liberal Liberals advancing in Europe Estonia’s EU Presidency: Working for citizens Interview with Jßri Ratas Modernising Slovenia A chat with Miro Cerar On the road to freedom Words by Violeta Bulc Determined to defend Didier Reynders on NATO and security
FIRST ISSUE 2017
Calendar 2-3 June 2017
Ljubljana, Slovenia ALDE Party Council Meeting
8 June 2017
United Kingdom and Northern Ireland General election
9-11 June 2017
Helsinki, Finland SFP Congress
11 and 18 June 2017 France Legislative elections
11 September 2017 Norway Parliamentary election
16-17 September 2017 Nyborg, Denmark Radikale Venstre Congress
24 September 2017 Germany Federal election
Contents Editorial by ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen
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Modernising Slovenia Interview Miro Cerar Prime Minister of Slovenia
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Estonia’s EU Presidency: Working for citizens Interview Jüri Ratas Prime Minister of Estonia
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We need to start working: 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaty at Chateau Sainte Anne
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On the road to freedom Article Violeta Bulc European Commissioner on Transport and mobility
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Determined to defend Interview Didier Reynders Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
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European Women’s Academy Classe of 2017
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Liberal Words New ALDE Party Individual Members’ blog
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Best from social media
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28 September – 1 October 2017
Malmö, Sweden Centerpartiet Congress
7-8 October 2017 Vejle, Denmark Venstre Congress
13-14 October
Dublin, Ireland Fianna Fáil 78u Ard Fheis
20-21 October 2017 Czech Republic Legislative election
Save the date ALDE Party Congress 2017 1-3 December Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party is the party representing liberal democrat values across Europe. In conjunction with our liberal member parties throughout the European continent, we are translating the principle of freedom into politics, economics and across all other areas of our societies. The ALDE Party provides an increasingly vital link between citizens and the EU institutions and is continuously growing in size and significance. The ALDE Party is made up of more than 60 member parties and many individual members from across Europe. Liberal Democrats created their political family in 1976, ahead of the first European elections. ALDE was established as a truly transnational political party in 1993. In April 2017, the ALDE Party was legally recognised under European law as the first European political party. Liberal Bulletin is a publication of the ALDE Party. It is published twice a year. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Rue d’Idalie 11 – box 2, 1050 Brussels Tel. +32 2 237 01 40 – Fax. +32 2 231 19 07 Editors: Daniel Tanahatoe, Adriana Díaz, Andrew Burgess, Laura Owen ALDE Party Publisher: Didrik de Schaetzen, ALDE Party Layout: Nadège Van Hoorde Printing: Printdeal.be
With the support of the European Parliament
editorial Liberals advancing in Europe. Emmanuel Macron takes the lead! Emmanuel Macron won the second round of the French Presidential elections with 66% of the vote by offering an alternative to stagnation. The old establishment of the Republicans and the Socialists which did not even make it to the second round, has been discredited and pulverised. Marine Le Pen of the Front National represented the “closed”, inward-looking France and not the open, dynamic, liberal and forward-looking Grande Nation of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Macron’s new France will inspire the French and the Europeans as Cool Britain of Tony Blair did in the past. President Macron now has to secure a presidential majority in the elections for the Assemblée Nationale by transforming En Marche! into a political party which will make it possible for him to effectively govern. The reform of Europe should start in France. It was the right decision to deny former Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls a parliamentary seat on behalf of En Marche! which should not become a centre of refuge for the old guard. We, as the ALDE Party, are grateful that especially our French colleagues in the ALDE Group in the European Parliament have so effectively supported Macron and En Marche! We hope that the good contacts and support from many parts of our ALDE family will convince Emmanuel Macron to align En Marche! with the Liberal and Democratic family and that this consequently will mean that we will welcome many new extra French colleagues in the ALDE family in the European Parliament in 2019! The victory of Emmanuel Macron and En Marche! does not stand by itself. It started in Austria where the centrist liberal, as he described himself, Alexander van der Bellen defeated the extreme right-winger Norbert Hofer from FPÖ in the Presidential elections. The trend was strengthened in The Netherlands where VVD maintained its position as the largest political party and D66 led by Alexander Pechtold did very well in the recent parliamentary elections. VVD and D66 together hold more than one third of the seats in the Dutch House of Representatives. The next Dutch Government under Prime Minister Mark Rutte will play a vital role in Europe and within ALDE. Geert Wilders gained some seats but lost the elections. The same will be the case with the Front National in the coming French parliamentary elections. In Germany, FDP, led by Christian Lindner, has won many regional elections and is expected to re-enter the Bundestag coming September. AfD is on the retreat. However, we should not rest on our laurels. The extreme right and left wing populists have experienced painful setbacks but they have not been beaten yet. Emmanuel Macron was wise to state that he will also listen to the citizens who voted for Marine Le Pen. They are not, like Hillary Clinton said “deplorables”; they are citizens which should be taken seriously. The family of European Liberals and Democrats is well represented in the European Council by Mark Rutte, Charles Michel, Xavier Bettel, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Miro Cerar, Juha Sipilä and Jüri Ratas. Ireland and the Czech Republic could re-enforce them soon with Micheál Martin and Andrej Babiš and, as we hope, Emmanuel Macron. With 10 Heads of State and Government in the European Council, we will make the difference. With our 5 ALDE European Commissioners we are a strong force in the European Commission. Now we have to boost our position in the European Parliament where Guy Verhofstadt makes a profound impact. In 2019, we must be able to conquer more than 100 seats in the European Parliament. The ALDE Party is involved in close cooperation with established and new member parties in all EU member states in order to assist them to prepare for the coming European elections. Liberals must unite! It will not be an easy fight, it will be a very tough one but we will win.
