The Party of European Socialists (PES) is a European political party whose members are 33 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well as Bulgaria, Romania and Norway.

PES was founded in 1992 in The Hague to succeed the Confederation of Socialist Parties of the European Community. It is an associated organisation of the Socialist International. Ecosy is the youth organisation of PES.

Its current president is the former Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. With 200 members the PES's "Socialist Group" is the second largest group in the European Parliament. Group president is the German social democrat Martin Schulz. President of the parliament is the Spanish socialist Josep Borrell.

Seven members of the European Commission are members of the PES: Vice president Günter Verheugen (SPD), vice president Margot Wallström (SAP), Commissioner for monetary affairs Joaquín Almunia (PSOE), commissioner for regional policy Danuta Hübner (SLD), commissioner for taxation László Kovács (MSZP), commissioner for trade Peter Mandelson (Labour) and commissioner for employment and social affairs Vladimír Špidla (ČSSD).

PES members in the European Council are Tony Blair (United Kingdom), Gediminas Kirkilas (Lithuania), Ferenc Gyurcsány (Hungary), Jiří Paroubek (Czech Republic), Göran Persson (Sweden), José Sócrates (Portugal) and José Luis Zapatero (Spain).

PES Member Parties

In addition, one independent Italian MEP of the l’Ulivo, the 3 MEPs of the newly-founded Polish party Socjaldemokracja Polska, and 2 MEPs of the Polish Samoobrona are members of the PES parliamentary group. 12 observers of the Romanian Partidul Social Democrat, 5 observers of the Balgarska Socialističeska Partija, and 1 observer of the Partija Balgarski Socialdemokrati are also members of the PES group.

PES Associate Member Parties

• Bulgaria: Партия Български социалдемократи (ПБС) / Partija Balgarski Socialdemokrati (PBS)
• Croatia: Socijaldemokratska Partija Hrvatske (SDP)
• Macedonia: Социјалдемократски Сојуз на Македонија (СДСМ) / Socijaldemokratski Sojuz na Makedonija (SDSM)
• Switzerland: Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SP) / Parti socialiste suisse (PS)
• Turkey: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP)

PES Observer Parties

• Andorra: Partit Socialdemòcrata (PS)
• Iceland: Samfylkingin (S)
• Israel: העבודה / Avoda
• Israel: מרצ-יחד / Meretz-Yachad
• San Marino: Partito dei Socialisti e dei Democratici (PSD)

External links

• Party of European Socialists
• Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists

European Parliament party groups | Pan-European political parties | Social democratic parties

Partit Socialista Europeu | Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas | Euroopa Sotsialistlik Partei | Partido Socialista Europeo | Parti socialiste européen | Partito del Socialismo Europeo | Europos socialistų partija | Partij van de Europese Sociaal-Democraten | Partia Europejskich Socjalistów | Partido Socialista Europeu | Partidul Socialiştilor Europeni | Euroopan Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue | Europeiska socialdemokratiska partiet | 欧洲社会党