Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Publications

PEACEMAKING IN NORTHERN IRELAND: A MODEL FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION?

Peter Hain

8 May 2008 saw the first anniversary of the devolved government in Northern Ireland. Its reestablishment as such was noteworthy per se, but the fact that the two once so acrimonious enemies of the republican Sinn Fein and the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party came together to form a coalition, rightly deserves the term historic. This development has sealed the progress made in the Northern Ireland question since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which was to a significant degree owed to the political priority given to the conflict by Tony Blair’s Labour government. With the experience gained during the peace process, Peter Hain, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, explores the key factors and expands on the question, whether the lessons learnt in the resolution of the conflict in Northern Ireland can be transferred to ongoing conflicts world wide.

Please click here for the English_version and the German_version of this article.

NETWORK FOR DIVERSITY AND INTEGRATION - A PROJECT OF THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS

Gary Titley

With progressing globalisation, the traditional notion of nation states as ethnically, religiously and culturally homogenous entities is turning more and more into a relict from the past. For reality already looks very different: to an ever greater degree, diversity will become the dominant structural characteristic of most European societies. Before the backdrop of this development, Gary Tiley, MEP and chair of the PSE’s “Diversity and Integration Network”, reports on projects and possible solutions in Europe that aim at facilitating the entrance and the participation of minority groups in societal and political life and, by these means, head towards a society which no longer defines itself along ethnic and religious criteria but by common social aims and values.

Please click here for the English_version and the German_version of this article.

THE BRITISH CITIZENSHIP DEBATE

Anne Bostanci

In an attempt to overcome the historical-legal complexity of the concept citizenship in the context of the UK, the present Labour government has got caught between a longstanding yet newly rediscovered understanding of its social bonding function and a policy approach based on and pervaded by the outdated view of citizenship as a reward for assimilation. It needs to separate out two completely different discourses in order to be able to formulate coherent policies – both regarding long-standing citizens and newcomers.

Please click here for the English_version and the German_version of this article.

THE CRISIS OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEFT IN EUROPE

Denis MacShane

In times when centre-left parties throughout Europe are increasingly faced with dwindling voter support, answers to the question of the causes of this development cannot be found at national level alone. In view of the failure of parties, and in particular the conservative parties, across Europe, the former British Minister for Europe, Denis MacShane, is calling for a new approach, listing ten factors through which European Social Democracy could regain ground. He demands that European Social Democracy focus once again on voters whose lives are limited by poverty and other forms of repression. These are people who need and deserve a Social Democracy of the 21st century, which is not only fit to deal with the challenges of our time and able to inspire and provide support but also has the will and aptitude to govern.

Please click here for the English version and the German version of this article.

PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN - CHRONICLE OF AN INVOLUNTARY TRANSFORMATION

Sunder Katwala

In the January 2007 edition of “Blickpunkt Großbritannien” we pointed to the imminent change-over in 10 Downing Street and preceding speculations about the possible outline of Gordon Brown’s government programme and the future of New Labour after Tony Blair. After five months under the leadership of Gordon Brown, Sunder Katwala, General Secretary of the Fabian Society, recounts vividly the circumstances of Brown’s involuntary transformation from an unchallenged Prime Minister and leader of New Labour to somebody who looks crestfallen after several – partly embarrassing – serious errors. The task of spanning change and continuity will now be even more difficult; together with the destiny of Gordon Brown the destiny of 10 years New Labour is at risk.

Please click here to read this German-language article.

ON THE PATH TO AN INTEGRATED EU FOREIGN POLICY ON ENERGY AND CLIMATE

FES working group on Europe (AK Europa)

In this edition of the FES London publication "Focus Germany", the FES working group on Europe, whose members come from the German Bundestag, the political parties, federal ministries, representatives of the Länder, associations and research institutes, outline the currently existing foundations of as well as their vision for Europe as a model region in the international context with regard to integrated climate and energy foreign policy.

Please click here to download the article.

THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE IN THE UK

by William Brown

In how far does the national minimum wage in the UK have a stabilising effect on wage levels in the times of increasing labour migration? Eight years after its introduction, William Brown of the University of Cambridge explores this question and comes to the conclusion that it has improved the situation of the lowest 5% of wage earners decisively and that income inequality has decreased. Contrary to many economists’ predictions, no negative effect on employment is discernable. Regarding the effects of increased numbers of labour migrants, who compete with local labour mostly on jobs of the lower end of the wage scale, it is suggested that the national minimum wage plays an important role in safeguarding the wages of just those workers, who might otherwise have lost out in competition to the migrants.

This German-language paper is now also published in the „Blickpunkt Großbritannien“ format. In order to view the whole text, please click here.

ON THE WAY TOWARDS A EUROPEAN ARMY

by Hans-Peter Bartels, Jörn Thießen, Ursula Mogg, Steffen Reiche, Andreas Weigel, Michael Roth, Rainer Arnold, Gerd Höfer and Petra Heß

SPD Members of the German Bundestag have laid out a plan for the further development of the military dimension of European Foreign and Security Policy. It envisions a series of concrete steps for the deepening of military cooperation in Europe. In the long run, these steps could open up the way to the creation of a European army.

For the new "Focus on Germany: On the way towards a European army" click here

EUROPE'S STRATEGIC INTERESTS - THE ROLE OF GERMAN FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY EN ROUTE TO EUROPEAN SELFDETERMINATION AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY.

by Egon Bahr

Egon Bahr, born 1922, professor and former minister of the Federal Republic of Germany was, together with Willy Brandt, the architect of the policy of détente in the 1960s. He is the SPD's most important foreign policy mentor. This text is based on a speech he gave at the 4th Willy-Brandt-Forum of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Brussels on March 29, 2007. Egon Bahr celebrated his 85th birthday on March 18 of this year.

For the full text, click here

NEW LABOUR – RENEWING THE VOTERS’ ALLEGIANCE

Ten years after gaining power, a change in the Labour Party’s leadership is imminent. Simultaneously, the party must realign itself politically and programmatically. A group of Labour MPs around the chairman of the Home Affairs Committee John Denham has outlined the central perspectives of this political-programmatical renewal in an article in the magazine “Renewal”.

This paper is now also published in German in the „Blickpunkt Großbritannien“ format. In order to view the whole text, please click here.

PERSPECTIVES OF GERMAN IMMIGRATION POLICY

by Steffen Angenendt

Germany is the main immigration country in Europe. As in other countries, German politics are facing the challenge to manage this massive immigration, taking into account political, economic, demographic and social criteria and interests.

Click_here for Steffen Angenendt's paper, which describes the main trends and challenges German immigration policy faces in the years to come.

FOR AN INTEGRATED CLIMATE AND ENERGY POLICY - RESOLUTION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE SPD

Berlin, 26th February 2007

How come Britain has all the wind but Germany has all the wind farms?’ the former German environment minister Jürgen Trittin asked some years ago. The answer is obvious: it has to do with politics. Under the Red-Green government, Germany pursued a long-term policy of innovation and investment in green technologies, energy saving and the reduction of green house gas emissions. SPD now looks ahead to define the environmental priorities for the years to come.

Read more about the mid-term environmental policy goals of Germany’s social democrats here

THE LOW WAGE DEBATE IN GERMANY: ARE THERE WAYS OUT OF THE POVERTY TRAP?

by Michael Dauderstädt

Germany is debating how to restructure its low wage sector. Yet, nobody should expect employment miracles from these reforms; they are more about making German society more decent and just. Not even the best labour-market reforms can replace a proactive employment policy.

Read more about this in the latest edition of the FES publication “Focus on Germany”

“21st-CENTURY MANIFESTO” OF THE SPD

The German Social Democratic Party is currently working on a new party manifesto. This first “21st-century manifesto” of the SPD aims to spell out the vision and perspectives for the party’s policies and projects in a world that has fundamentally changed since the last party programme was written at the end of the 1980ies. It will be the first manifesto that will have to give answers to the profound social, cultural, political and economic changes brought about by globalisation and EU enlargement.

Please click_here for the draft text of this manifesto whose final version will be adopted later in the year. It offers an insight in the thinking of one of Europe’s major centre left parties and how this party plans to cope with the profound changes, the new inequalities and the political challenges of a globalised world.

