Socialists suggest exploring the possibilities of funding236programmes that allow students to follow their entire curriculum at a foreign higher237

education institution, which has the added value of being able to alleviate the238 overburdened universities of some member states by re-directing students to239institutions with greater absorption capacity and of avoiding the curriculum240compatibility problems inherent in exchanges. This inherently involves looking into241greater portability and universality of student grants.242

243

Instead of towards increased competitiveness through an alternative multi-244dimensional global university ranking system, the EU should work towards greater245transparency and democracy in education. The state is responsible for the quality of246education and therefore should not be the one to rank its performance in the face of247global competition. It would be of much greater value to potential students to make248the offer of HEIs more transparent by developing an index which provides249information, amongst other things, on whether HEIs are predominantly teaching or250research oriented, which are their strongest faculties, whether there are tuition fees251and if so, how high, their graduation rate/record, the employment rate of their252former students, the measures they take to ensure equal opportunities, the teaching253methods used, etc. In addition, the EU should go one step further and investigate254possible strategies to counter the detrimental effect on higher education accessibility255and democratization implicit in the existence and widespread abuse of the traditional256higher education ranking systems.257

258

The democratization of higher education, not just in HEIs but also in the legislative259arena, is essential. The best investment in democracy is to allow for its practice on260all levels. The education of a generation must involve trust in young people now. Any261council recommendation on the reform of education should include an incentive for262

the consultation of student unions from both higher and vocational education where263 the proposed legislation and policies concern education.264265

Additionally, ECOSY - Young European Socialists point out that in the initiative, young266people's empowerment and participation on the national and European level are267lacking. We expect a clear message from the Commission that it values the268consultation and contribution of young people on the European level, for example269through the European Youth Forum, which is working in depth on those matters, as270well as through the young Europeans' civil society and the open national consultation271processes, the European Students' Union which represents Europe's student272population, and of course the European political youth organizations. Our role cannot273be restricted to accepting and criticizing; young Europeans deserve to actively274participate in the decision-making and policy-formulating processes themselves.275

276Next to education, training and mobility, the 2005 European Youth Pact stressed the277importance of securing employment, integration and social advancement as well as278the reconciliation of family life and working life. While the current proposal of the279Youth on the Move flagship initiative connects education to employment, if fails to280incorporate all other dimensions.281

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ECOSY - Young European Socialists believe that the agenda to improve young283people's chances in the knowledge economy through education must go hand in hand284


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with a legislative process to ensure that jobs and educational placements provide for285a decent living.286

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ECOSY - Young European Socialists therefore call on the European Parliament, when288scrutinizing the EU budgets and financial perspectives, to ensure that the EU289programmes involving apprenticeships, traineeships and internships (including the290

European Voluntary Service) are budgeted in such a way as to effectively allow for291 the payment of (at least) minimum salaries to the young people that they target. We292point out that the lack of payment for apprentice/internships during education,293coupled with insufficient public student grants, have often been signalled as a large294factor in increasing student drop out. We reiterate that the first places where un- and295underpaid internships should be abolished is in the European Institutions themselves.296We call upon the organisations belonging to the European socialist family, namely the297Party of European Socialists, the S&D group in the European Parliament and its298MEPs, as well as their associated organisations to immediately end the employing of299un- and underpaid internships.300

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ECOSY - Young European Socialists welcome the Commission's ambition to "raise the302awareness of citizen's rights when moving within the EU...[and]...simplified303procedures for social security coordination taking into account new mobility patterns,304reducing obstacles to free movement of workers". Yet, we reject the analysis that305special "minimum incomes specifically for young people" can go hand in hand with306the avoidance of precariousness and note that the suggestion goes against the307specific recommendations of the European Parliament. Rather, such measures imply308an increase in precariousness per default.309

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ECOSY - Young European Socialists furthermore point out that the proposed fiscal311incentive based solutions cannot be the only proposals to overcome precariousness.312While both necessary and effective in times of economic downturn and for the313emancipation of specific subgroups of youth, we reiterate the need for a long term314strategy that will cement the preferred use of permanent contracts with decent315

working conditions and salaries in legislation. The excessive use of temporary316 contracts should be excluded through legislative means.317318

