The Socialists and Democrats are committed to a strong democratic European Union with transnational lists for candidates to the European Parliament and an open process to select the president of the European Commission through the Spitzenkandidat system. However, in order to strengthen citizens’ participation in European democracy, more needs to be done.
 
This is why S&D Euro MPs will hold a debate with professors, students, civil society representatives and local leaders at the College of Europe, in Bruges, on 22 February 2018.
 
They will address how to improve democratic participation in the 2019 European Parliament elections, and discuss how to better protect EU values in the era of fake news and growing populism.
 
Kathleen Van Brempt, vice-president of the S&D Group, and John Crombez, leader of SP.A, will open the session, followed by Sergei Stanishev MEP, president of the PES and co-chair of the Global Progressive Forum.
 
Speakers include Mercedes Bresso MEP, S&D Group spokesperson for constitutional affairs;  Italian journalist Adriana Cerretelli; Jo Leinen, S&D MEP who co-drafted the parliamentary report on the European electoral law; Margaritis Schinas, chief spokesperson of the European Commission; Daniël Termont, president of EUROCITIES & Mayor of Ghent; Professor Michele Chang, department for politics and governance, College of Europe; Yoomi Renström, the Mayor of Ovanåker (Sweden); Tuulia Pitkänen, Secretary General of YES (Young European Socialists); and several students from the College of Europe.
 
The Conference is open to the press.

At the end of the event, a declaration on ‘Democratic participation in the upcoming 2019 European Parliament elections’ will be adopted.

When: 22 February 2018, at 16h

Where: College of Europe Dijver 11, 8000 Bruges
 
See the full programme here

European Parliament’s report on the Spitzenkandidat and on the composition of the European Parliament

Een Nederlandse versie van de aankondiging is hier te vinden

S&D press contact