When the leading German coalition party, the Christian Democratic Union CDU, proposes some steps towards political union, national leaders and European media are guaranteed to comment in various ways.
After the next steps in the euro crisis, how does the CDU resolution Starkes Europa – Gute Zukunft für Deutschland outline the capable, democratic and transparent political union needed?
The Christian Democratic Union quickly wants to shape a consensus [among whom?]. A Convention with a clear mandate to put this consensus into practice should then be called.
Economic and political union
The CDU sees the completion of economic and monetary union (EMU) as a new milestone on the road to political union. The party has the following aims for the Convention:
1) The stability and growth pact (SGP) has to be strengthened by automatic penalties. The SGP has to be made harder to amend through integration into the EU treaties. The CDU wants the Court of Justice of the European Union to judge breaches of the EMU and the SGP.
2) Serious breaches of the SGP require a procedure with several levels in order to get their finances back in order:
* First, advice from the Commission.
* Commission staff to support the efficient use of budget resources and the coordination of EU funds.
* If necessary, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) can offer assistance on strict financial and economic conditions.
3) A procedure for debt restructuring. Voluntary secession from the eurozone without losing EU membership.
4) Developing the ESM into a ”European Monetary Fund”.
5) The citizens of the European Union to elect the president of the Commission directly (but the rest of the commissioners to remain national government appointees).
6) A democratic system with two chambers on an equal footing: the directly elected European Parliament and the Council of Ministers representing the member states. Both chambers could initiate legislation.
7) In the medium term the allocation of seats in the European Parliament has to reflect population size better.
CDU ”compass”
The CDU presents a ”compass” or creed: France as the most privileged European partner, more Europe where needed and less petty regulation, a privileged partnership for Turkey instead of full EU membership, a common foreign, security and defence policy which eventually leads to a defence union, and a more capable, legitimate and transparent Europe for citizens.
Popular sovereignty
The Christian Democratic Union is prepared to advance a few steps in the direction of economic and political union in Europe.
The CDU has not yet adopted popular sovereignty at European level as its first principle. This would lead to a democratic union based on its citizens: representative democracy and government elected by the people of Europe.
What is the added value for EU citizens of sharing their sovereignty at EU level with the states?
Ralf Grahn
Showing posts with label CDU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CDU. Show all posts
Monday, 21 November 2011
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Germany: CDU's next steps in euro crisis
We have looked at some of the differences between Germany and Britain in European politics: the CDU party conference, European values, British Europe as an alternative and Ireland as a risk to much more than treaty reform.
How does the CDU understand the euro crisis, and what does the party propose for the immediate future?
Stability and growth pact
After defending the European values, explaining the benefits of the European Union and the necessity of the euro currency, the resolution adopted by the Christian Democratic Union CDU proceeded to scorn the previous red-green coalition for letting Greece into the eurozone and for failing to meet the Maastricht criteria during four consecutive years, weakening the stability and growth pact (SGP) and the respect for Germany.
Some countries have lived beyond their means and become indebted. They have failed to enact structural reforms in order to become competitive, and their enterprise sectors have been too narrow, based on construction or financial services.
Stability union
The CDU rejoiced that first steps towards a stability union had already been taken [two years into the crisis, my addition]. These are then duly noted: advance budget control (European Semester), strenghtened SGP, rescue packages for Greece, and the establishment of the EFSF to be replaced by the permanent European Stability Mechanism ESM.
Euro Plus Pact
The CDU resolution Starkes Europa – Gute Zukunft für Deutschland underlines that solidarity requires massive reforms for stability and competitiveness in countries needing help.
The Euro Plus Pact is seen as an agreement among 17 eurozone leaders and six other EU members to strenghten the economic union in the EMU, by increasing competitiveness.
Immediate tasks
The resolution set the following immediate tasks within the framework of the Lisbon Treaty:
1) Adopting a constitutional rule for budget balance (Schuldenbremse) of the German type in every euro area member and as a requirement for eurozone entry.
2) Adherence to the rules of the stability and growth pact (SGP) by reduced spending, structural reform and sustainable growth. The structural funds should be focused even better.
3) Each state is responsible for its own finances. Rejection of transfer union and of automatic liability.
4) Rejection of eurobonds.
5) CDU defends the independence of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Deutsche Bundesbank. Strict separation of monetary policy and economic policy. EFSF reform will allow the ECB to end the purchase of state bonds.
6) The debt crisis must lead to adequate regulation of financial markets and institutions.
