(Photo: Italian students in the courtyard of the Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg. @European Parliament/Pietro Naj-Oleari/Flickr) By Guilhem Delteil A candidate for the next presidency of the European Commission in 2014 supported by all European socialists? That’s what the PES promised in Prague, beginning of December, during its annual Congress. But the latest European campaign underlined how difficult it is for European socialists to find a consensus on this topic. Some of their leaders, such as Spanish Prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, supported the candidate of the conservative parties: José Manuel Barroso. Differences between national parties are wide. Recently, socio-democrats in Europe appeared more diverse than united. So, can the PES act as a transnational party? According to Gert Weisskirchen, former SPD deputy at the German Bundestag, it first needs to define its goals. Gert Weisskirchen interview (1’32) [audio:http://www.euroalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/1-WEISSKIRCHEN.mp3|titles=1 - WEISSKIRCHEN] Theoretically, common programs already exist. Most of the European Parliament’s groups wrote manifestos for the last campaign. But Gert Weisskirchen admits it was not a main topic in the campaign of the socio-democrats. Was it any different for the other parties? Michael Schwarfswerdt is the coordinator of the German Green Members of the European Parliament and he considers the “Green new deal for Europe”, the manifesto of the Green Party, as a semi-success. Michael Schwarfswerdt interview (3’07) [audio:http://www.euroalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2-Schwarfswerdt.mp3|titles=2 - Schwarfswerdt] Nowadays, some charismatic leaders choose to run for the European Parliament but, most of the time, a key element in the party still means being elected on the national level. European parties probably miss the figure of a charismatic leader but, as Rainder Steenblock says, national parties are not the only to be blamed. This former coordinator of the Greens at the German Bundestag on EU affairs stresses that difficulties also lie within the structures of the European Union. Rainder Steenblock interview (1’05) [audio:http://www.euroalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/3-STEENBLOCK.mp3|titles=3 - STEENBLOCK] Institutional changes are to be made, says Rainder Steenblock. But the national States remains the main identification level of the European citizens. Rainder Steenblock interview (1’03) [audio:http://www.euroalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/4-Steenblock.mp3|titles=4 Steenblock] After years of debates, an agreement has finally been reached on the reform of the functioning of the European Union. The Lisbon Treaty was adopted by all member States. Will European debates be then more visible to the public? Will the Lisbon Treaty help the European political parties obtaining the recognition they need on national scenes to become really transnational? Michael Schwarfswerdt places hopes in the reinforcement of the powers of the European Parliament and the one of the citizens themselves. Michael Schwarfswerdt intervieuw (2’09’’) [audio:http://www.euroalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/5-SCHWARFSWERDT.mp3|titles=5 - SCHWARFSWERDT]