Špidla elected to governing body of European socialists’ party

Outgoing Czech European commissioner and former prime minister Vladimír Špidla has been elected to the governing body of the Party of European Socialists. The election was held at a conference of some 1,000 party delegates which is currently taking place in Prague’s Výstaviště trade fair. On Monday, the party chairman and former Danish PM, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, was re-elected by a strong majority. The Party of European Socialists is an umbrella association of 28 centre-left parties in the European Parliament, represented by the Social Democratic Party in the Czech Republic. It is currently the second strongest group in the European Parliament after the Christian Democrats.