7) Global regulation of financial institutions is necessary.
8) CDU wants a global, EU-wide or even a eurozone-wide financial transaction tax (FTT).
9) The CDU wants the European People's Party (EPP) to field a top candidate in the election to the next European Parliament.
***
Beyond the immediate tasks, the CDU sees the need to complete the economic and monetary union (EMU).
Ralf Grahn
How does the CDU understand the euro crisis, and what does the party propose for the immediate future?
Stability and growth pact
After defending the European values, explaining the benefits of the European Union and the necessity of the euro currency, the resolution adopted by the Christian Democratic Union CDU proceeded to scorn the previous red-green coalition for letting Greece into the eurozone and for failing to meet the Maastricht criteria during four consecutive years, weakening the stability and growth pact (SGP) and the respect for Germany.
Some countries have lived beyond their means and become indebted. They have failed to enact structural reforms in order to become competitive, and their enterprise sectors have been too narrow, based on construction or financial services.
Stability union
The CDU rejoiced that first steps towards a stability union had already been taken [two years into the crisis, my addition]. These are then duly noted: advance budget control (European Semester), strenghtened SGP, rescue packages for Greece, and the establishment of the EFSF to be replaced by the permanent European Stability Mechanism ESM.
Euro Plus Pact
The CDU resolution Starkes Europa – Gute Zukunft für Deutschland underlines that solidarity requires massive reforms for stability and competitiveness in countries needing help.
The Euro Plus Pact is seen as an agreement among 17 eurozone leaders and six other EU members to strenghten the economic union in the EMU, by increasing competitiveness.
Immediate tasks
The resolution set the following immediate tasks within the framework of the Lisbon Treaty:
1) Adopting a constitutional rule for budget balance (Schuldenbremse) of the German type in every euro area member and as a requirement for eurozone entry.
2) Adherence to the rules of the stability and growth pact (SGP) by reduced spending, structural reform and sustainable growth. The structural funds should be focused even better.
3) Each state is responsible for its own finances. Rejection of transfer union and of automatic liability.
4) Rejection of eurobonds.
5) CDU defends the independence of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Deutsche Bundesbank. Strict separation of monetary policy and economic policy. EFSF reform will allow the ECB to end the purchase of state bonds.
6) The debt crisis must lead to adequate regulation of financial markets and institutions.
7) Global regulation of financial institutions is necessary.
8) CDU wants a global, EU-wide or even a eurozone-wide financial transaction tax (FTT).
9) The CDU wants the European People's Party (EPP) to field a top candidate in the election to the next European Parliament.
***
Beyond the immediate tasks, the CDU sees the need to complete the economic and monetary union (EMU).
Ralf Grahn
Thursday, 17 November 2011
British or European Europe?
What makes the leading government party of the biggest eurozone and EU member state tick? Despite too little, too late, Germany participates fully in all the policy areas of the European Union. For Germany, the symbols of the EU express a feeling of community in Europe.
Compare the conference of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Leipzig – Für Europa. Für Deutschland – with the steady stream of war-like propaganda from anti-EU media and campaigners in the United Kingdom, negative public opinion, the open hostility among the political class and the efforts of successive UK governments to play as little as possible for the team, while demanding most in return.
The previous British prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown pretended that the UK was at the heart of Europe, while standing on the brake and devising opt-outs. According to David Cameron ”we sceptics have a vital point”.
Compare the European values of the CDU (and Germany) with the sovereignty cum narrow national interest discourse streaming from Westminster.
The euroblogger Jon Worth called on Labour to embrace more constructive EU politics than those expressed by the shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander. He also proposed that UK politicians should drop the indiscriminate and narrow-minded use of the 'national interest' in relation to the European Union.
For those who think that prime minister David Cameron showed great restraint and wisdom by calling for the EU to be turned into a flexible network of nation states promoting open markets, Kosmopolit wrote a long blog post on the problems of the UK's approach to the EU. Long term all the EU member states (except Britain and Denmark) are bound to join the eurozone, so where are Cameron's long term allies?
Timothy Garton Ash asks Cameron to present his vision for Europe, if he has one. At this moment Cameron's British Europe is purest waffle. Chancellor Angela Merkel's German vision for political union in Europe is still only part right, but let the European leaders choose between these alternative routes forward.
