PES Manifesto

manifesto2009 barometer: EU in the world III

Published Monday, June 9, 2008 at 16:30
by Editor (487 views and 0 comments)

The last months of the debates on EU in the world have again brought many proposals to include in the Manifesto to the 2009 European elections.

Global Disarmament

Several participants recommend that the Manifesto mentions Europe’s responsibility to ensure global disarmament and arms controls. Measures could include working towards a nuclear weapons-free Europe, reducing military expenses, focusing on conflict prevention, revitalising international processes and agreements (such as the non-proliferation and the CFE treaties), and banning small arms and light weapons (SALW) exports to unstable regions. But participants also agreed that the EU should develop its own military structures outside NATO to be able to independently carry out missions covered by the Petersberg tasks. Also, EU member states should press the US to restrain from engaging private contractors in conflict regions.

Towards democratic international institutions

The democratisation of international institutions and regulatory bodies was also seen as a key priority by participants. Proposals in this regard included that the UN Security Council be replaced by the UN General Assembly as the central decision making body, with the direct election of UN representatives, and an EU representation in international institutions such as the UN. The PES could also promote the use of Esperanto on international forums, for better understanding among citizens and nations.

A new global model of social protection

Some participants highlighted the need to compensate for the excessive power of economic liberalism with a new global model of social protection. The PES should ensure that socialism becomes as global as liberalism; otherwise the welfare state might disappear! To ensure that citizens all over the world have the same social and democratic rights, awareness rising is crucial, through all means available (internet, newspapers, if necessary clandestinely).

Eradicating poverty: food crisis, decent work, fair trade, financing for development, human rights…

Socialists and Social democrats should remember that they are born out of the hunger and poverty of the XIXth century, and therefore need to fight the current global food crisis and ensure decent work for all. For instance, the EU should export its best technology to enhance food production. Josep Borrell, MEP, also highlighted that fair trade is the most powerful factor for development (“the market shouldn’t be the survival of the fittest”), together with institution-building and fighting human rights violations. According to EURODAD, priorities in the Manifesto shoud include increasing aid effectiveness, flows and predictability; cancelling illegitimate debt and avoiding future debt crisis; increasing transparency of financial flows to avoid risk of crisis, by promoting a development-friendly and stable financial system. For Ana Gomes, MEP, the fight against corruption and enhance European economic governance is also essential to reduce the gap between the poor and the rich. Action Aid insisted on the need to refocus on people’s rights (rather than corporate rights), to deliver on commitments (such as the MDGs) on poverty reduction, on quantity and quality of aid, and to ensure policy coherence for development. MEP Javier Moreno explained a PSOE policy to tackle brain drain: for each doctor/engineer who comes from a developing country to work to Spain, the Spanish government pays the education of another doctor/engineer in the country of origin.

The European Neighbourhood

For Sauvons l'Europe, the EU partnership for the Mediterranean must offer a political response to the issue of economic migration. The Manifesto should therefore promote a new Euro-Mediterranean Mobility (EMM) that would lead to a common system of social solidarities. We need to create a Euro-Mediterranean supranational organisation aiming at formulating this EMM. Enlargement to Turkey was also part of the debates, participants arguing that Islam is also part of Europe. They agreed that if Turkey fills the criteria it should be given full membership, but insisted that it must first, like other countries, respect democratic values and human rights.

Who will pay the bill for the global financial crisis?

The current global financial crisis was seen by Sortir de l’Impasse as a crucial issue. According to them, the starting point of the crisis is the lack of US regulation regarding home mortgages. But despite that, Europe has to pay half of the bill: Europe and the US suffered each around US$150 billion losses so far. So before making proposals to improve the financial worldwide framework (which will be essential), the first step should be to directly ask the US to be accountable for its lack of regulation.

Tags: activists, barometer, EU, neighbours, poverty, social dialogue, UN, USA