The first part of the discussion focused on the incapacity of the current economy to serve the people and the primacy that markets play. “The markets act and the politicians react,” said Alex Bodry, leader of the Luxembourg Socialist Worker’s Party. “If we want to leave the paradigm of market society and if we want to implement our social and environmental considerations, we need Europe to change the fundamental rules of the markets” he added.
In order to return a good and credible leadership for Europe, Karl-Heinz Lambertz (President of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions) called for a return to economic fundamentals: “It is necessary that one doesn’t make more money out of money than out of real products and services.”
Joseph Muscat (leader of the Maltese Labour Party) added: “Everybody knows we are better than the right and extreme-right in giving everyone an opportunity for success. What we need now is to convince people that we are also better at creating wealth.”
Victor Ponta (President of the Romanian Social Democratic Party) highlighted the exacerbating contrast between the East and the West: “We don’t have the same problems with banks in Romania, because we don’t have any Romanian banks! We don’t have any problems with the European Commission because we deal only with the IMF!” and added: “We need a truly European strategy. What we have now is a selfish and conservative Franco-German position.”
Emma Reynolds, UK Shadow Minister for Europe, stressed that the momentum for progressive policies is though gaining ground: “In our country, the Conservatives are hell-bent on creating a smaller state using the deficits as an excuse. It has worked for a year and half as a big PR coup. But that is starting to turn.”
“Neoliberalism has deformed people. Selfishness has become a priority, while true solidarity is the only solution for the crisis,” concluded Karl-Heinz Lambertz.