Ralf Grahn
Compare the conference of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Leipzig – Für Europa. Für Deutschland – with the steady stream of war-like propaganda from anti-EU media and campaigners in the United Kingdom, negative public opinion, the open hostility among the political class and the efforts of successive UK governments to play as little as possible for the team, while demanding most in return.
The previous British prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown pretended that the UK was at the heart of Europe, while standing on the brake and devising opt-outs. According to David Cameron ”we sceptics have a vital point”.
Compare the European values of the CDU (and Germany) with the sovereignty cum narrow national interest discourse streaming from Westminster.
The euroblogger Jon Worth called on Labour to embrace more constructive EU politics than those expressed by the shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander. He also proposed that UK politicians should drop the indiscriminate and narrow-minded use of the 'national interest' in relation to the European Union.
For those who think that prime minister David Cameron showed great restraint and wisdom by calling for the EU to be turned into a flexible network of nation states promoting open markets, Kosmopolit wrote a long blog post on the problems of the UK's approach to the EU. Long term all the EU member states (except Britain and Denmark) are bound to join the eurozone, so where are Cameron's long term allies?
Timothy Garton Ash asks Cameron to present his vision for Europe, if he has one. At this moment Cameron's British Europe is purest waffle. Chancellor Angela Merkel's German vision for political union in Europe is still only part right, but let the European leaders choose between these alternative routes forward.
Ralf Grahn
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
German CDU defends European values, benefits and euro currency
The Christian Democratic Union CDU party conference adopted a resolution equating a strong Europe with the good fortunes of Germany: Starkes Europa – Gute Zukunft für Deutschland (23 pages).
What does the leading government party of the largest member state of the European Union (proportionately even bigger in the eurozone) say, when the financial, debt and growth crises in the eurozone have worsened into a crisis of the euro itself?
European values
Europe is a community of values, says the resolution, referring to the founding values of the European Union (as in Article 2 TEU) and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (enshrined in Article 6 TEU).
The CDU still rejects a unitary European state, but the EU works according to federal principles in areas of conferred powers. The European idea has brought people unprecedented peace, freedom, prosperity and social justice.
Benefits of Europe
The political and economic benefits of EU membership surpass the costs for Germany by a wide margin.
In order to master the challenges of the 21st century, the CDU wants to complete the economic and monetary union (EMU) and mould the EU into a strong political union.
In the globalised world of the 21st century, Europe needs to promote universal human rights, international law and freedom for all.
A strong Europe can shape international rules to counter climate change and protect biodiversity, as well as regulate energy and trade issues, but this requires European unity.
Despite the rise of China and the other BRICS, the 500 million people of the European Union remain the largest internal market in the world and offer the opportunity to promote democracy and the social market economy globally.
Defending the euro
The CDU wants all the 17 eurozone states to defend the common currency. The euro has brought Germany jobs - 9 million depend on the internal market – and growth (€50 billion extra in the last two years).
The euro is the safeguard of low inflation and high purchase power. The euro brings predictability to international trade and global currency policy. The euro also brings political stability.
The euro is a great community project, necessary for the good fortunes of Europe.
The CDU wants to strengthen Europe and widen the scope of action by turning the monetary union into an enduring stability union, as intended from the start. For the common euro currency to succeed, we need to stick to firm rules (stability and growth pact SGP).
The CDU is prepared to learn the lessons from the current crisis and to prepare Europe for the future challenges.
The CDU congratulates itself for having brought back financial stability and budget disciplin to Germany, and the party wants a stronger Europe to emerge from the debt crisis.
***
European values, benefits from European integration and the will to improve the euro project lay the foundation for the CDU (and Germany) in European politics.
The foundation gives the analysis focus and shapes the remedies proposed.
Ralf Grahn
What does the leading government party of the largest member state of the European Union (proportionately even bigger in the eurozone) say, when the financial, debt and growth crises in the eurozone have worsened into a crisis of the euro itself?
European values
Europe is a community of values, says the resolution, referring to the founding values of the European Union (as in Article 2 TEU) and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (enshrined in Article 6 TEU).
The CDU still rejects a unitary European state, but the EU works according to federal principles in areas of conferred powers. The European idea has brought people unprecedented peace, freedom, prosperity and social justice.
Benefits of Europe
The political and economic benefits of EU membership surpass the costs for Germany by a wide margin.
In order to master the challenges of the 21st century, the CDU wants to complete the economic and monetary union (EMU) and mould the EU into a strong political union.
In the globalised world of the 21st century, Europe needs to promote universal human rights, international law and freedom for all.