@hansvanbaalen
Concerning Brexit. A week is a long time in politics, according to former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, let alone two years. We must support our LibDems friends which are the only true pro-European force in the United Kingdom. They can make the difference in shaping a new, constructive relationship between the UK and the EU. It is possible that after a cooling off period, Great Britain will stay within or will re-enter a new European Union shaped by Liberals and Democrats. Not a Cold Europe of bureaucrats but a Cool Europe of citizens! Hans van Baalen MEP ALDE Party President
FIRST issue 2017 03 liberal bulletin
Modernising Slovenia INTERVIEW
Miro Cerar
Prime Minister of Slovenia
Miro Cerar is the Prime Minister of Slovenia, a role he has served in since 2014. Within six weeks of its foundation, his party, the Modern Centre Party (SMC) received 35% of the votes. As host of the ALDE Party Council meeting in June 2017 in Slovenia’s capital city, Prime Minister Cerar shares with us the history of his party, what it means to be European and some tips on what to see in Ljubljana.
liberal bulletin 04 FIRST issue 2017
Modern Centre Party (SMC) was only founded in 2014 and within six weeks of its foundation received 35% of the vote in Parliamentary elections. What do you believe constitutes the success of your party? SMC was founded to participate in the 2014 Slovenian parliamentary elections and at that time it was named The Party of Miro Cerar (Stranka Mira Cerarja) after my name. The reason for coming together with some like-minded people and friends was to change our old political practices and to modernise our country through key reforms for Slovenia. We won the elections by achieving a historic result of 34.49% of people’s votes and support. This was a great confirmation for our programme and vision. After that, we successfully formed a government led by SMC. Time will tell what has been exactly the key of our success, but it is certain that people have recognised the individuals who have worked behind this project, many of them intellectuals and highly professional people. We also had a huge and sincere desire for change and most importantly, we had a clear agenda that people recognised as their own. Today, this programme is being successfully implemented raising the quality of our citizens. Slovenia is finally on the right path again.
In 2015, your party changed its name from the Party of Miro Cerar to the Modern Centre Party. How would you describe the values of your party? The party has attracted a large number of supporters ever since its beginning during the election campaign, and this support kept on growing after our fantastic election results. At the party congress in March 2015 in the town of Sežana, we changed our party’s name to the Modern Centre Party, which was further proof that our plans are serious, that we are not just a group of citizens but we are truly a new political party that wants to build its political identity. Today, we are a social-liberal party focused on people and the improvement of their everyday life. Our values are the values which guarantee human dignity, basic rights and freedoms, non-discrimination, creativity and progress in society. In our party, we don’t allow the division between left and right-wing politicians, but stand for the modernisation of our country in all areas. Our government and ministries are modernising the
country’s infrastructure through the Second Railway international project and through reforming the health system. We are also strengthening the rule of law through all our decisions, and above all we want to stop corruption in Slovenia.
“ Our values are the
values which guarantee human dignity, basic rights and freedoms, non-discrimination, creativity and progress in society.
”
At the ALDE Party Congress in Lisbon, your party decided to join the European liberal family of ALDE. Why did you decide to join the ALDE Party and how has this influenced SMC? By joining the ALDE Party, we wanted to be inspired in the building of our organisation and as a young party and to learn from the best. That is why we decided to join the European Liberals and in this way learn from the more experienced member parties and to help to extend ALDE’s political influence by our membership and collaboration. We, as a social-liberal party, share the core values of the ALDE Party and feel well-accepted within the organisation.