Education in all its forms and on every level, must provide for a decent living and319self-fulfilment. Dreams and ambitions are realized in conditions of security,320sustainability includes the population it benefits. ECOSY - Young European Socialists321believe Europe should offer that vision, a common project towards the greater well-322being of all. Through education, decent work and mobility, we can take a step in that323direction. ECOSY - Young European Socialists call for a Youth on the Move324programme that puts those three issues at its core.325

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Fight against the European Right!327Proposed by: SJ Austria, ANIMO, Young Labour, Mladi Forum328

329

The rise of right wing extremist and populists in Europe entered a new stage with the330election effort of the extremist Sverigedemokraterna in Sweden and the entrance of331the Partij voor de Vrijheid of Geert Wilders in the new Dutch government. Even in332

the UK there are now two fascist MEP's and the violent Islamophobic street333movement - the EDL (English Defence League) is rapidly growing. Right wing334extremism is an increasing problem in most of the European countries. Since the335forming of a nationalist International on a European level failed some forces are still336struggling to coordinate a common European Right Wing Extremist Politics.337

338

The Austrian Freedom Party (recently gained 27% in the local elections in Vienna)339tries to strengthen her European Cooperations. In October FP called for a come340together of the European Right in Vienna. Vlaams Belang (Belgium),341Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden), Danske Folkeparti (Denmark), Lega Nord (Italy)342and the Slovensk Nrodna Strana (Slovakia) followed the invitation to a meeting343under the title The future of the European Union after the application of the Lisbon344treaty.345

346

The meeting ended with an agreement for a better cooperation on a European level347and a common initiative for a referendum against the accession of Turkey to the348European Union.349

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ECOSY-Young European Socialist is concerned about this recent development. It is351clear that a campaign against the accession of turkey will mostly have a racist and352islamophobic tone. A common right wing extremists campaign on the European353Level will lead to a strengthening of racist tendencies in the society. Socialists and354Social democrats all over Europe have to fight these latest developments.355Campaigning against the Far-Right and populist right wing movements must be a key356priority of ECOSY - It is not a special interest issue, but a mainstream problem that357

challenges social democrats and socialists directly358359

It is necessary for Social democratic parties all over Europe to reflect about the on360going election victories of the far right. It is no solution to overtake and copy the361topics of the right. It is necessary to come up with solutions for social problems to362fight the roots of racism and fascism. The only way to really fight right wing363extremists is to build a society on the Social democratic principles: Freedom, Equality364and Solidarity.365

366

ECOSY - Young European Socialists considers it to be self-evident that socialists and367social democrats should not enter into coalition agreements with parties belonging to368the extreme right, calls upon all PES member parties to act accordingly. We369furthermore call upon all democratic parties across the political spectrum to do370likewise.371

372

Only a strong International of the left can fight the tendencies of the extreme right to373form a European Network. ECOSY- Young European Socialists calls for her member374organizations to be part of antiracist and antifascist movements all over Europe.375

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Fight (higher) education cut plans in Europe!377Proposed by VSSt Austria, Animo Belgium, Labour Students UK, SONK Finland378

379

As a result of the financial and economic crisis EU-member-states have embarked on380a programme of budget consolidation. For us, as socialists and social democrats, it381must be evident, that cutting means for education can never be the right way to lead382

a country out of debt. On the contrary, consolidation and redistribution of wealth go383hand in hand. Therefore adequate taxation of property, heritance, wealth, high384incomes, capital and speculation would be necessary to both consolidate budgets and385make our society more just and equal on a long-run perspective.386

387

Conservatives do not cut spending for education because it would be necessary. They388do it because they have an own idea of education. They want private and elite389institutions with limited access and without decent living standards for students from390the working class and students from less-privileged backgrounds.391

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Social democratic parties must never follow that idea. They must be the ones to fight393for open access and for universities where no person whatever socio-economic394background s/he comes from must abandon his or her program due to financial395reasons and for education systems where everybody who wants to take part in396higher education will be able to do so.397

