MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Socialists call for return to EU founding fathers' spirit

French Socialists Ms Aubry

The new French Socialist leader Martine Aubry defended a strong economic stimulus program “to help the weakest” based on the Social-democrat model because “communism died twenty years ago, and neo-liberalism just two months ago”.

Ms Aubry recently elected to lead French Socialists after a tight poll that forced a vote by vote count over Segolene Royal was in Madrid to help draf, (with other Socialist leaders) the party's manifesto for the coming European Union parliament elections next June 2009. "A manifesto which must return to Europeans the hopes and enthusiasm of the founding fathers of the European Union", she said before her EU counterparts. "We must convince our fellow citizens that Europe has not turned into "fear", but rather a great opportunity for hope given the failure of liberalism". The mayor of Lille said that the main points of the manifesto include a coordinated economic policy which invests in the infrastructure of new alternative energy sources, transport systems and in education, "so we can return the real economy to its right place". Ms. Aubry a former minister of several French Socialist administrations and responsible for the 35 hours work week called for a strong support to implement social policies such as ensuring a minimum wage and propping public services "which are the assets of those who possess no assets". Further on she called for the EU to lead the fight on climate change, gender equal rights and strong solidarity overseas. Ms Aubry also invited president elect Barack Obama to design and enforce a fair and multilateral policy for the southern hemisphere.