Since 2014, your party leads the government of Slovenia. What have been so far the main reforms SMC has achieved in government? When our party and the coalition partners took over the government, our country was going through a serious crisis. The first objective that we set was to establish political stability and consolidate our public finances. Now it is more than obvious that we have succeeded in this. It was not easy, because the state was in a position expecting the visit of the European troika and everything that had been built through the years could have simply perished. However, we managed. Then we started working on other difficult problems. For example, no essential changes had been made in
our health care system for more than 20 years; therefore, we decided that the modernisation of public health would be one of our priorities. So far, we have adopted some measures and pieces of legislation that have already shown positive results. We have decided to take advantage of the excellent geo-strategic position of Slovenia and started with the implementation of the Second Railway track project from Port Koper to the inland. We are also glad that some of the other EU countries from the region want to be involved in this project, which will make Slovenia even more important in infrastructural map, connecting much better our Mediterranean entry to Europe with Central and East European countries. We are the party of honest and professional people fighting against corruption, for systemic changes and against old lobby structures that we are facing in our daily work. Building up the rule of law and providing decent future for our youth motivated me to enter politics and this is something I work on every day. I also want my country to have strong institutions for everyone to feel safe here.
In March of this year, you joined the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. What do you believe has been the European Union’s biggest achievement ever since, and looking towards the future, what would be the key challenge for European integration in the upcoming years? I belong to the generation of those who were sincerely fighting for the idea of the European Union and frankly, I wanted my country to become a member of this fantastic family of nations, to travel without obstacles and for our economy and workspace to
“ Building up the rule of
law and providing decent future for our youth motivated me to enter politics and this is something I work on every day.
”
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expand. The European Union represents permanent protection and further endeavour for freedom, democracy, human rights, welfare state and rule of law. These are the ideas I personally as well as my colleagues in SMC party recognise as our own. Therefore, I was glad to attend the celebration of the 60 years’ anniversary of the EU. I kept thinking about the fact that our Europe has been kept safe from war for more than 70 years and that people are living freely. At the same time, I was thinking about the fact that today this same Europe is facing great challenge of Eurosceptics and populists gaining power. I want Slovenia to provide solutions on issues such as migration crisis, as it has done so far. I believe we must keep ourselves safe by controlling our external borders, while also paying more attention to growth, employment, youth perspective, further modernisation and digitalisation.
“ I kept thinking about the fact that our Europe has been kept safe from war for more than 70 years and that people are living freely.
”
On a less political note, the capital of your country, Ljubljana, is the host city of this year’s ALDE Party spring Council meeting. Could you give us some tips on what to see in the city? This year, my party hosts the ALDE Party Council meeting in my hometown and the capital of Slovenia. Last year Ljubljana was awarded with the title of the 2016 Green Capital of Europe. Ljubljana is very green and tidy and offers a great variety of activities. First, I want our guests to walk through the old town centre of Ljubljana to feel the fresh air coming from the Alps and see the beauty of stunning connection between all key historical buildings and cultural monuments. This year we are commemorating our world-renowned architect Jože Plečnik, so I would certainly recommend the participants to get familiar with his work in Ljubljana. You can find Plečnik at every step, just need to feel him and embrace him in a right way. Our wonderful Ljubljana Castle is worth visiting and numerous archaeological sites from Ancient Rome times. There is also the beautiful green Tivoli park, river Ljubljanica, the old grocery market and many other interesting places. Ljubljana reflects the spirit of Slovenia as a prosperous, modern country that values its history. It is also enjoyable to relax tasting fantastic Slovenian food during the breaks, and talk to our open and friendly people.
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liberal bulletin 06 FIRST issue 2017
01. European Council 02. President Tusk visits Slovenia and Prime Minister Miro Cerar 03. ALDE Pre-Summit 09.03.2017 05. Prime Minister of Slovenia Miro Cerar (right) attending the North Atlantic Council
Estonia’s EU Presidency:
Working for citizens
INTERVIEW
Jüri Ratas
Prime Minister of Estonia Jüri Ratas is the Prime Minister of Estonia, a role served since November 2016, as well as party leader of ALDE member party Eesti Keskerakond. In July 2017 Estonia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In this interview, Prime Minister Ratas tells us more about his plans and priorities for the Estonian Presidency and his views on how to work towards a Europe that puts the focus on citizens.
FIRST issue 2017 07 liberal bulletin
The Centre Party of Estonia is a long-time member of the ALDE family. How would you define the values of your party?
You became Prime Minister at the end of 2016. What are the key objectives that you have set out to achieve in government?
We are very proud to be a member of the ALDE family and stand together with other Liberal Democrats from all over the continent to create a better Europe for all of us. We believe in democracy, human rights, tolerance and solidarity. The Centre Party of Estonia works for a fair, free and open society in which each and every one of its citizens can fully participate and can fulfill their potential, without poverty, ignorance, and discrimination.
We seek to increase Estonia’s population as well as social well-being and coherence. We also want to boost the economy of Estonia as well as to maintain and strengthen national security. Recent tax changes and the national budget for 2017 will help us to reach these targets. We must work towards a more integrated, stronger, and equal Estonia.
Before becoming Prime Minister, you held office as Mayor of Tallinn between 2005 and 2007. How does your experience in local politics affects your judgments as a national politician? I believe all politicians in various offices should have as versatile experiences as possible. It helps a great deal to have a deeper understanding of the society. I greatly value the experience I gained in the private sector, in local politics and in the Estonian Parliament. Also, ALDE is a great advocate of application of the subsidiarity principle in order to bring decision-making as close to citizens as possible. One of the main arguments used against it is the competence issue. Can the smart decisions be taken on a local level or should we, national politicians, decide for them? I personally have no problem trusting the people and structures at a municipal level and I know that this position is given to competent and talented politicians and officials.
