Bundestag Elections 2009: For a Strong and Social Europe

Europe is our common opportunity to realise the goals of progress and social justice in a global 21st century. Where the power of nation states reaches its limits, a Europe, unified in solidarity, can and must achieve a victory for democratic politics over the free play of market forces.

As a party with a clear pro-European profile, we are the driving political force for a democratic Europe of citizens, capable of acting. Deepening and widening of the European Union remain the formative dimensions of our social democratic European policy.

Creating a Social Europe:

 We aim to progressively develop the European tradition of the welfare state. To achieve that, economic activity has to be framed by a political and social regulatory regime. European Economic and Monetary Union has to be complemented by a European Social Union. We want to agree upon European wide minimum social standards to prevent a downward spiral of earnings and social standards in Europe and to accomplish social advances at a European level.

For a Social Stability Pact:

We are demanding a European Social Stability Pact as a crucial component of a future European Social Union. The pact shall define goals and parameters for social and education expenditure, which will be in relation to the respective economic performance of the EU Member States. In this way, common advances for better education and improved social protection standards can be achieved, while at the same time preserving the independence of the Member States' respective social security systems. As a second element of the social stability pact, we call for minimum wage regulations in all EU member states.

Good Work in Europe: 

We want to bind the EU institutions to specific social standards and rights. We are arguing for a social progress clause in EU primary legislation and aim for the improvement and widening of the Posting of Workers Directive. The same wage and working conditions for the same work at the same place have to be valid all over Europe!

Strong Co-determination:

The principle of co-determination of employees in firms and companies is an element that makes up a social Europe and is a requirement for good work. The extensive co-determination standards of the European Company Statute have to become a benchmark and guideline for the advancement of European company law. We also intend to extend the rights of European workers' councils. They have to be announced at an early stage, comprehensively heard and integrated effectively into company decisions.

Legal Security for General Public Services:

For general public services we want to create more European legal security. The provision of water, the disposal of sewage and waste, public transport, important health and social services and also the public broadcasting services serve the common good. They should not become subject to a one-sided need for liberalisation and privatisation.

Making Europe more Democratic and more Capable of Acting

Realise the Lisbon Treaty:

Europe's and the EU's assertiveness in the first truly global century requires the political capacity to act, which is borne by democratic legitimacy. For this reason, we want the Lisbon Treaty to come into effect as soon as possible. With it, the EU will become more democratic, more capable of acting, will be closer to the citizens and also more social. In the long run, we want to develop Europe into a democratically constituted citizens' union. The democratic Europe of the future needs a government responsible to a parliament on the basis of a European constitution.

Strengthening Europe as a Power for Peace:

We wish that Europe’s identity as a global power that promotes peace is further strengthened, and that Europe takes on responsibility for peace and development in the world, enforces human rights and international law, advances democracy and dialogue between cultures, and advocates social and ecological standards in the global economy. We want to foster the European Security and Defence Policy and its civil component in particular. Beyond that, Europe has to further increase its engagement for comprehensive development cooperation. Another part of Europe's responsibility for a fair global economy is also that existing tariffs and other trade barriers, as well as subsidies, will continue to be removed.

Keeping the Doors Open:

EU enlargement policy shall be continued as a successful policy for peace. We support the accession of Turkey, if it fulfils the required criteria. Moreover, we support the accession path of the Western Balkan countries.

For strong and transparent rules on the financial markets

This time of crisis for international capitalism allows us to reassert the role of the public, the role of democracy and the role of government. This is the time to swing the balance in favour of the democratic state over the global market, in favour of public interest over private financial gain, in favour of accountable government over unaccountable speculation. This is the time to confidently reclaim the high ground in our debates with market liberals and to put forward our progressive vision for financial markets. Financial markets should never have any supreme role over other sectors, they should serve citizens, corporations, savers and the state in financing projects, facilitating savings and payment, and to finance human development and the response to global environmental challenges.

Building on talks that have already taken place in the EU and at global level, we want to reform financial markets. Regulation has to cover all financial players. In particular, hedge funds and private equity funds must be monitored and regulated more effectively. We also demand to change incentive and remuneration schemes. Those who wish to benefit from profits must also bear losses. We need limits on top executive pay and bonuses. We must also work to put an end to tax havens, tax avoidance scams and tax evasion. And we strongly feel that those who have caused the crisis on the financial markets need to be involved in paying the costs of the crisis. Therefore we advocate a financial transaction tax in Europe and the world.

A Strong European Economic and Industrial Policy

As a response to the international financial crisis and its consequences, which are being felt in the real economy, we are arguing for a strong common European policy for sustainable promotion of growth and employment in Europe. Economy, labour and environment are not contrasting things for us - they belong together!

Enhance Coordination in Economic and Public Finance:

We want to improve and regulate economic and public finance coordination at an EU level. At this moment in time, during the recent economic and financial crisis, we need defined steps towards a strong, common European economic policy.

Strong SMEs, Less Red Tape:

We call for a new European push to strengthen competitiveness, especially in SMEs, with eased access to credit and the further reduction of administrative burdens within the Internal Market.

For an Innovative Europe:

We demand enhanced European investments in innovation, research and development, as well as in sustainable European infrastructure, such as energy networks or broadband provision. We also intend to implement an ecological industrial policy. For this we need a European research campaign in environmental technology and renewable energy.

A Strong and Social Europe – Our Key for the Future

For the SPD as a European party, the European Union is not just an international organisation amongst others, whose right to existence is merely bound up with its national utility. For us, European cooperation is the world's exemplary attempt to break through the structural focus on the nation state in international relations. The European Integration project leads towards a cooperative world order, which makes cooperation the key word in the global 21st century.

The future of European integration is uncertain: neither is its progress self-evident, nor its direction predefined. We want to reinforce and renew the political will, which carries European integration forward. We also want to accomplish our political direction for Europe. For us Europe should be strong and social!

Over the last century, the SPD and the labour unions in Germany have proved that a civilising form of capitalism is feasible – through co-determination in firms and companies, through employment rights, through social and ecological rules and standards that provide boundaries for the free market economy, and finally through just and universal participation in commonly created prosperity. In the global 21st century, we have to provide this evidence again. Today's stage is Europe.