in 1980, the Confederation of Socialist Parties approved its first Statute. The accession of Greece to the EU in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986, brought in more parties. In 1984, a common Socialist election manifesto proposed a socialist remedy for the economic crisis of the time by establishing a link between industrial production, protection of fundamental social benefits, and the fight for an improved quality of life. 1990s In 1992, with the European Community becoming the European Union and with the Treaty of Maastricht establishing the framework for political parties at a European level, the Confederation of Socialist Parties voted to transform itself into the Party of European Socialists. The party's first programme concentrated on job creation, democracy, gender equality, environmental and consumer protection, peace and security, regulation of immigration, discouragement of racism and fighting organised crime. Along with the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, the founding members of the PES were: Social Democratic Party of Austria Socialist Party (Francophone) and the Socialist Party (Flemish) of Belgium Social Democrats of Denmark Socialist Party of France Social Democratic Party of Germany Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Greece Labour Party of Ireland Italian Democratic Socialist Party, Italian Socialist Party and Democratic Party of the Left of Italy Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party Labour Party of the Netherlands Socialist Party of Portugal Spanish Socialist Workers' Party Swedish Social Democratic Party Labour Party and Social Democratic and Labour Party of the UK 2000s In 2004 Poul Nyrup Rasmussen defeated Giuliano Amato to be elected President of the PES, succeeding Robin Cook in the post. He was re-elected for a further 2.5 years at the PES Congress in Porto on 8 December 2006 and again at the Prague Congress in 2009. 2010s In 2010, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies was founded as the political foundation (think tank) of the PES. Mr Rasmussen stood down at the PES Progressive Convention in Brussels on 24 November 2011. He was replaced as interim president by Sergey Stanishev, at the time chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and former prime minister of Bulgaria. On 28–29 September 2012, the PES Congress in Brussels Congress elected interim president Sergey Stanishev as full President, as well as four deputies: Jean-Christophe Cambadélis (1st Vice-President – PS), Elena Valenciano (PSOE), Jan Royall (Labour) and Katarína Neveďalová (Smer-SD). The same Congress elected Achim Post (SPD) as its new secretary general, and