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 Partycould – according to polls– surpri­singly return a signi­ficant number of lawmakers to Brussels and Stras­bourg while the British Toriescould 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 Weberis 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:

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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!