Forum Social Democracy: Visions and Options
Somewhere by the end of 2006 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung initiated a new project: The forum on social democracy – visions and options. In the frame of this project four publications from several different authors were translated in Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian, Romanian and Serbian. The publications in Macedonian (vol 1-8) and Albanian (vol 1-4) can be downloaded here, whereas the others can be downloaded from the sites in the respective countries.
http://www.forum-social-democracy.org
Publication 8: Europe of Regions
The following texts were taken and translated into Macedonian from “Neue Gesellschaft – Frankfurter Hefte” EUROPA DER REGIONEN
Walter L. Bernecker:
From central state to the state of “Autonomous communities”
After Franco’s dictatorship in Spain regionalist-nationalistic awareness has awakened. Aside to the “historical” regions of Basque, Catalonia, and Galicia, eight other regions have acquired a pre-autonomous status. Our author presents the difficult process of creation of pacts for autonomy all the way to the current debates for revision. He points out to the exceptionally different ideological orientations of all regionalisms. They stretch from attitudes for compromise solutions to the maximal requests for independence.
Sebastian Buttner: From multitude of regions to regional inequality in Europe?
In the past two decades Europe has embedded stronger together. However, the author stresses out that, contrary to all assumptions so far, the local characteristics have not disappeared in the process of Europeanization and trans-nationalization. The newer past, above all, presents an example for own renaissance of the regional and local in the European frame.
Thomas Winter: The new bridges over Odra and Nisa - Cross-border cooperation in the German-Polish European regions
After one and a half decade since Germany recognised the border along the line of Odra-Nisa, the condition in the border regions is still not good. Nevertheless, the cooperation between the four German-Polish Euro-regions collects the fruit and presents considerable contribution in the drawing closer of Germans and Poles.
Publication 7: Towards a Revised European Social Model by Anthony Giddens
The European Social Model is an intellectual construction, not a visible reality. It denotes a promise which the united European democracies are bent to fulfill. Anthony Giddens, who provided the intellectual foundation for the spectacular renewal of the British Labour Party, maintains that major adjustments are necessary if the European Social Model is to be more than a hollow phrase in the future.
Publication 6:New roads to freedom, justice and solidarity The German social-democrats formulate the answers to the challenges of the 21st century
In April 2006 the Presidency of the Social-Democratic Party of Germany has prepared “The guiding principles on the road to the new program of SPD”. Read the shortened version of the “Guiding principles” translated in Macedonian
Publication 5: Hungarian Unrest - Symptom of the Central European Crisis of Accession to the European Union by Michael Ehrke
The unrest in Hungary, falling apart of the government coalition in Poland, unaccountable coalition government in Slovakia, inexistence of government in the Czech Republic: Central-European member states of European Union even after two years of accession pass through difficult internal-political turbulences, which indicate that the whole region is in post-accession crisis.
Publication 4: Social-democratic program after the enlargement of EU
This text deals with three main topics:
• Stable democracy needs democratic rights and democratic left alternative.
• Post-communist Europe needs left program for social integration.
• Nine conditions for the social-democratic program in Europe at the beginning of the 21 st century.
Publication 3: Political Positions on the European Economic and Social Model – Geographic Map of Interests
This is a research that has focused on the positions of the political parties, trade unions and the organization of employers toward the European Economic and Social Model. The survey was given to more than one hundred leading persons from the political parties, trade unions, ministries, parliaments and associations of employers in seventeen European countries. Two issues were the focus of this research:
• Where are the meeting/diverging points in the positions of the parties and organizations?
• How are the commonalities or differences explained?
The basic conclusion were:
• EU remains patchwork of countries and interests.
• Both conservatives and liberals have almost identical party preferences for the central political areas.
• Social-democratic parties are tending to take integrative position.
• In the specific policies and structures, differences among the left oriented parties are accented especially when it comes to divisive political issues.
Publication 2: The New Political Economy of the European Social Model(s)
This text analyses the changed working and living conditions in contemporary Europe and the challenges that these changes have brought. According to the author: “Future challenges for the social justice in EU are evident: strengthening of the international competition, ageing population, the change of gender roles in the household and the market, new technologies, increase of the social tensions, and intensifying of the differences.” The author proposes strategic changes and reforms that will meet these challenges.
Publication 1: The Influences of EU over the European Social Model and the Social Unity
This is a text that should be compulsory reading for any politician in the region who wants to advance the development, without compromising the social justice.
Three main issues are elaborated here:
• This text demonstrates that the European Social Policy until today was more of a phantom than reality.
• The national social policies achieved varying results.
• Common economic policies strongly influence social effects.