NEW FES-STUDY ON INDIA'S ROLE IN THE EMERGING WORLD ORDER

FES has published a new paper in its series of studies on the role of emerging powers in the international system:

Ummu Salma Bava: India's Role in the Emerging World Order Briefing Paper 4-07, FES New Dehli, March 2007

The author examines how India's emerging economic status is redefining its self-image and how it is perceived by others, leading to a new political role: India, traditionally a prominent leader of the South, is transcending that role to play a larger global role which is endorsed by both the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) in their respective Strategic Partnerships with India. Salma Bava analyses the interests and motives that guide India's foreign policy and the strategies it has adopted which have the potential to re-shape the international order.

Please find the paper here

Ernst Hillebrand in conversation with Sabina Matthay

Just recently the film „The Queen“ has started in German cinemas, which portrays the crisis of the British monarchy after the death of Princess Diana. However, it also portrays a British Prime Minister, who had just taken up his new office and was unspent and energetic; after long years in opposition, Tony Blair had led the Labour Party back into government in the spring of 1997 – this triggered great hopes. Ten years have passed since, twice the Labour Party was reelected, Tony Blair is still head of government, but presumably not for much longer. Some time in 2007 he will hand over power – most probably to his longstanding political companion and strongest inner-party rival, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown.

The handover of power from Blair to Brown: listen to the whole German-language Interview here.

Most likely, Gordon Brown is going to take over the position as the British Prime Minister in the first half of 2007. The outlines of his programme are becoming clear gradually. Adjustments in foreign policy, readjustment of the reform policies at home, and a remarkable rejuvenation of the cabinet are to be expected.

Germany has very strong and independent local authorities. This high degree of local autonomy has as a prerequisite that the local authorities have at their disposal a financial base of their own that makes them as independent as possible from higher levels of territorial administration and governance. The consequence of this is a highly complex tax system which does guarantee that local councils as well as regional governments have a sufficient income base to pursue their policies.

For Ernst Hillebrand's paper that describes the basic features of this tax system, click here

In the run-up to its annual conference in late September, the Labour Party is caught up in a crisis. With the end of Tony Blair’s term in office approaching, it has to renew itself both regarding personnel and contents if it wants to avoid a defeat in the next national elections.

Read more in the topical German-language FES-Analysis on the Labour Party at the end of the Blair era: Großbritannien: Die Lage Labours am Ende der Ära Blair:

Anfang 2006 verkündete Peugeot die Schließung des Werkes in Ryton, Großbritannien, und die Verlegung der Produktion nach Osteuropa. Die zwei wichtigsten Gewerkschaften des Ryton-Werkes versuchten die Schließung durch die Organisation eines Boykotts der Firma Peugeot in Großbritannien zu verhindern. Die Kampagne enthält interessante Lehren – nicht nur für die britischen Gewerkschaften, sondern auch für andere Länder, in denen Gewerkschaften innovative Formen des Arbeitskampfs in Betracht ziehen.

The more the EU extends its security policy commitments the more diffuse the political and strategic profile of ESDP appears to be. The common security strategy of 2003 leaves a number of central issues unanswered, above all what EU military intervention involves. Clarification is therefore required concerning the aims, capacities, and requirements of European Security and Defense Policy. The central question here is: Is ESDP defined primarily as a defense or as a political project? Is it a matter, therefore, of »offensive (self-)defense« or of »human security«?

The “EU Strategy for Africa “has made Africa the first geographically confined “testing field” for the practical feasibility of the EU’s effective multilateralism proclaimed in the 2003 European Security Strategy.

Up to now a lot of criticism is directed at the confused and unsorted canon of the EU’s and its individual member states’ policies towards Africa. The actual necessity of a coherent approach is underscored by the ESDP operation in the Congo and efforts to thwart illegal immigration along the outside borders of the EU. The various European foreign, security, trade and development policies vis-à-vis the neighbour continent are now to be coordinated within the framework defined by the Commission.

This paper analyses if the EU Strategy for Africa is able to meet the criticism and how better efficiency of employed means, more efficient efforts and thus a quicker accomplishment of set goals can be achieved.

This study by the FES's Geneva office outlines the developments that led to the suspension of the Doha World Trade Round and identifies the issues that were contentious. It analyses the impact of several contended provisions on developed, emerging and developing countries. The concept and the potential benefits and limitations of Aid-for-Trade are also being discussed. Finally, Adam looks ahead and explores scenarios for resuming negotioations.

