Twenty-five years of the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity

This year’s celebration of 25 years of the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity (EFDS) was the motive to produce a short history of the organization written by Jan Marinus Wiersma, former Vice President of the PES (1990-2004) and later of the S&D Group. The European Forum was founded by the Socialist International (SI) in 1993 at the instigation of its former president, Will Brandt. Its main task would be to help identify and further develop social democratic parties and movements (potential future members of the SI) in Central and Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and the countries formerly belonging to the Soviet Union after the collapse of communism. In the publication the most relevant activities of Forum are described and the publication mostly deals with the regions mentioned above. The role of PES, S&D group, FEPS and political foundations are highlighted in different chapters.