Nteledimou comments on election outcome

"Citizens all around Europe have spoken, and we respect their mandate. For us, Young European Socialists, elections are not the end, but a new beginning of a new period, during which we have to strive harder and work more consistently in order to help Europe get out of the economic and institutional crisis of the last years.

In these election results, what worries us most is the rise of eurosceptiscism and right-wing extremism and the low participation in many countries. We need to analyse more these phenomena, and react. European integration needs strong support from all of us, and especially from young people. But neither populist rhetorics nor staying away from decision-making help further integration and change. And it is still us, progressives, socialists, social democrats and labourists from all over Europe who have to take the initiative, boldly approach the people, especially young people, and work with them in order to provide concrete and more optimistic answers for our common future.

In the next five years, there are big challenges to take. Climate change and green growth, decent work for all, public services, high quality education and healthcare, equality, a common migration policy, the institutional reform and advance of the EU, and a new Youth Pact are only a few among them. ECOSY - Young European Socialists, together with PES, PES Women and the new PES Group will work hard, in unity and diversity, and with a clear extrovert orientation, in order to include as many young people as possible in this course, answering their needs and demands, and creating with them new perspectives. In this process, during which we aspire to improve our methods and our organization, we invite everybody along. Europe needs its young generation in a protagonist role, and we need a strong and progressive Europe for our future.

I would like to congratulate and thank all of our comrades for their hard work and their honest efforts. Special congratulations to the young socialist candidates who were elected in the European Parliament, and to the socialists in MSD Czech Republic, Denmark, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Wallonia, and Greece who made us proud and won this difficult battle."

Petroula Ntledimou is president of ECOSY - Young European Socialists