“ The objective of the
Estonian EU Presidency is to work with issues that help build and promote a Europe with an open and innovative economy, keep Europe safe, promote digital Europe and free movement of data.
”
liberal bulletin 08 FIRST issue 2017
One of the Government’s main objectives is to improve people’s livelihood. We will increase the tax-free income threshold from 170 euros to 500 euros from January 2018. It is estimated that 86% of the workforce, meaning more than half a million employed people, will benefit from the new tax regime. The disposable income of a person earning up to 1,200 euros before tax, which is the average salary, will increase by 768 euros per person per year. Therefore, anyone earning up to 1,776 euros will benefit from this reform. Our financial plan for the next four years reflects the four great objectives of the Government: to increase the population of Estonia, to bring Estonia out of economic stagnation, to strengthen our security and to increase the society’s welfare and cohesion. This last objective is explicitly clear in the Government’s decision to carry out a reform in the financing of health care. The reform would give additional 215 million euros to health care in 2018-2021 and help to ensure universally available and high-quality medical health care. I would also bring out the investment decisions to boost the Estonian economy. These include, for example, the reconstruction of Tallinna Linnahall into a concert hall and large-scale conference centre, the investments to build roads and railways, and a programme to provide more people with a high-speed internet connection.
In March of this year, you joined the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. In your blog, you wrote that “as we mark the 60th anniversary of the European treaties, we have not gathered in Rome to retire the European Union. All 27 of us are here to reinforce our commitment to ensuring peace and prosperity. We need to think about the challenges of the coming decades and to offer solutions to future generations.” What solutions would you like to offer to work towards a Europe that works? One of the challenges, but also opportunities, that we face today is rapid technological transformation. As machines are becoming more intelligent, we need to choose an overarching approach – whether we embrace the change or try to stop or curb it. Frankly speaking, there is no way of stopping it nor should we stop innovation that can benefit us. Yes, jobs will be lost in certain sectors and we all need to learn new skills, but it is our collective responsibility to manage it, as possible benefits loom large. Consequently, Europe has to embrace change and lead the way in this technological transformation. One way we want to move towards the new era is by adding another freedom to the EU’s catalogue of rights that would enable a true information society – the free movement of data. Another trend that affects us all today is globalisation. Again, we need to choose an approach – whether to turn inward and become protectionist, as that is in a way the easiest option. Or, we turn globalisation to our benefit. It is true that certain sectors will lose out, but others will emerge. From our side, we intend to promote free and fair trade, advance various free trade negotiations the EU is currently in the middle of, so our businesses could quickly start reaping the benefits of it.
“ The Centre Party of
Estonia works for a fair, free and open society in which each of its citizens can fulfill their potential, without poverty, ignorance, and discrimination.
”
Estonia will be holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time in the second half of 2017. The preparations have already started, what would you like to achieve during Estonia’s EU Presidency? The Estonian Presidency of the European Council comes at a defining time for the European Union. The EU does not just need to speak as one, but also to act as one, because unity shows its true value in action. One of the most fundamental challenges of the European Union is consistently explaining the value of the EU and showing that it works. We need to prove that we are willing and capable of making difficult decisions and show real results. The EU is an answer or at least alleviation to crises; it finds answers to new challenges and works towards positive change. Both the Member States and the EU institutions need to work first and foremost for the wellbeing of the citizens. Estonia’s main goal as the Presidency is to keep the European Union united and decisive. The European Union stands on the four fundamental freedoms and a shared understanding of peace and prosperity. Keeping that in mind, the objective of the Estonian Presidency is to work with issues that help build and promote a Europe with an open and innovative economy, keep Europe safe, promote digital Europe and free movement of data. We also want to ensure that the activities of the EU are inclusive and sustainable.
The Rome declaration signed in March 2017 by all EU Prime Ministers has a strong focus on listening and responding to the concerns expressed by EU citizens and engaging with national parliaments. How will you work on this aspect during the upcoming Estonia’s EU Presidency? The Estonian Parliament and Government have worked closely together in preparing for the Presidency and I am certain that our good cooperation will continue as we progress. We value very positively that both Estonian institutions have a broad consensus on EU policies. For example, I, as well as my ministers, appear before the EU Affairs Committee in the Estonian Parliament before each European Council or Council of the European Union meeting, respectively. Therefore, the Estonian model is a good model to promote in itself.
But, more specifically, during our Presidency the Parliament of Estonia will organise seven conferences, where members of other EU national parliaments and the European Parliament are invited. One of the conferences will directly discuss the role of national parliaments in the EU and how to make debates on EU policies more open, more accessible for our citizens. In fact, I have been invited to open the first parliamentary conference taking place in July to introduce our Presidency programme and this will only be the beginning.