The European Constitution isn’t dead - at least not for the Commission and those EU-countries that have already ratified the Treaty. The German government has the mandate to deliver a report recommending ways out of the constitutional crisis at the end of its presidency. The study below by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Brussels office describes how the constitutional question is currently seen at the European Parliament, the German Bundestag and the German government.

How could the Swedish Social Democrats lose the elections? The economy was growing, the state finances were in good health and the welfare system the envy of the rest of the world. Yet they lost.

In a study of the Stockholm office of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, written by Hakan Bengtsson of the Stockholm based think tank Arenagruppen, the reasons for the defeat are analysed:

“In retrospect” Bengtson writes, “a central question is how a government that has been in power for so long can oppose the accumulated dissatisfaction that seems to grow towards all politicians in office regardless of their party affiliations. How can a government counteract this political trend? Can a party in power renew itself politically? …. Negative media coverage may well have played a part, but it was the agenda of the centre-right Alliance which set the scene for the 2006 election campaign.”

Read more about what can go wrong even when the macroeconomics are right in the enclosed FES-study:

Recent developments in the regions of the South led to a perception of a "renaissance of regional cooperation". The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, in the framework of its working focus "Regional Renaissance - Security in a Globalized World," has looked into perceptions of security and security risks in the regions of the South. Special focus has been given to the role played by regional organizations and security arrangements. The present paper is based on the discussions at a number of conferences conducted in Brazil, China, Mozambique, Egypt, India, Jamaica and Usbekistan and sums up the most important results of this issue focus.

Starting out with a brief outline of security discourses, the paper goes on to discuss the problems involved in security cooperation in selected region of the South. The author aims to present a first overview of the developments that have taken place in recent years, to point out some opportunities, and to underline some of the problems encountered in regional cooperation, in this way providing a basis for further research and reflection.

ENERGY POLICY BETWEEN MULTILATERAL GOVERNANCE AND GEOPOLITICS: WHITHER EUROPE?

International energy policy reflects a strong tension between power-based geopolitics and multilateral cooperative governance. This is visible also in the EU. The EU proposed a common strategy for sustainable, competitive, and secure energy supplies in March 2006. However, as the German Political Scientist Kirsten Westphal argues in an article for “International Politics and Society”, even internally this strategy has very limited prospects of being implemented. The nation states define energy security as a strategic issue and the idea of »national champions« is gaining ground. But there is a continued and persistent demand for political cooperation in international energy relations and for a collective and shared approach to energy security.

In securing its energy supply, the author concludes, the EU must pursue a role which is not in competition with other big consumers but based on cooperation and political dialog. There is a strong argument that energy security is not divisible, but can only be achieved collectively, also on the global level.

Based on interviews with representatives of European parties, trade unions and employers associations, FES has compared and analysed the opinions on central elements of the European economic and social model that do exist within Europe. The result is an intellectual map of the interests and opinions that can be found in the various countries of Europe.

The study shows that preferences among conservative and liberal parties across Europe tend to be much more uniform than among centre-left parties, especially when questions of distributive policies (tax policies) are raised.

With its energy needs growing, China's interest in the Middle East and North Africa region began to grow. China has substantially enlarged its economic and political activities in these regions. FES's Jochen Steinhilber explores Chinas interests and strategies in the region.

Germany’s metalworker union is defending its member’s jobs by an innovative campaign that aims at making companies more competitive while defending existing wage and working time agreements. Read more about IG Metall’s “better not cheaper”-campaign in the enclosed article of FES-London.

Nicht nur in Deutschland wurden diesen Sommer Fahnen geschwenkt. Und nicht nur in Deutschland diskutiert man über einen neuen Patriotismus. Auch in Großbritannien sind eine Stärkung von nationaler Identität und die Bewahrung des Nationalstaats notwendig, so David Goodhart, um die Herausforderungen von Zuwanderung und gesellschaftlichen und kulturellen Wandel zu bewältigen: „In dem Maße, wie die Bande von Religion, Klasse und Ethnizität schwächer werden, ist möglicherweise eine nationale Identität der einzige Weg, die kollektiven Ideale der Linken auch in Zukunft zu bewahren.“

David Goodhart ist Herausgeber von Prospect, des führenden linksliberalen Monatsmagazins Großbritanniens. Das vorliegende Papier erschien im Original in der Juni-Ausgabe von Prospect und wurde von der FES ins Deutsche übersetzt.