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Considering the above mentioned ECOSY Young European Socialists400401

calls on EU-member-state-governments to provide for a higher education402system without any hidden or obvious access restriction, such as tuition fees403or knock-out-exams.404

calls on all EU member state governments not to cut funding for (higher)405education and to rescind planned cuts406

calls on mother parties to vote against conservative education cut proposals407in the national parliaments408

stands in solidarity with students protesting against cuts in higher education409in all over Europe.410


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Workers right to strike for better working conditions must be411

defended412Proposed by: SONK & SDY Finland413

414

Conservative parties have assumed the control of governments all around Europe.415Among other things they have been executing right-wing politics in labour markets416

and introducing tax reforms.417418

Some of the reforms introduced by the right-wing parties have aimed at restricting419the workers right to strike. At the moment workers have been using these rights420when striking around Europe. For example, the French workers have opposed the421governments pension reforms. In Finland the postal workers have respectively422demanded fairer labour agreements.423

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Socialist parties must work together with the trade unions in guaranteeing that the425will of the employers does not materialise and weaken the status of the employees.426Socialists have fought long and hard for the workers rights to be recognised. These427rights must be defended. Furthermore, the other European parties should be428

encouraged to state clearly their stand on the issue of workers rights.429430Defending the workers right to strike is a priority for ECOSY - Young European431Socialists. We must make sure that the fundamental rights of the people are432preserved and strongly resist the forces that are trying to debilitate these rights.433


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ECOSY supports open methods in selecting the PES candidate434

for the European Commission President435Proposed by: SONK, SDY-F, Sinistra Giovanile, FGS Italy, SSU and SSF.436

437

PES Congress took a decision last December to select a common candidate for the438European Commission President prior to next European Parliament elections in 2014.439

PES Council will decide on the procedure on finding and selecting this common440candidate this December in Warsaw.441

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ECOSY supports openness and democracy at all levels of decision making and believe443that the socialist movement will always have to show the way for the rest. Therefore444we wish and encourage PES to open the selection procedure for all the members of445the socialist movement and include a possibility for the Primaries to the selection446procedures. ECOSY believes it is the only way to move on from the back room deals447between few grey men, be them the European leaders or the PES member party448leaders.449

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We want open democracy, live debate and participatory activism, and we believe451

that the selection - and campaign - of the candidate for the Commission President452 would create new enthusiasm and passion for the European project.453454

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Fight family allowance cuts Solidarity with student protests456

in Austria!457Proposed by: VSSt Austria, SJ Austria458

459

The Austrian great-coalition-proposal for budget-consolidation foresees lowering the460age limit for family allowances for austrian students from 26 to 24 not only leading461

to an immediate loss of 2.400 Euros per year for about 40.000 students but to462further disastrous consequences as eg. the loss of social security, orphans pensions463and assistance for disabled students.464

465

From an educational perspective the cut will lead to a higher number of students466working during their studies, a higher number of late drop-outs but also to a grant-467system in which it is impossible for students in specific programmes (architecture or468medical science) or that have not started their programmes at the age of 18 to finish469their bachelor and master degree even within the given minimum period of study.470

471

This proposal goes in line with the conservative model of higher education: private472and elite institutions with limited access and without decent living standards for473

students from the working class and students from less-privileged backgrounds.474475Social democratic parties must never follow that idea. They must be the ones to fight476for open access and for universities where no person whatever socio-economic477background s/he comes from must abandon his or her program due to financial478reasons and for education systems where everybody who wants to take part in479higher education will be able to do so. In Austria the social democratic members of480the government have accepted the proposal but still the fight within and outside of481the social democratic family is not over.482

483

One year after a number of student protests in all over Europe had its starting point484in Vienna students are back in the street again. Not only fighting for free access and485proper founding of higher education, but also protesting against the government's486

cut plans. For us, as socialists and social democrates, it is clear that we can not487agree to the plans. The social democratic members in the government have to488rethink the plans, stand up against the conservative partner in the coalition and fight489for our common values.490

491

Considering the above mentioned ECOSY Young European Socialists492493

calls on the Austrian government to withdraw the cut plan for familiy494allowance for students.495

calls on the Social Democratic Party of Austria not to accept the conservative496proposal and to fight for a socialist goal of free and equal access to education497and of decent living standards for all students non-regarding the socio-498

economic background also and especially in a joint government with the499

conservative party.500 stands in solidarity with students fighting the planned cuts of familiy501

allowance in Austria.502


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DECLARATION503Proposed by: Societas Hungary504