“ The EU finds answers to
new challenges and works towards positive change. Both the Member States and the EU institutions need to work first and foremost for the wellbeing of the citizens.
”
Estonia wants to keep unity through balance during our Presidency. For example, Europe has to keep up with technological change that shapes our everyday life, but at the same time find balance in the challenges and opportunities that new technologies bring, and also how they relate to the nature around us. Balance is also important at the European Union decision-making level, as only through balance we can keep unity among the EU’s soon-to-be 27 Member States. The role of the Presidency is full of responsibility, because the EU has become an inseparable part of our everyday life. Nearly 80% of Estonians consistently support EU membership and our common currency. During our Presidency, we need to make an effort to be stronger in the future; our people need to live better and the benefits of the EU should reach every country, city, municipality, and family.
Hans van Baalen and Jüri Ratas at the ALDE Pre-Summit 10.03.2017 FIRST issue 2017 09 liberal bulletin
Estonia’s EU Presidency:
towards a digital, innovative and safe Europe From 1 July 2017 Estonia will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months, picking up the baton from Malta and delivering it to Bulgaria in January 2018. The Estonian 100th anniversary year will start immediately after the Estonian Presidency. During its EU Presidency, Estonia will be responsible for leading over 200 presidency-related events. The Baltic country is striving for a professional and efficient presidency with an open and transparent working style. The ultimate goal of the Estonian presidency of the Council of the EU is to ensure that the EU remains united and decisive. To achieve this, the four priorities of the Estonian Presidency are:
•
Tallinn, Estonia
#EU2017EE
AN OPEN AND INNOVATIVE EUROPEAN ECONOMY
01 Promoting the EU’s four freedoms 02 Making business as easy as possible in the EU
•
03 New funding opportunities for companies & a stable banking sector
01 Strengthening internal security & fight against terrorism
04 Establishing well-functioning electricity market 05 Preventing tax evasion to ensure fair competition •
A DIGITAL EUROPE AND THE FREE FLOW OF DATA
01 More cross-border e-commerce
& e-services
02 Modern & secure online
communications everywhere in Europe
03 Yes to cross-border digital
public services
A SAFE AND SECURE EUROPE
02 Let’s reform the Common European Asylum System 03 Better relations with Easter partnership countries 04 Stronger European defence cooperation & EU-NATO partnership
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AN INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE EUROPE
01 Time to modernise labour
mobility rules
02 Yes to equal opportunities &
social inclusion
03 Towards a more sustainable
environment
liberal bulletin 10 FIRST issue 2017
#ALDECongress Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1 - 3 December 2017
More info: www.aldeparty.eu/congress
We need to start working 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaty commemorative session at Chateau Sainte Anne On Saturday 25 March, while EU leaders assembled in Rome to sign their declaration to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Rome Treaty, many citizens in cities across the continent participated in the March for Europe and members and supporters of the ALDE Party joined our Commemorative Ceremony in Brussels. Held at Château Sainte Anne, a couple of hundred meters away from Val Duchesse, where in 1957 representatives of the six founding states negotiated the Rome Treaty, two special personalities Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck and Mechthild von Alemann inspired our guests with their wisdom and memories. Answering to the question on what she considers her role in the construction of the European Union, Mechthild von Alemann, Secretary General of the ALDE Party from 19952000 and a former Member of the European Parliament said: “I was elected to the first directly elected European Parliament in 1979. . That was an important moment for me. I was born before World War 2. I remember seeing the destroyed towns of Germany while on the train when we fled out of the eastern part of Germany at the end of 1948. For me, Europe has always been a peace project. It was an amazing time when we got elected to the European Parliament. Everyone was so
enthusiastic. I helped to build a democratic organisation at the European level and make it possible that party members are involved in decision making.” Belgian Minister of State Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, President of the ALDE Party from 2005-2011 and former MEP said: “In the campaign of 1979, when I travelled around to explain the importance of the upcoming elections, I used a map of Europe to show what a miracle it was that during three crucial days of the third week of June in 1979 people would be voting from the north to the south. Whatever you might have of criticism against the European Parliament, and there are a lot of things to say, it’s also a miracle that the thing actually functions. With so many members, speaking 24 languages, from 28 member states, they have achieved an incredible lot.” While EU leaders issued a new declaration that Saturday morning in Rome, Annemie Neyts reminded us that we need to start working: “Today is a special day and deserves a special declaration, but it’s not with another declaration that we are going to improve things. We need to start working!”. Mechthild von Alemann stressed the need for honesty: “It can’t be that the Council comes out to their own press how wonderfully they have defended their country. It’s always about defence of something, never about improving something. With honesty and hard work, we can get somewhere.” 01
liberal bulletin 12 FIRST issue 2017
01. Mechthild von Alemann 02. Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck 03. Susan Schneider, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Mechthild von Alemann and Daniel Tanahatoe
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On the road to freedom ARTICLE
Violeta Bulc Europe Commissioner on transport and mobility Violeta Bulc is the European Commissioner for Transport since November 2014 in the Juncker Commission. As a member of Slovenian member party SMC, she served briefly as a Minister in the Cabinet of Miro Cerar before becoming the country’s European Commissioner. In this article, she talks about the importance of free movement of people and goods as the cornerstone of the European project and how transport stands at its heart.