GORDONS WELT - WIE WÜRDE DIE AUSSENPOLITIK EINES PREMIERMINISTERS BROWN AUSSEHEN?

Aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach wird Gordon Brown im Laufe dieser Wahlperiode die Nachfolge Tony Blairs antreten. Obwohl das Datum dieses Wechsels noch keineswegs klar ist, hat in der britischen Öffentlichkeit die Spekulation über Politik und Strategien Gordon Browns längst begonnen. Der vorliegende Artikel aus der Feder David Mephams, des stellvertretenden Direktors des Labour-nahen Think tanks ippr, versucht die Konturen der Außenpolitik eines zukünftigen Premiers Brown zu bestimmen. Der Artikel ist ursprünglich in der aktuellen Ausgabe des britischen Monatsmagazins "Prospect" erschienen.

After 8 months of grand coalition, SPD is trailing behind the CDU in the opinion polls. However, the strategy to claim the central cabinet posts for the party still looks right. But it implies mayor electoral risks, as many of the planned reforms will affect SPD voters more than conservative ones.

Read more on the current internal situation in Germany’s grand coalition in the enclosed paper of FES London.

Two leading officials from the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development see major risks in increasing aid flows to Africa. In countries with inefficient institutions, they argue, the ability to absorb transfers is limited and additional funds can easily cause additional problems.

Read more on this in the enclosed article which was initially published in the review "International Politics and Society", the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s journal for International Relations and Global Trends as well as other articles on the website of "International Politics and Society": http://www.fes.de/ipg/index_e.htm

* Michael Hofmann *1948; Economist and social scientist; Head of Department European and Multilateral Development Cooperation, Federal Ministry for Development Cooperation (BMZ), Bonn.

Jürgen Zattler *1957; Economist; Head of the Unit Worldbank, IWF, and International Financial Architecture, Federal Ministry for Development Cooperation (BMZ), Berlin.

The question of a modern “European” Islam, anchored in the social and political realities of the Western societies is a key element in the solution of the current difficulties that Europe faces with the integration of Muslim immigrants. Some German regions are therefore starting to offer at its state schools Islamic religious education in German language that follows the didactic and pedagogic principles of the Christian faith education.

The enclosed texts give an overview over the current state of these experiences. Both texts contain excerpts from Lower Saxony’s “Framework Directives” for Islamic religious studies that are considered as exemplary by many German experts. These framework directives define the principles, the central topics and the themes of Islamic religious education at schools.

The author of the studies, Prof Friedhelm Kraft, is Professor for the Didactics of Religious Education at Loccum.

Großbritannien hat Ende der 90er Jahre Lohnzuschüsse für Geringverdiener eingeführt. Ziel war es, im Sinne aktivierender Arbeitsmarktpolitik gerade am unteren Ende des Arbeitsmarktes Anreize zur Aufnahme von Lohnarbeit zu schaffen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Politik sind, so Richard Dickens von der London School of Economics in seiner beigefügten Studie, weitgehend positiv.

The coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD states that Germany should give fresh momentum to the constitutional process during its presidency in the first half of 2007. This initiative may surprise in the UK where people tend to think that the EU constitution is dead and buried after the no votes in France and the Netherlands.

In her paper Angelica Schwall-Düren, Deputy Chair of the SPD Parliamentary Group and spokesperson on European Affairs describes what are the options for the future of the European constitutional process out of a German perspective. (Please, click on the link below to download the publication)

Democratic parties that are widely anchored in society and local communities are the bedrock of parliamentary democracies.

However, in all Western societies these parties suffer from dwindling membership numbers and a decline in political engagement. What can parties do to stop this process and to rekindle appreciation of political engagement in the society, particularly at local level?

The German SPD has in 2004 created a working group on this issue. The findings and proposals of this group, summarized in the enclosed report, could be of interest also to other Western democracies and their parties struggling with falling membership and political engagement.