PES Manifesto

Yohann Abiven: the New European Deal

Published Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 10:06
by yoan.abiven in New Social Europe (589 views and 1 comments)

In these present times of total and globalised capitalism, what socialists really strive for is to equate prosperity and solidarity anew. In former times, in XIXth century France, this was called “solidarisme”. It was only through the Republic and socialism that France was able to consolidate and give a human face to this new individualistic order and come up with the first social insurance systems. It seems to me that we are undergoing a similar transition today. True, the present context is totally different: we are in post-modern times where Nation States are fading and we are asking ourselves the eternal question of the relationship between individuals and society. To what regulations, what authority could these free individuals legitimately be accountable? This question is relevant at all levels: in the family structure, in the company, in the streets, at university, when paying taxes, etc. As for the workplace, there is a social-democratic response, namely flexicurity and this response is based on a clear awareness of the conditions of the knowledge economy. Is this enough? I am committed to two things: Europe on the one hand and France on the other. Here is why.

The PES should support European flexicurity based on a social dialogue carried out at European level and not a sum of competing flexicurities restricted to the national levels. “The truth on this side of the Pyrenees, error on the other”, once said a visionary man. If this “Pensée” of Pascal can be applied today, then the new Social Europe will fizzle out.

The French Socialists should use the opportunity of a new deal that flexicurity provides them with. I see too many unhappy and unemployed researchers around, too much wasted talent under the pretext that in France, the degree, the title, the certainties of administrations and of the “grandes écoles”, those prestigious higher education institutes, prevail over experience and initiative. Let us make sure that we, the Socialists of France and Europe, do not defend the status quo, vested interests and old corporatist traditions because otherwise not only will we hamper flexibility but in addition, we will undoubtedly deprive workers of job security and hence Europe of its activists.
Yohann Abiven

Tags: blogger of the week, economy, flexibility, flexisecurity, PES, security, social europe, work