liberal bulletin 14 FIRST issue 2017
Last month the European Commission published the White Paper and its five scenarios looking at how Europe will change in the next decade, from the impact of new technologies on society and jobs, globalisation and the rise of populism. Transport can play an important role in reinforcing the European project by bringing people together and fostering social cohesion and integration. Free movement of people and goods is the cornerstone of the European project, and I see transport networks at its heart. It allows goods to be distributed efficiently and people to explore, live, work, study and do voluntary work anywhere in Europe. Free movement was established with the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992 and has since then gradually expanded. It is an achievement that many would have thought unthinkable when the six founding Member States agreed on the Treaties of Rome 60 years ago. Cross-border mobility is essential to promote a sense of belonging to Europe and enhance social and occupational integration. We are actively working to promote youth mobility and creating an efficient and cross-cutting European policy for mobility. We launched in March the initiative Move2Learn, Learn2Move. We offer a new opportunity for at least 5,000 young people to travel to another EU country in a sustainable manner – individually or together with their school class. In addition to discovering other European cultures, the young people selected as part of the initiative will also be made more aware of the impact transport has on the environment. This initiative is also on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Erasmus, which has been offering to 5 million young Europeans the opportunity to broaden their horizons by going abroad. Besides strengthening European identity and a sense of European belonging, young people may develop their skills and competences through mobility, thus improving their versatility and employability. Combined with the deepening of the internal market, transport creates growth, jobs and prosperity for Europe. Today more than 500,000 companies are active in road freight transport, most of which are SMEs. Thanks to the creation of the internal aviation market, the sector now directly employs around 2 million Europeans. Overall transport today provides employment to 15 million workers, 7% of total EU employment, and represents around 5% of EU GDP. There is room for more. That is why, one of my main focus is to improve the functioning of the single European transport area in order to pave the way for a Transport Union, well-connected to the rest of the world. Our strategy focuses around the following
objectives: decarbonisation, digitalisation, global leadership and people-focused policy; all euros are needed to implement the nine core network corridors of the Trans-European Network (TEN-T). The European Union needs strong and efficient transport connections to drive trade and growth, as well as to create employment and prosperity. I want to make sure transport is as efficient as possible; that it is an enabler of the economy and the Single Market and not an obstacle. I also want to ensure transport guarantees our citizens’ wellbeing. Transport however accounts for 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions and for 32% of all energy used in Europe. I have thus set decarbonisation and digitalisation of transport as our top priorities. There is a huge market for innovative and sustainable transport solutions worldwide, for instance on cooperative, connected and automated mobility including vehicles that can “talk” to each other. To engage European citizens, we have put in place an annual European Mobility Week, with more than 2,000 cities and towns participating, with the aim of encouraging innovative and sustainable solutions for today’s urban mobility challenges, contributing to our decarbonisation and digitalisation objectives. The city of Ljubljana, which has won the European Mobility Week Award twice, for instance promoted sustainable mobility by prioritising pedestrians and car-free zone and engaged with a large number of schools to raise awareness of the importance of air quality, thus making the city more attractive to local residents. By implementing environmentally friendly initiatives and the significant transformation which has been made by the city in sustainability, Ljubljana was named the European Green Capital 2016. In other words, European transport is a key element for European integration, cohesion, and freedom of movement and European citizens’ well-being, values that I myself, as a Liberal, stand for and endorse.
“ Cross-border mobility is essential to
promote a sense of belonging to Europe and enhance social and occupational integration.
”
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Determined to defend INTERVIEW
Didier Reynders
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
Didier Reynders is the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. As Belgium inaugurates the new NATO headquarters in May 2017, Reynders expresses his view on the main defence and security challenges facing the European Union and Belgium today. The Minister makes it clear that European nations will have to invest more in their own defence than in the past years.
