In the framework of the project “Listening to the Progressive Mediterranean”, a lunch debate, a seminar and a dinner were organized by the S&D Group in collaboration with the Global Progressive Forum, the FEPS and Solidar last week. MEPs who intervened in the debates included Zita Gurmai, Hannes Swoboda, Maria Badía I Cutchet, Raimon Obiols I Germa, Carmen Romero, Ana Gomes, Miguel Angel Martinez Martinez, Ines Ayala Sender, Rosario Crocetta, Richard Howitt, Proinsias De Rossa, as well as Javier Moreno Sanchez, Secretary General of the Global Progressive Forum.
 
 
These discussions gathered Members of the European Parliament and people from South-Mediterranean region, from the civil society, from the Spanish (PSOE) and Catalan (PSC) parties and from the Party of European Socialists (PES), the Global Progressive Forum (GPF), the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), SOLIDAR and the Foundation Rafael Campalans. Guest from the Arab world included Karim BALOUL, FFS Youth political organisation, Abdulnabi ALEKRY, President of Bahrain Transparency Society (BTS),  Bahia ZRIKEM Lawyer, Hassan BOUSETTA, Municipal Council of Liege, Basem KAMEL, active Member of Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Samar Ibraheem Hussien ELHUSSIENY and Mohsen Mohammed KAMAL RAMADAN, from the Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies, Mohammed HUSSAINY (Moh'D Ahmed Moh'd KHALIL) Director of Identity Center, Raed DEBIY International Secretary Fatah Youth movement, Karim CHETIOUI, from Brussels Young Socialists, Aida DOUGGUI,  from Mouvement Byrsa, Chema BEN CHAABENE Lawyer and writer, and Bassem BOUGUERRA, Tunisian Blogger.
 
Lunch debate on the current situation in the Mediterranean region
 
After a welcome address by Martin Schulz, President of the Progressive Alliance for Socialists and Democrats (S&D Group) in the European Parliament, Members of the Mediterranean Task Force were invited to intervene. During the lunch, MEPs had an opportunity to discuss the current situation in the Mediterranean region with the invitees, who are key actors of the Arab Revolution and came from Jordan, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Palestine. Issues such as the role of women and young people in future leadership, the long term consolidation of the new initiatives that emerged from the Revolutions, the international nature of this new freedom movement, were raised. The key question of what Europe is doing and can do was also discussed, thus raising the issues of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, focused on security only, the human rights conditionality in international trade agreements as a key tool for democracy. The problem of Visa and immigration reveals the problem of confidence of the EU towards the Arab countries, and of the Arab Civil Society towards the EU.
 
 
Panel discussion "Democratic transition: fears and hopes"
 
The discussions continued in the panel discussion. The EU should support the progressive movements in the Arab world in this key transitional period to help preventing counter or Islamic revolutions. The new EU partnership should be based on equality between the EU and its Mediterranean partners -not paternalism-, and should not be limited to State relations but also building bridges with civil society. On a more practical point of view, immediate action could focus on Capacity building and training expertise for Civil Societies Organisations and political, technical and financial support to democratic initiatives emanating from the civil society. In regards the future prospects for cooperation, S&D would like to organize a major conference in the autumn with young leaders of both sides of the Mediterranean. Guest would also need to see networks develop, debates on EU constitutional rights, democratic organization of political parties, freedom of press and institutional building. As regards fears and hopes, Emergency situations in Bahrain, Yemen, Libya and Palestine were discussed and there are hopes for change in Tunisia and Egypt, and maybe in Jordan, Algeria and Morocco. Hopes for improvements in human rights, more equal societies, the fight against corruption, transparent and free elections, and participative democracy were expressed.
 
 The discussions were closed by an informal diner organized by FEPS.
 
You can download the record of the conference here:
Arabe - Partie 1
http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gpes/public/mediadetail.htm?id=48137&section=LIB&category=MULI&request_locale=EN 
 
Arabe - Partie 2
http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gpes/public/mediadetail.htm?id=48138&section=LIB&category=MULI&request_locale=EN