505

Whereas the Government led by Viktor Orbns Fidesz party has secured a two-thirds506majority on Hungarys last Elections to the Hungarian National Assembly, and has507subsequently formed the so-called Government of National Cooperation,508

509And whereas it has become apparent during the course of the past months that510Viktor Orbns government seems to disregard both ethical norms accepted511throughout Europe, but also decisions taken by the supreme guardian of the512countrys democratic institution, the Constitutional Court,513

514

And whereas most recently the so-called Government of National Cooperation has515taken unilateral, non-consulted steps towards squandering pension savings, has516conducted a political cleansing throughout the public administration, has initiated the517unilateral change of the Law on Higher Education, and has systematically reduced518the freedom of press by taking gradual restrictive measures,519

520

We, young socialists, social democrats and labour youth, hereby declare that we find521the Hungarian governments actions unacceptable, which fall far short of European522norms of behaviour. We also express our concern of the possible future of the523millions of young people in Hungary, whose pension savings will now be used to524temporarily fill in the gaps in the National Budget, while no real actions will be taken525to curb the growing deficit.526

527

We can still remember a time, when a young Viktor Orbn was one of the most528prominent fighters for democracy, and for freedom. Conversely, it is now him, whose529government has taken systematic actions for reducing democracy and freedom in his530country, and gravely reducing the opportunities of todays youth in Hungary.531

532

In response to the recent actions taken by Viktor Orbns government, we hereby533

remind them of their Oath of Office, that they shall be loyal to the Homeland, and to534the People of the Republic of Hungary, and that they shall uphold and preserve the535Constitution and other Laws. We also remind them of Paragraph 2, section 3 of the536Constitution of the Republic of Hungary that No activity of any person may be537directed at the forcible acquisition or exercise of public power, nor at the exclusive538possession of such power. Everyone has the right and obligation to resist such539activities in such ways as permitted by law.540


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Held thanks to hospitality of Animo and MJS BelgiumIn Brussels Belgium 26th 28th November 2010

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Multiple Discrimination demands singular focus541Proposed by: ECOSY Presidium542

543

To be young is to have your future ahead of you. To be a young woman makes that544future more likely to include a number of part-time or fixed term job contracts you545are over qualified for. To be young and disabled, belong to an ethnic or religious546

minority, represent a sexual, cultural or any other minority can enrich life, but also547add challenges too.548

549

The young are more likely to face multiple discrimination based on their age, origins550or personal attributes. In the workplace we are protected against discrimination by551the European legislation, but there is no such cover for other fields of life, including552education, healthcare, social security or housing to name a few.553

554

The European Commission proposed a new anti-discrimination directive for the555European Union in 2008, but very little has happened since then to broaden the556scope of protection for all Europeans. In the spring of 2010 it was made known that557not only Conservative governments like that of Poland oppose the Directive based on558their opposition for gay rights and the protection of rights of the Catholic church, but559that also the German government opposes it, even if the German legislation already560holds all of the proposed protection for German citizens.561

562

ECOSY - Young European Socialists does not believe that the protection should be563only limited to the nationals of each individual country on their territory. Nor do we564believe only workers face or should be protected against discrimination. We believe565that every person should receive equal treatment regardless of age, gender, sexual566orientation, health, religion or ethnic background in all spheres of life.567

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European integration and increased mobility cannot work without the rights of569individuals being unified across Europe. We cannot accept only the interests of570markets to be protected, nor can we limit the protection only to workers without571

violating principles of equality and freedom of movement, that are at the heart of the572European project.573

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Therefore we, ECOSY Young European Socialists, call for action to get the European575anti-discrimination directive adopted and working for the good of the people of576Europe. We call for the German government to lead the fight for equality, not to577block it. And we call for more focus on the issue of multiple discrimination, which578complicates and magnifies the problem of discrimination for the most vulnerable of579our societies.580

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ECOSY_BM_Brussels_nov2010_RND_all

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