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What are the main defence and security challenges facing the European Union and Belgium today? After the Cold War, many people were convinced that the boundaries of a country would never again be redrawn by means of military aggression, covert actions or hybrid warfare. Reality has been different though. I personally never considered the end of the Cold War as the “end of history” or the irresistible victory of democracy over tyranny. Neither was I convinced that war would never again resurface in Europe. In fact, the Balkan Wars of the 1990s rapidly brought us back to some harsh realities. The Russian aggression against Eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014 landed an even more brutal reminder. It amounted almost to a death blow at the security architecture of our continent. It undermined our faith in the predictability of international relations based on mutual respect and international law. Since then, one must face the facts: there has been no mend of fences between the two sides. The Minsk agreements, the only available roadmap to stability in the area, are still not implemented to the full and, with my European colleagues, I keep urging both sides to live up to their commitments, especially regarding a complete cease-fire and to stop targeting civilians. There is no doubt in my mind that the renewed assertiveness and unpredictability of the Russian Federation is the number one challenge to Europe’s security. Moreover, the suspected Russian attempts to influence European elections is a worrying development. However, I don’t think for a minute that we are moving back to the Cold War era. The existential threat posed by the Soviet Union was of a different nature compared to the Russian security challenge we are facing now. In other terms, we should not exaggerate the situation and, least of all, lose our temper, but we should not pretend that business as usual can restart as if nothing had happened either. It is a delicate exercise: we must be firm on our principles and at the same time engage Moscow in a meaningful
dialogue. It is the essence of the “Harmel Doctrine”, a two-pronged approach based on credible deterrence vis-à-vis Moscow and political dialogue. And as we celebrate this year the 50th anniversary of the Harmel report, his doctrine still serves as our guideline today.
You have stated that there needs to be closer cooperation between NATO and the EU and the need for a European pillar within NATO. How do you foresee this collaboration and how would a European pillar in NATO work?
For Mr Putin to listen to Europeans we should remain united and speak from a position of strength. That is where NATO plays a crucial role. It is the unity and the determination of the Alliance to defend its members that sent the right message to Moscow after the Crimean crisis. The implication of the US was crucial in that regard and we have to thank our Americans friends for taking tangible military measures to reassure their European allies.
First of all, as I said, it is clear to me that European nations will have to shoulder up more of the overall burden and invest more in their own security and defence than in the past years. “Europe needs to invest more in its own defence.” I already heard this message from President Obama back in 2012 in Chicago when speaking to the North Atlantic Council. We cannot go on as free-riders within NATO.
Belgium also has taken its part in those reassuring measure by sending its pilots and jetfighters to Poland and the Baltic States as well as a logistical unit to Lithuania to support NATO’s multi-national brigade. The link between NATO allies goes beyond the need for a common security. It is also based on shared values, such as democracy, rule of law, press freedom, respect for Individual freedoms and human rights. There are of course a lot of other challenges and, among those, the fight against terrorism comes immediately to my mind. NATO has a role to play in it and I welcome the perspective of the Alliance joining the Anti-ISIL Coalition as a full member. Not for the sake of the symbol, but to bring some coherence and coordination between what the allied nations are already doing in, for example, Iraq to train the government’s and Kurdish forces. NATO has expertise in defence capacity building programs and could achieve lasting results on the field.
“ It is clear to me that
European nations will have to invest more in their own security and defence than in the past years.
”
I pleaded in favour of a European pillar within NATO, but not to create a EU-Caucus within the Alliance. This is not how NATO works and it would bring no improvement to its governance. But since the 22 nations that are members in both organisations have only one set of forces, we could achieve some positive results by reinforcing the military capacities of the European members within NATO with the help of the EU structures. Above all, this should be equally good for NATO and the EU. There is no doubt that we should avoid at all cost unnecessary duplications between the EU and NATO. At the same time, it would be a waste not to take advantage from what EU mechanisms have to offer in terms of common funding for military research and development, for instance. In my view, the two organisations are complementary and not in competition with each other. And I strongly encourage the EU and NATO to go beyond the range of cooperation fields that were agreed upon before the Warsaw Summit last summer. With the preparations for a European Defence Action Plan, I welcome the efforts of the European Commission that is trying for the first time in its history to devise tools to levy common funding in support of the strengthening of the European Defence and Technology industrial base. It is a sound proposal but we still need to see the concrete details of it. I also hope that the same Commission will make it safer and simpler for small and medium size EU Member States like Belgium to purchase new advanced military equipment while reaping the benefit of some research and industrial trickle-down effect. FIRST issue 2017 17 liberal bulletin
Now with the UK leaving the EU and Trump’s election, what is the new reality of defence cooperation? What does this mean for European defence cooperation? The decisions of voters to choose for Brexit in the UK and to elect Trump as President in the US clearly puts our European nations in front of their responsibilities. But I am still confident that the UK could continue to contribute to European operations and missions, even after Brexit. I have no doubt about the commitment of the United States in favour of NATO and Europe’s overall security. But we, Europeans, should do more in terms of defence investment. We know it and I hope this time of complacency has come to an end. Another important consideration about the partnership with the United States is that it is not only the bedrock of the Alliance, but also a very important element of the economic prosperity of the European Union. As I am convinced that President Trump has now realised the added value of NATO in the field of security and defence, I am sure that the European Union needs to convince its American partner of the necessity to restart in earnest the negotiations on a large transatlantic trade agreement, which is crucial for the growth and the creation of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
On 25 May, you will host the inauguration of the new NATO headquarters in Brussels. Why are the new headquarters an important element of NATO’s transformation for the 21st Century? The new NATO headquarters are in a beautiful and impressive building, but more important, it is the symbol of our renewed commitment to the collective security of the Alliance. The new headquarters are also a way to tell the world that NATO is an organisation that can adjust to circumstances in a fast changing and complex security environment and to tell our challengers: “We are here to stay!”.
