European Socialists and Liberals unite!

A plea in favour of a truly reformist “social-liberal EU restart alliance” in the European Parliament. 

Von Wolf Achim Wiegand

Hamburg/Brussels (waw) – We do not yet know the results of the European Elections taking place 23^rd until 26^th May, 2019. But what we know is that the long time predicted victory of the conser­vative block (Christian Democrats) appears not as likely as some people have believed.

• Reason is that the British Labour Party could – according to polls – surpri­singly return a signi­ficant number of lawmakers to Brussels and Stras­bourg while the British Tories could be washed down the sink.
• Thus ironi­cally Labour could provide the number of MEPs necessary to crown the European socialist’s delegation as the biggest parlia­mentary group in the European Parliament (EP) at a time when the UK ist departing from the EU.
• Europe’s Liberals (including a small number of seats if at all by the British Liberal Democrats) meanwhile are seen as the No. 3 faction. With 10 percent of seats the ALDE Group can be potential kingmakers in the formation of any pro-EU majority coalition.

New perspec­tives open up, especially in terms of colla­bo­ra­tions in the European Parliament.

I am an active member of the paneu­ropean Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party Individual Members. I worry that we could miss the oppor­tunity to be in the driving seat to restart Europe and rocket upwards towards new horizons. That is why I propose

a “new deal for Europe”,
a reformist “social-liberal restart alliance”,

provided the election returns bring my proposal within achie­vable range.

Why? Let me put forward just three arguments:

1. For Europe to survive we do urgently need a hearts touching deter­mined move towards real EU reforms. This means i.e. to adress the widening gap between socially deprived people and those fully or relatively well off. Closing the gap can create stimu­la­tions to make Europe compe­titive great again. This task needs recon­ci­liation between those promoting concepts of a modestly state driven economy and those arguing in favour of a social market economy. Let us begin a joint effort towards an empathic European Union that cares for it’s citizens.
2. The conser­vative forces in Europe have bled dry. They have utterly failed to drive back right-wing populist parties and lack any vision how to to bring the European Union on the offensive. Instead they remain in a “just going on” mentality. The European People‘s Party (EPP) cannot really be trusted to lead the way towards an EU-wide accepted vision of a future Europe and should take a leave after decades long domination in Brussels.
3. The conser­vative Bavarian politician Manfred Weber is by no means the one person for EU Commission President. His outdated approach makes him not the person of new European projec­tions. What we need is personnel that is able to initiate a bottom-up process accepted not only by the big players like his homecountry Germany but in parti­cular by the many medium and smaller sized countries. Subsi­diarity, not big power dominance, is a very liberal approach.

Conclusion:

• 

• 

The combi­nation of the recon­ciling personal character of the social democratic EU Vice President Frans Timmermans (NL) and the toughness of the rules based free market attitude of liberal EU Commis­sioner for Compe­tition Margrete Vestager (DK) would be the very best mix at the EU helmet. Both indivi­duals are highly experi­enced, able to create fresh ideas, and be in the position to move Europe forward.

A social-liberal restart alliance would by the way create a fine platform for Emanuel Macron whose new party La République en Marche (LaREM) could win a signi­ficant number of seats in the EU assembly. The former socialist is currently sort of a child sitting in the middle of leftists and liberals. Ambitions to form a close election camapign pact between LaREM and ALDE Party have unfort­u­nately become soured. But the perspective of a reformist European “coalition” could breath new life into the French president’s ambitions to have a say in the EU’s fate.

Loving Europe means to make Europe a better place. I want a pleasant living space for you and me, our children and our grand­children. And for many genera­tions to come after. Let us be brave and do what has to be done!

The debate is open – let me know YOUR opinion!