The Party of European Socialists voted yesterday to suspend its Slovak member party SMER due to their decision to enter a coalition with right wing and populist parties, a matter that I have previously written about here. News on the story from EUObserver and the PES Press Release give more information.

While the developments in the Slovak political system are a cause for considerable alarm, the positive aspect of this decision shows that the PES is finally becoming more than a network of parties with a general interest. It actually means something to be a PES member party after yesterday’s decision, and that is a welcome step towards the goal of transnational political parties. With other initiatives such as PES Activists, I’m currently quite optimistic about how the PES is getting its act together.