C:LH6 Quarterly publication - June 2010 | ELDR News n°6 | www.eldr.eu
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The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR Party) brings together 56 political parties with common liberal, democratic and reform ideals and is the forum for member parties to develop co-ordinated policies.
8DCI:CIH PAGE 2 SPECIAL # # # # # # # # # # # # ∼ `URonomics ∼ 2010 - Zero growth for the Baltic States ∼ The Greek Crisis: an end or a beginning for the euro? PAGE 3 SPECIAL # # # # # # # # # # # # ∼ Challenging Demographic Change – ELDR Focus Year 2010 ∼ SWEDEN : Research + Education ∼ Combating youth unemployment
6Wdji YZbd\gVe]^X X]VaaZc\Zh them as our FOCUS for the months to come, inviting our member parties and SROLWLFDO RIoFH KROders to comment on them via the ELDR Focus year website on demographic change – www.eldrfocus.eu.
PAGE 4 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ∼ Cyprus : Turkey still set on Cyprus talks - “a lack of constructiveness” ∼ Iberian Peninsula Does liberalism have its oQJHU RQ WKH SXOVH" ∼ Liberal migration policies – taming the paper tiger PAGE 5 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ∼ Liberal Democrat Success to Bring Real Change to Britain ∼ Poland’s tragedy and hope PAGE 6 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ∼ LYMEC Campaign ∼ Creating the European public sphere ∼ Electoral Reform of the European Parliament PAGE 7 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ∼ Russia-EU: reset or partnership ∼ Albania and Bosnia & Herzegovina ∼ BOOK’S CORNER PAGE 8 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ∼ Planning of ELDR upcoming events ∼ ELDR Vice President Löning appointed to high level position in German Government
In a European context, the challenges of demography and the ageing of the population are considered as almost synonymous. Combined with the decrease of birth rates since the nineteen sixties, the increase of life expectancy is transforming the demographic pyramid into a more barrel like structure. This means that an ever smaller number of active citizens must take care of and pay for an ever larger number of senior citizens, thereby straining the sustainability of the European social security systems and putting increasing pressure on intergenerational solidarity. This, in a nutshell, is the common view on the present day challenges of demography in Europe. These challenges will be at the heart of our next ELDR Congress and we choose
The above sketched view is broadly correct in the case of the native European population; the situation is different for those segments of our population that are of foreign origin. In several Belgian cities for instance, increasing numbers of children are reaching school age and we will need many more schools and classes to educate them properly. The same is probably happening in many other European cities with large populations of so-called new Europeans, that is large populations whose ascendants migrated to Europe one, two or three generations ago.
If we take a still broader look, we may wonder what the effects of the Chinese one child policy will be, as this means that relatively fewer adults of working age will need to take care of larger numbers of older people. And what about the consequences of the Indian preference for male babies, which will entail a surplus of young men over young women?
The consequences of demography are inexorable, as today’s babies are tomorrow’s adults, and as possible corrections will take literally at least a whole generation to produce effects. These are but a few of the considerations about demography in Europe and the world over. I hope that many readers will offer us their thoughts on these and related subjects.
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On the other shore of the Mediterranean, the demographic outlook of the population is the almost exact opposite of the (white) European one, although their populations also enjoy longer lives than in the past. These societies struggle to
<VoV Xg^h^h Following the attack on a ship heading for the Gaza strip carrying humanitarian workers and aid, Annemie Neyts MEP, ELDR Party President said “I support the position of the European Parliament that the blockade of Gaza constitutes a collective punishment which is contrary to international law and there are real and genuine concerns that it is causing a humanitarian crisis. The blockade should be lifted. Furthermore, The Israeli attack happened in international waters, which goes against
create enough jobs for their young women and men. Many of those aspire to leave their home countries and come to Europe to build better lives.
Gjhh^V":J/ gZhZi dg eVgicZgh]^e global law. There should be an independent and international inquiry into what happened”. While Israel’s ambassador to the EU, Ran Kuriel, has robustly defended his country’s actions in targeting the ships by saying they were “not a peaceful humanitarian mission, but a provocation that became a tragedy», the European liberals deplore this policy and see it as counterproductive to the aim of bringing lasting peace and stability to the region.
>h V cZl gdVY bVe edhh^WaZ ^c i]Z [jijgZ4 The current state of relations between Russia and the European Union can be described at best as «a bad peace.» The old framework partnership and cooperation agreement has long expired, and negotiations on a new one stagnate; the “road
maps” to create common spaces between Russia and the EU completely abandoned, and various rows - from the pending impact of the war in Georgia to the customs FRQpLFWV FRPH WR WKH IRUH See P. 7