“We could achieve some
positive results by reinforcing the military capacities of the European members within NATO with the help of the EU structures.
The inauguration ceremony will see the unveiling of two very symbolic monuments, one marking the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the other, remembering the victims of the terrorist attack against the Twin Towers of Manhattan. It is after the tragic 9/11 event that the collective solidarity mechanism of NATO, the famous Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, was invoked and put into action for the first time ever, against Al-Qaeda and the oppressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan. This new and larger building is also the sign that NATO has taken in new members over the years. Ever since its creation, the Alliance has constantly opted for an open-door policy. From the 12 founding nations, the organisation has grown to 28 members, and soon 29, as this year, we are welcoming Montenegro. Becoming a NATO member is a sovereign decision, taken by both the current membership and, in this case, the Montenegrin Parliament. Third parties have no say in the matter.
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New blog of ALDE Party Individual Members On 29 March 2017, UK Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50. On this day, ALDE Party Individual Members launched their blog Liberal Words, a platform where they can share their opinions and make their voice heard. The goal of Individual Members is to spread their liberal words and values emphasising the value of freedom of expression. The first articles are already online and the editorial board is currently working on further themes. The Chair of the Steering Committee, Julie Cantalou, was the first to contribute to Liberal Words. Visit www.aldepartyim.wordpress.com/blog/, join the network and contribute! Together our voices are louder.
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Constructing the European Union, deconstructing the nation-states
OP-ED
On 25 March, we were celebrating the EU’s 60th Birthday and on 29 March we lost one of its biggest and most important members. What a week. Many have referred to Brexit as a divorce, but more than a divorce between the UK and the EU, it is a divorce between two different Englands. And I refer to England rather than the UK consciously, in view of the clear pro-European stance of Scotland and Northern Ireland. In fact, it is a divorce that is happening all over Europe. One between the cosmopolitan, mostly urban, educated population and the parts of the population whose interest have not been taken into account as much as they should have been. This has become Europe’s (and in fact America’s) trap. Political systems that have in many cases not been able to ensure the wellbeing of their population and have not given a voice to their citizens. But, what is the state’s role if not to guarantee its citizens’ wellbeing? To serve the people is the source of legitimacy of the state. If it is unable to fulfil that role, it loses its reason to exist. And of course, this applies to any level of government, including the European Union. This has become a fertile ground for nationalists. They are spreading a simple message: The EU does not deliver, so we need to strengthen the nation-states. This nationalist rhetoric then leads to nation-states blocking the development of the EU, which in turn reinforces the claim that the EU does not work. It is so simple, yet so effective. At the same time, pro-Europeans are depicted as a bunch of delusional and disconnected idiots that want more of something that does not work. This very obstruction by the nation-states is not the proof that the European project is failing. Instead, it confirms once again how harmful nationalism can be. As we stand, member states are often blocking the development of the Union when they are not deciding to leave it. I hate to have to oppose the EU to the member states, because we should have multiple layers of government and more importantly multiple identities that co-exist, or even
better, complement each other. But, at this stage, the reform of the European Union will have to involve partial transfers of competences to the EU. However, we should not look at this as a transactional process of taking away from one level to place competences at another level. We should always ask ourselves what is the best way to deliver for citizens. This should be the only reason why we strengthen the European Union – because it can provide better responses to many of today’s challenges. To develop the post-national democracy that we want the European Union to become, we will need broad support. I must say, especially today, it is heart-warming to see people finally hitting the streets and showing their support for Europe. Truth be told, I have always wondered: “Why is the European flag the only one that I feel comfortable flying? Is it that I am an EU-nationalist?” I rather think it is a question of identity. Why should I feel closer to a Swiss man of 74 who worked in the finance sector, than to a 33-year-old woman working in politics in Sweden? This exemplifies how important it is for us to always bear in mind that political communities are constructed. That does not mean that they are not real, but they are artificial. The nation-state defined as a community that belongs together ‘naturally’ is an illusion. Identities are not inherent to us, they are constructed and so are political communities. They are the result of ideas and the social construction of such ideas. Once established that any political community is constructed, why give more importance to one construct over another? The good thing about the EU is that we have not yet forgotten, that it was not “meant to be”, but is merely a building site. I do not say this to diminish its importance, but to make clear that we are still working on it. And we have to continue constructing a community that is defined by its diversity and can become a home to all of us. Let’s prove those nationalists wrong! Julie Cantalou Chair of the ALDE Party Individual Members Steering Committe FIRST issue 2017 21 liberal bulletin
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