PES activists interview: Martin Schulz, September 2006

Martin Schulz, the chairman of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament is our interviewee of September. What are the strategies of the socialist group to give the EU more democratic structures? How do the work and the cooperation between socialists in the EP differ from national parliaments?



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Kathrin: What is the difference between PSE and PES? When I surfed the website in the Parliament it was always talking of PSE but when I became an activist and surfed the homepage of the European party, I found always the expression PES. Is it the same or is there a difference?

Martin Schulz: There is none; it is purely linguistic.

Aleksander: Lieber Martin, do you think that the agendas of both the PES and its Parliamentary Group in the EP are rightly articulated? How do you plan to improve the cooperation so as to give more media visibility to the PES action as a whole?

Martin Schulz: I think PES agenda and its parliamentary group are well articulated. We have an excellent cooperation and are able to fine tune our positions at any time even when it comes to details about the voting line to be taken on individual directives and. There is a regular exchange almost on a daily basis, between myself and the PES leader who actively participates in all our PES Group bureau meetings where we decide our policy lines. On the other hand I or one of my representatives participate in the PES presidency meetings, so the mutual information flow is excellent.

Francisco: Do you believe we should have trans-national lists for the next European elections and a single European constituency? Should the PES become a true European political party, to which the Group is accountable, following the national model? 

Martin Schulz: I guess that would be the ideal model in a hopefully not too distant future and we are gradually moving towards it. Identification with a european party is something that is high on the agenda of many young voters and would mean another step towards the creation of a true european identity. A single european constituency and most of all a uniform european electoral system would more accurately reflect the voters wishes and preferences. However we must be realistic and not forget that we are not that far yet. Many national member parties are reluctant to give up their independence

James: Martin,  I have the feeling that the affilation with a country often counts more for MEPs than their membership with the group. And there is the old habit of concensus in the European Parliament which also often undermines the whip. How hard is it to achieve cooperation within the the socialist group? Is there a shift for better team-play during the last years?

Martin Schulz: I do not share this view. The PES group has been the dominant group in the EP and has shaped policy in the Parliament and beyond, despite only coming second in numbers. This was possible through a high degree of cohesion and voting discipline within the group which means that many have made compromises on their national views. It is one of our main achievements and I am very proud of that. A multinational and multicultural body can only function with mutual and tolerant respect of each others views, and sometimes even giving them up for a greater good. It works in our PES group but I cannot speak for the other political parties. Of course very occasionally there are unbridgeable national divisions on very isolated issues, we do not force a particular vote then, but accept different voting behaviour if it is well explained and justified.

Dan: Democracy is assumed to be of advantages for citizens concerning welfare, liberty, security or in general the quality of life compared with other regimes, in examples governed by technocrats or dictatorship. This seems to be true for local, regional and national democracy in the EU member countries. Isn't democracy in the EU and in the EU-parliament something else, i.e. coordination of national policies, creation of EU institutions and more engagement in other area of the world? 

Martin Schulz: I am not sure whether I understand your question correctly. For me democracy on European level means transparency and accountability of european decision making, a system of checks and balances by freely elected representatives of the citizens who act according to the wishes concerns and interests of their electorate, just like in a national parliament. The fact that the tasks and the problems in a multinational and multicultural body differ from a national one as you suggest does not alter the meaning of democracy.

Nils: Dear Martin, we have all seen with great concern the new coalition between SMER and the SNS in Slovakia. The PES is going to decide about an expulsion at their next presidency meeting. Can the Slovak MEPs under these conditions remain in the socialist group? Isn't it necessary that at least they publish an open declaration that they dismay the coalition in Slovakia? What is your oppinion on this sensitive topic?

Martin Schulz: A PES party forming a coalition with a party which is known for its right wing extremist agenda which is contrary to all our convictions and beliefs like the SNS is something that should not have happened.  I have made clear several times in public that such a party violating the PES statute cannot be a member. As to how we will deal with individual SMER members in our group depends largely on the decision by the PES Presidency which we will of course implement. I could imagine that some sort of declaration of disassociation with the coalition in SK will be a minimum requirement.

Paul: How should we behave with the belligerents in the war in Lebanon, one being a private militia, and the other being a state? Do we want a dialogue with a terrorist group who has close ties with radically anti-democratic states? What are the measures that we are proposing so that the Lebanese government should control its own territory?

Martin Schulz: I think that we should take up the dialogue with Hamas once they confirm to the principle of non violence not just by words but also by deeds. The recent conflict in Lebanon, the current situation in Palestine and the crisis in the Middle East in general are a serious threat to international peace and security. The Resolution 1701, adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council, provides an opportunity to open a new chapter in the region. The European Union has a special responsibility in this process, also with regard to the fact that we are talking about Europe's neighbourhood. In its own resolution on the Middle East, adopted by a large majority, the European Parliament welcomed the active role played by EU Member States in strengthening the forces of UNIFIL in South Lebanon. On the other hand, we stressed again that there was no military solution to the situation in the Middle East and that no peace could be lasting without the parties directly or indirectly involved showing the political will to tackle the root causes of the crisis, with special regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have to be aware that the current situation, when the solutions proposed by the United States have completely failed, considerably contributing to the current situation, is a historic opportunity but also a historic responsibility for us, Europeans. Europe has given the right answer to this challenge both in the field of peacekeeping efforts and at the Donors' Conference for Lebanon held in Stockholm. But we should never forget that the bulk of the work is still to be done. The implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701 requires a strong commitment from the international community, with the EU playing a leading role. Therefore, my answer to your question is: the EU must and will play a major role in the Middle East, and not only in peacekeeping but also in finding a just and lasting peace as well as economic and social prosperity in the region.

Sue: Dear Martin, can you give me some idea of how you think the policy of the Socialist Group will evolve on the freedom/security debate, in the light of recent terror incidents? 

Martin Schulz: This is a difficult question for a short answer and it is interlinked with the previous one. One thing is clear: the unilateral military style approach of the Bush-administration has failed. The fight against terror can not be won on military means only. The EU can play a major role as it still has credibility and trust as a negotiator and broker in many parts of the world. Of course we must be unified and speak with one voice otherwise we will lose the impact. Multilateralism and close cooperation and therefore reinforcement and strengthening of the UN security council is the only option in my eyes.

Ian: I understand that there is a proposed Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Group within the PES party which will be similar to PES women. What are your views on this? How do you think that we as socialists can lobby effectively for LGBT rights in Europe, also and especially in the new member states? Could the European Parliament help to bring about uniformity on Partnership rights?

Martin Schulz: I think it is a good idea to have such a body within the party monitoring the situation in the Member States and then pressing for action if need be. The Socialist Group in the European Parliament has always fought against homophobia and has been very outspoken when faced with alarming developments in some Member States as seen recently and we will continue to do so. Equal treatment and non-discrimination are one of our core beliefs and convictions.

Michaël: The framework convention for the protection of national minorities of the Council of Europe was open for ratification on 1 February 1995 and has been signed by 27 states out of 34 since then. Up until now, Belgium has not ratified this convention. Are you going to call on Belgian politicians to sign the convention so that our country should at last become a haven of linguistic peace?

Martin Schulz: I was not aware of this at all until now, frankly speaking I find this very surprising, although I am of course aware of the tensions and rivalries between the three language groups in Belgium. I will take this matter up with my Belgian colleagues.