Back at work

After a few wonderful days in Paris everything went back to normal; loads of work to do and things to write – and Liverpool cannot score away against Chelski. Anaway, a few shorties:

If you read Swedish; don’t miss all the good stuff in AiP this week (editorial, interview with Mona Sahlin, my article about France, Arvid's article about France).

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ECOSY – Young European Socialist – has started a campaign for freedom in Burma (more info). The European Union has to take a stronger stand towards the regime in Burma that continuous to violate basic human rights, and the European Parliament is about to discuss this issue. Read and sign the petition here.

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Rudy Guiliani, the former New York City Mayor, is accused by Democrats for politicizing September 11th in his 2008 presidential bid. Here’s what he said at a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire:

”If a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001... Never ever again will this country ever be on defense waiting for (terrorists) to attack us if I have anything to say about it. And make no mistake, the Democrats want to put us back on defense!”

That was not nice, smart or true.

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At least the present Mayor of the world’s coolest city – Michael Bloomberg – keeps his mind straight; time for congestion charges in NYC!?

Photos from Prague

My sister’s fiancé Per-Erik, excellent with the camera, has sent me some photos from our days in Prague. Enjoy!

The wonderful Old Square:

My mum Gunnel, girlfriend Emma, me, and sister Anna (close to the Czech parliament):

My dear friend Jan Hamacek and me in the speaker’s chair in the Czech parliament. Yes, we know each other from ECOSY, and if you wonder why I look proud, it is because Jan is now head of the Foreign Relations Committee:

My sister Anna (who is becoming a mother in July!) and me:

Having a beer in the classic pub U Fleku:

A little street close to where we had dinner Satuday night; U Zlaté studne:

This museum was not the best one on Earth, but the films they showed from 1968 and 1989 were interesting:

[Thanks for sending the photos Per-Erik]

...and elections as well...

At a congress you always have rather sensitive elections when you elect the leadership who will represent and govern ECOSY until the next congress. As a veteran I am not involved in this at all, which is a great relief. My only advice would have been: Try to compromise and focus on the political work. Anyway, I want to congratulate everyone who was elected a few minutes ago, for example my old friend Brian, who I sometimes disagree with both when it comes to policy and football (he supports Everton…), but who I know and respect as a great comrade. Good luck everyone, take care of ECOSY!

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Things like this makes me sooooo happy. Well done, Liverpool.

It’s ECOSY, so it’s fun...

Still at the ECOSY-congress, still having a great time. Since my last blog post, Dimitri has given me an excellent update on the political situation in Georgia, I have discussed the elections to the European Parliament in Bulgaria in May, I have met people from both the Israeli Labor party and Meretz. And last night in the bar, I made friends with people from Northern Ireland (SDLP) and Macedonia. And then I hung out with the usual crowd: my friends from Denmark (for example Peter and Trine), Finland, Britain, Italy and Estonia.

Everyone who knows me or follows this blog should understand that I am having a great time. And tonight there is dinner for us old veterans of ECOSY, and then there is a party.

More photos [thanks Tom]:

Pascal Lamy (WTO) and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (PES).

Pascal Lamy (WTO), Fikile Mbalula (IUSY) and Giacomo Filibeck (ECOSY).

Banner outside the congress hall.

If it is not fun, it is not ECOSY...

Many of my best memories and friends in politics are connected to all the congresses, camps and meetings organized by Young European Socialists (ECOSY). This weekend ECOSY has its 8th congress in Warszawa, Poland. I was invited as a veteran, and since I knew I would meet a lot of old friends, I decided to go. Also, since we always make at least one international page in Aktuellt i Politiken every week, this was an excellent opportunity to write an article or two.

So here I am, in a nice and huge hotel next to the airport in Warszawa, and I have already updated my knowledge of European politics in numerous ways [please note that this is based on chats and gossiping]:

• I have listened to a speech by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, and combined with a chat we had, this will become an article about his visions regarding the Party of European Socialists.
• I have learnt that there are elections in Switzerland this autumn, but our sister party will face a tough match since immigration is a huge issue.
• In Britain, Gordon Brown (and not David Miliband) will succeed Tony Blair, and Brown is not as moody as the rumors say.
• Czech politics are a mess, and the Conservative bloc does not always have a majority in the very tight parliament.
• The Italian economy is improving, partly thanks to Fiat who is increasing its share of the European car market. Casini is not as close to Berlusconi anymore, but is not joining Prodi yet.
• Our Danish friends are very optimistic about the next election, even if the closing of a youth/cultural center in Copenhagen mostly hurt the Social Democratic Mayor (and not the Conservative government).
• Our French comrades are happy that Bayrou is dropping in the polls, meaning that Royal should make it to the second round. Given the pessimistic mood in the country and the bad legacy of Chirac, the left still has a chance, but then Royal has to be the people’s choice for progressive change.
• In Finland, my friends seemed a little embarrassed to have become only the third biggest party. But the generation of Social Democratic Finns born in the 1970s and 1980s seems very strong to me, and I hope they will get more influence in the party.
• My Estonian friend and I just concluded that we will talk over a beer later, so more reports will follow!
• Now Pascal Lamy of the WTO is speaking, and his main point is that the socialist movement have been trying to regulate and make use of market economy and capitalism for 150 years, but now we have to do it on a global scale. I could not agree more.
  

In short: ECOSY is as fun as always. As a matter of fact, this is European politics for real.