A strong Europe can shape international rules to counter climate change and protect biodiversity, as well as regulate energy and trade issues, but this requires European unity.
Despite the rise of China and the other BRICS, the 500 million people of the European Union remain the largest internal market in the world and offer the opportunity to promote democracy and the social market economy globally.
Defending the euro
The CDU wants all the 17 eurozone states to defend the common currency. The euro has brought Germany jobs - 9 million depend on the internal market – and growth (€50 billion extra in the last two years).
The euro is the safeguard of low inflation and high purchase power. The euro brings predictability to international trade and global currency policy. The euro also brings political stability.
The euro is a great community project, necessary for the good fortunes of Europe.
The CDU wants to strengthen Europe and widen the scope of action by turning the monetary union into an enduring stability union, as intended from the start. For the common euro currency to succeed, we need to stick to firm rules (stability and growth pact SGP).
The CDU is prepared to learn the lessons from the current crisis and to prepare Europe for the future challenges.
The CDU congratulates itself for having brought back financial stability and budget disciplin to Germany, and the party wants a stronger Europe to emerge from the debt crisis.
***
European values, benefits from European integration and the will to improve the euro project lay the foundation for the CDU (and Germany) in European politics.
The foundation gives the analysis focus and shapes the remedies proposed.
Ralf Grahn
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
CDU for Europe and Germany
Despite too little and too late, why is Germany more influential than the UK in the European Union?
Imagine the Conservative party conference in the United Kingdom under the motto: For Europe. For Britain.
In Germany the the theme of the main government party, the Christian Democratic Union CDU meeting in Leipzig is: Für Europa. Für Deutschland.
CDU 2011 Leipzig
The party conference supports the EU politics of Angela Merkel, the German chancellor and leader of the CDU, DW-World reports (in German): Verunsicherte CDU folgt Merkels Europa-Kurs.
Merkel called for a breakthrough for a new Europe, based on the values of freedom, solidarity and justice, in the framework of a social market economy. The CDU offers highlights from Merkel's speech on Europe in a press release: ”Für Deutschland. Für Europa”.
After the epoch-making accomplishments of Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, the task of the present generation is to complete the economic and monetary union (EMU) and to establish a political union, Merkel told the party delegates.
Europe has to emerge stronger from the debt crisis. This means more, not less Europe. If a country breaches the stability and growth pact (SGP), there has to be a right to intervene. All EU countries are part of the domestic politics of Europe, and they need to act responsibly. The constitutional rule of balanced budgets (Schuldenbremse) is one of the steps in this direction, according to Merkel.
With overwhelming support, the CDU party conference adopted guidelines equating a strong Europe with the good fortunes of Germany: Starkes Europa – Gute Zukunft für Deutschland (23 pages).
Far from the adoption of democracy and effective powers Europe needs, it still beats opt-outs, budget rebate, permanent obstructionism, constant criticism and general nastiness as means to win friends and influence people in Europe.
Ralf Grahn
Imagine the Conservative party conference in the United Kingdom under the motto: For Europe. For Britain.
In Germany the the theme of the main government party, the Christian Democratic Union CDU meeting in Leipzig is: Für Europa. Für Deutschland.
CDU 2011 Leipzig
The party conference supports the EU politics of Angela Merkel, the German chancellor and leader of the CDU, DW-World reports (in German): Verunsicherte CDU folgt Merkels Europa-Kurs.
Merkel called for a breakthrough for a new Europe, based on the values of freedom, solidarity and justice, in the framework of a social market economy. The CDU offers highlights from Merkel's speech on Europe in a press release: ”Für Deutschland. Für Europa”.
After the epoch-making accomplishments of Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, the task of the present generation is to complete the economic and monetary union (EMU) and to establish a political union, Merkel told the party delegates.
Europe has to emerge stronger from the debt crisis. This means more, not less Europe. If a country breaches the stability and growth pact (SGP), there has to be a right to intervene. All EU countries are part of the domestic politics of Europe, and they need to act responsibly. The constitutional rule of balanced budgets (Schuldenbremse) is one of the steps in this direction, according to Merkel.
With overwhelming support, the CDU party conference adopted guidelines equating a strong Europe with the good fortunes of Germany: Starkes Europa – Gute Zukunft für Deutschland (23 pages).
Far from the adoption of democracy and effective powers Europe needs, it still beats opt-outs, budget rebate, permanent obstructionism, constant criticism and general nastiness as means to win friends and influence people in Europe.
Ralf Grahn
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