Progressives on
Both Sides of Atlantic Must Work Against the Right (GazetaWyborcza, Poland)
“Only with a
clear and compelling strategy, and strong determination to build an open and fair
society, can we defeat right-wing nationalist groups like the Tea Party, or the
xenophobic, extremist political movements found in many European countries. … Now
is the time to resume this work as a strong, progressive alliance among
Socialists, Social Democrats and Italian Democrats on one side, and Democrats
in the United States on the other.”
Austrian lawmaker Hannes Swoboda, leader of the the European Parliament's Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, believes progressives have a rare opportunity with the election of French President Hollande. He is calling for a grand alliance of progressives in Europe and the United States to more actively cooperate in the fight against austerity and for a more just society.
In the wake of Francois Hollande’s election as president of France, not only
has the political landscape radically changed in France, but across Europe, it
has radically changed. The European has regained its lost self-confidence and
self esteem.
Even before the elections in France, the collapse of
the Dutch and Romanian governments, as well as the absolute majority won by [left-wing]
Robert Fico in the Slovakia
general elections, were clear signs of the changes taking Europe in a
completely different direction.
The same phenomenon can be observed in a number of local
elections in Germany. However, without a doubt, one can surmise that Francois Hollande's victory was a decisive turning point for the
left.
New alliances are now possible. The first alliance is
primarily that of European citizens, who are all under the burden of incredibly
restrictive austerity measures promoted by Germany’s conservative government,
and which had been supported by Nicolas Sarkozy.
In this context, we must strengthen and improve our
communication with citizens. Moreover, left wing governments and heads of state,
which were previously under fairly strong pressure from Merkel and Sarkozy, are now partners in the fight for another, newer
policy.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
Democrats in the European Parliament, which has long called for an alternative growth
policy, has obtained the strong support from the newly elected president of
France.
Right now several proposals are being discussed in support
of public investment, bringing these back to pre-crisis levels. To provide a strong
impetus for growth, all we need to do is select, or better still, implement a
few of them. The key here is to turn the golden rule that enforces financial
and economic restrictions into a golden rule that promotes fiscal sustainability
through investing in development.
Closely tied to an overall European economic recovery is
undoubtedly correcting the inequitable distribution of income and wealth. The
negative trend of income distribution, leading to a widening gap between rich
and poor, is more pronounced in the U.S. than Europe. But this disturbing trend
is evident in many European countries. Adjusting the current distribution of
income and wealth to the levels of 20 years ago would, in itself, support growth
and employment, as social sectors with lower incomes would spend more and thus increase
overall consumption.
The tax proposals of Presidents Hollande
and Obama, and relevant proposals of Socialists and Democrats are moving in the
same direction, namely: reducing unfair distribution and the collection of taxes
on investments. It is necessary at this point to develop a common strategy, taking
into account any national differences and peculiarities.
For months, President Obama has called for increased
investment to generate growth and employment. Noteworthy is the fact that many
right-wing politicians, who often blindly implement policies of the United
States in their own countries, criticized Obama’s policy of investment to
create growth. However, when it comes to regulating financial markets and
financial transaction taxes, the U.S. is not keeping pace with the European
Union - or at least with Europe’s progressive political forces.
Posted
by Worldmeets.US
That is not to imply that a major overhaul of balancing and
regulating financial markets has been accomplished. We would hope that if Obama
is re-elected, he would present a more progressive approach to these issues. Furthermore,
that will depend less on Obama’s reelection than on the results of elections
for Congress.
Human and civil rights, as well as immigration and
integration, are also issues on which Socialists and Democrats in the U.S. and
Europe should establish closer and stronger cooperation.
Our societies are ones of incredible diversity. This is
evident in the different sexual orientations or the individual immigration histories
of our citizens. We are no longer able to divide our society into a clearly defined
majority and minority – or into “them” and “us.” Many of Francois Hollande’s free and open-minded statements, as well as actions
and speeches of Barack Obama, demonstrate the willingness of these two leaders
to build a progressive society and validate diversity.
Without a doubt, when it comes to creating a society that
fully accepts their diversity, U.S. and European countries still have a long
way to go. However, thanks to close collaboration, we can make faster progress through
mutual support. Only with a clear and compelling strategy, and strong
determination to build an open, but also from a social point of view, fair
society, can we defeat right-wing nationalist groups like the Tea Party, or the
xenophobic, extremist political movements found in many European countries.
Progressive and left political forces on both sides of the
Atlantic still have many tasks ahead, and progressive groups themselves are
very diverse. However, we should not only use the present opportunity to
introduce a new face for Europe and create new opportunities, but construct a
progressive partnership across the Atlantic. The fairly loose collaboration of
Blair and Clinton and other leaders of the “third way” were seen in part as an
alternative to the Socialists of continental Europe. Now it is time to resume
this work as a strong, progressive alliance among Socialists, Social Democrats
and Italian Democrats on one side, and Democrats in the United States on the
other.
Globalization is a process we are unable to stop. We should also
never stop working until the process is fair for all participants. But in order
for globalization to be inherently fair, a strong partnership is needed between
the European Union and the United States. And by this is not meant cooperation
with those eager for military intervention - even without United Nations
support.
We need a transatlantic alliance of progressive forces, the
aim of which is to restore justice and fairness to our societies. It is more
and more apparent that conservative policies in Europe – with the huge
unemployment and growing xenophobia that has resulted on one side,
and the victory of Francois Hollande on the other – have
created a tremendous opportunity for such a global alliance. Collaboration
between the European Union and the United States may be at the core of this
alliance, but others of course should be able to join.
*Hannes Swoboda is president of
the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the
European Parliament.
