By Martin Banks - 20th March 2008
The Party of European Socialists’ election manifesto consultation website has had over 120,000 visits in the past six months, it has been revealed.
Called ‘Manifesto2009’, the site is fully interactive with visitors able to submit articles, comment on-line and award stars to the best articles.
The PES manifesto consultation also has a YouTube channel where grassroots party activists can send their own videos as well as watch party leaders talking about the manifesto, and a Facebook group.
“We in the PES do not want a manifesto that has been drawn up in a closed room by a handful of politicians,” said PES president Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.
“That is yesterday’s politics. We want a manifesto that offers not only a clear choice between left and right, and that has also been shaped through consultation and debate. We want to show that social democrats have different politics from the conservatives, and that we do politics in a different way too.”
The PES, he said, is working with its member parties to organise consultative meetings on the manifesto for the 2009 European elections, as well as holding an interactive consultation. There are currently 16 events listed in the PES’ manifesto2009 website from London to Bucharest via Brussels, Tallin and Kiel.
“Today’s internet age is the era of interactivity” said Rasmussen. ”People want their say – and they expect to be heard. The PES must provide leadership, but we must also listen. That is what we are doing – on the internet and in meetings.”
He added “A consultation across Europe – covering 27 countries with 23 official languages – is not easy especially when you do not have the resources to translate everything into all languages. The PES is trying something unique, and we are getting a very encouraging response. Internet activism has not taken off in Europe like it has in America but we are getting there.”
As a result of the more than 120,000 visits there are over 230 articles posted on the site, and many have been viewed by several hundred people. Over 3,000 people have signed on as ‘PES activists’.
The consultation runs until June 2008 and the manifesto will be adopted at a meeting of PES member parties in November in Madrid.
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