PES activists interview: Kurt Beck - Party leader of the German social democrats (SPD)
Kurt Beck was elected leader of of the 142-year-old party Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany on 14 May 2006. He is at the same time prime minister of Rhineland-Palatinate land since 1994 and in March 2006, he and the SPD gained an absolute majority in the regional state elections.
"The PES has evolved to a strong forum for trend-setting politics and a policy making socialist network in EU institutions."
Ingo: What can the PES, the SPD and what can we - the members do, to establish a stronger link between the socialist parties in Europe.
Kurt Beck: As we speak, there are already close, deep and well-established links between the socialist and social democratic parties in Europe. Within the framework of the PES in particular, contacts are many. Within the framework of the PES in particular, contacts are many. In a multitude of bodies, project groups and networks a joint social democratic global strategy for Europe as well as specific topics are elaborated and promoted. Moreover, PES has – to my mind – committed itself to becoming a lively and open forum which promotes committing, progressive and trend-setting politics for Europe based on our socialist and social democratic values. The PES has evolved into a network capable of making decisions in the midst of European institutions. The – finally started – reshuffling of the PES structures has significantly contributed to such developments. Additionally, "PES activists" has led to innovative participation opportunities. I would like to see as many people profiting from this new possibility to be active and creative. This evolvement of an open PES for a democratic, open-minded and relevant socialist player should be consistently supported by us all!
"For us social democrats and socialists of Europe it is vital to use our leeway more consequently to learn from each other."
Pieter: Lieber Kurt, Since 1950
Kurt Beck: It is true that France and Germany, and more particularly both France’s PS and Germany’s SPD gave significant momentum to the European integration. In May this year, the SPD and the PS adopted a joint declaration on the future of the European Union, in which working on a social Europe is highlighted as the most important common priority.
One thing is clear: at a European level, we must agree upon a series of minimum but fundamental social standards in terms of workers’ rights, codetermination or even social, and social, training and education benefits for instance. The European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which is very far reaching in terms of fundamental social rights, is by the way a very important basis. The New Social Europe will only be able to take shape step by step and this social Europe is also the only solution to avoid a race to the bottom of social and economic standards.
It is also true that the future social Europe will not just come from the full harmonization of the social systems of all EU Member States. The historically grown differences between the different social models cannot be removed that easily, and I don’t think we should even try doing it. However we do have some leeway to learn from one another. And we should use this opportunity more than we do today.
"The social democratic and socialist parties are increasingly better when it comes to agreeing on a joint political agenda. The PES of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen as well as the Socialist Group in the European Parliament under the leadership of Martin Schulz are doing a tremendous job. "
Stefan: Big parts of the 90es, the social democrats were almost only amongst themselves in the Council and in the European Parliament. Nevertheless we failed to build a social Europe and large parts of public opinion sees Europe as a conservative project. Why should anyone believe that next time we will perform better? What have we learned from the past if we should regain majorities in the Council and the EP?
Kurt Beck: There are two basic reasons why I can say I am optimistic about the issue: on one hand, social democratic and social parties in Europe are increasingly better when it comes to agreeing on a joint political agenda. PES – under the auspices of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, as well as the PES Group in the European Parliament under the leadership of Martin Schulz – are doing a tremendous job and have imposed themselves as essential platforms for the coordination of our policy. The other reason is that we have reached a point in Europe where we increasingly take stock of the fact that Europe must be more than just a common market and a joint economic and monetary union. In Europe, citizens do feel the trend and want a Europe, which is socially strong as well. We should, we must embrace this awareness and make progress in order to achieve a social Europe. Two secondary aims should also guide us along the way: first, the welfare achieved in Europe must really benefit all citizens of Europe and not just a handful of them; and secondly, towards the outside, Europe must turn itself into a tool to achieve piece and social justice in the process of globalisation.
Alan: The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt says that, if the British government does not support a constitution for Europe, then the European Union must progress without Great Britain. Do you agree?
Kurt Beck: Despite some significant conflict before and during the EU Summit in June, reason, responsibility and the awareness for what the European Union has to offer came through. The compromise found is a good compromise. The substance of the constitutional treaty remains. This is what we always wanted and it has now been achieved. If the EU Treaty reform adopted enters – hopefully – into force, the European Union, United-Kingdom included, will stand on solid ground, which will in turn make the enlarged Union more democratic, more social and more active. In the past the United-Kingdom has played a constructive part in many areas like e.g. the development of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). I trust – and this is a very strong wish on my part – that it will remain so in the future as well. “Union is strength” was the motto of my political party when it was created; the motto should also be the leitmotiv for our future European Union.
Emmanuel: Bonjour, hasn’t the European Commission got too much power in the European decision making process? My impression from France is that the European Parliament cannot really have a big influence on a liberal commission who doesn’t respect the needs of our nation states.
Kurt Beck: The European Parliament is the European Union body that has seen its competencies grow the most over the last few years. The now drafted cornerstones for a new reform of the EU Treaty introduce yet again a clear strengthening of the European Parliament in the midst of the EU institutions. The co-decision procedure becomes the rule for the passing of EU legislation. Hence, the role of the European Parliament is strengthened as this body is now on an equal footing with the Council of Ministers when it comes to legislating. The fact that the Parliament now has significant political power over the European Commission has been demonstrated mainly in the conflict linked to the EU Service Directive. The original Commission Directive, which only focused on competition and liberalisation, has been entirely turned around mainly under the pressure exerted by the European Parliament and the PES Group in the Parliament and fundamentally amended to cater for better social balance.
Aleksander: Can the German government and especially the minister of foreign affairs, who is from the SPD, put the common SPD-French PS declaration about the Future of Europeinto practice? Don't you think that the new French president has after all a completely opposite vision of European integration?
Kurt Beck: The vision of the future of the European Union by both the French PS and the German SPD was a strong forward-looking signal that highlighted – in difficult times for the European integration – the long-term development prospects of the European Union and the fundamental common values and objectives of our two parties when it comes to influencing this evolution. No matter who is in government in Germany or France, this document will remain the background paper for the cooperation between SPD and PS on European politics and shall guide our action in the long run. Obviously, with a new government now in power in France, all our aims will not be reached. But let us not forget that the past has demonstrated enough, that a successful cooperation between Germany and France on European politics can also happen between heads of governments that do not necessary belong to the same political family: remember the cooperation between Helmut Schmidt and Valérie Giscard d’Estaing, or between Helmut Kohl and François Mitterand. These are the most striking examples of such cooperation. Looking at the present political constellation, we must by the way recognise that newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy has played a significant role in the last EU Summit and contributed to the successful reshuffling of the EU Treaty. The door is now wide open to see in a not too distant future the realisation of one of the essential European policy aims of the SPD.
Dirk: Dear Mr Beck, I am French and German and have been living in Germany for 7 years now. Being the father of a 2 years old son and having visited many "Kindergärten", I have heard the same from all kindergarten managers: "The German Government continues promising to develop family and increase the number of children but current laws and structures make our job more and more difficult. There is a significant lacking of means and consequently more and more structures are even closed... " What are the SPD’s proposals to support finally parents and especially women and give them a chance to equilibrate business and social life? Do you think that Germany could learn from other European countries?
Kurt Beck: Achieving a better work-life balance, for both fathers and mothers, has always been a central concern for us. This is in line with a modern vision of family. This is also in line with our social democratic concern, to make it easier precisely for the less well off in our country to have sufficient care solutions for their children to allow them to have a job and to help them lead the independent life of their choice. However, we do not want to advocate a single type of model only. However, we do want to make sure that every family with children has the opportunity of choosing its own path and in order to provide for this freedom of choice, in Germany we urgently need more child care solutions. Unfortunately, the German conservatives have – on grounds of ideology and of clinging to a traditional and long outdated family model – blocked substantial progress in this field for much too long. It is therefore an even bigger success that the Great Coalition between SPD and CDU is now agreed to implement fast and clear childcare solutions – particularly for children under the age of 3. This is a real progress for German families and a true success for my political party. Other European countries, in Scandinavia mainly but also e.g. countries like France, are still – for the time being – undoubtedly ahead of us, but Germany is definitely catching up.
Find more information:
Kurt Beck's website (in German only)The website of the German EU presidency
