edition noir Volume04 The European People’s Party : Successes and Future Challenges. With Portraits of Selected Countries This publication receives funding from the Community and European Parliament. The Centre for European Studies and the European Parliament assume no responsibility for facts or opinions expressed in this Werner Fasslabend publication or any subsequent use of the information contained therein. Sole responsibility lies on the author of the publication. Josef Pröll ( editors ) ISBN: 978-3-9502494-6-0 © edition noir Vienna 2010 Verlag noir Editorial staff: Christian Sebastian Moser, Christian Kasper Layout: Bertram Könighofer (Vienna) Translation: Robert McInnes (Vienna) Proofreading: Steve Wilder (Vienna) Cover Photo: © Squarcina | Dreamstime.com Printed by Gröbner Druck (Oberwart) Printed in Austria All rights reserved Table Of Content Introduction Werner Fasslabend, Josef Pröll Foreword Wilfried Martens Section I : History, Intellectual Basis and Values The European People’s Party: Identity and Integration Stefan Zotti How to Shape a Sustainable Economy – Economically, Socially and Ecologically Klemens Riegler Trust as a Basic Political Value Christian Sebastian Moser The Economy and Social Affairs as a Symbiotic Whole – Social Philosophy as the Basis for Social and Economic Policy Werner Fasslabend Solidarity in a Changing Welfare State – Goods and Ends: How to Improve the Welfare State from a Christian-Democratic Perspective Jan Jacob van Dijk What Does Security Really Mean? Christian Kasper The School of Rome and the School of the Future – Bridging the Gap Ludwig Fladerer Do You Want Total Education? Rahim Taghizadegan Sustainability: The Quick Buck Destroys Long-Term Prosperity Christian Sebastian Moser When Talking about Moderation. The Relationship between State and Church, Politics and Religion Christian Mertens / Thomas Köhler edition noir The European People’s Party Table Of Content Section II : Portraits of Selected Countries Section III France: The New Self-Awareness – France’s New Order Quotations through Sarkozy Christian Sebastian Moser/ Christian Kasper CVs of the Authors Italy: Democrazia Cristiana Eterna? Thomas Köhler/ Christian Mertens Austria: The Past Is Always Part of the Future – The ÖVP and its Path to a Modern Conservative People’s Party Christian Sebastian Moser/ Christian Kasper Germany: The CDU – A People’s Party between Market and State Christian Sebastian Moser/ Christian Kasper Hungary: The History of the Bourgeois Camp since the Fall of Communism Lajos Kereszetes Poland: Common Roots – Separate Paths: Poland’s Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform) Christian Passin Sweden: The “New Moderates” in Sweden Arthur Winkler-Hermaden The Slovak Centre-Right: Drawing Some Parallels Katarína Králiková Romania: A Difficult Territory for Centre-Right Parties Günther Dill Great Britain: The Tories in Europe Till Kinzel edition noir The European People’s Party Introduction Introduction “Thinking Europe”, the slogan of the Centre for European Studies The parties presented in this publication provide an insight into (CES) of the European People’s Party (EPP), reflects the Cen- the different historical and ideological development of the indi- tre’s commitment to promoting intellectual liberty, raising aware- vidual EPP members. The fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 made it ness and facilitating the growth of EU politics from the perspective possible for new democratic parties to be established and historical of the ideologies and the central values of the EPP and its centre-right ones revitalised in Europe’s formerly Communist countries. The partners. special history of the past twenty years makes itself felt in several of the party portraits presented in this book. Reflecting on values is also the mission and aim of this book, which provides a clear view of the history, intellectual basis The contributions to this volume not only give an impression of and values of selected member parties. The European Peo- the EPP parties from Germany, Sweden, Poland, Austria, Hungary, ple’s Party is the political family of the centre-right parties and Romania, the Slovak Republic, Italy and France, as well as the therefore the largest union of political parties on the European historic developments in Southern Europe, but also provide a continent. The EPP was established on 8 July 1976 as the umbrella organ- detailed discussion on the historical approaches and describe the special isation for Christian-democratic parties from Germany, France, Italy, case of the British Tories. the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg on the occasion of the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979. The EPP currently has 74 member parties from 38 countries. Werner Fasslabend Josef Pröll After the 2009 elections to the European Parliament, the faction once Chairman of the Academic Council Vice Chancellor and Minister of again became the one with the most representatives. (CES) Finance, Austria The EPP draws its vitality from the national traditions of its member parties. Its strength comes from diversity, not homogeneity. There is no “conservative international” and that is precisely the strong point of conservative politics. With its varied traditions and wealth of historical concepts, the EPP founded – and played a major role in developing – the success story of the European Union. The traditions include Christian-democratic, conservative and liberal components that point the way to the future for the programmes of the individual EPP member parties and finally enter into the EPP’s manifestos. edition noir The European People’s Party Foreword Foreword The EPP – History, Values and Intellectual Traditions And yet, the EPP is facing a set of new challenges at the beginning of this, the second decade of the twenty-first century. The financial and The European People’s Party is not just the largest European party – economic crisis has not led to catastrophe – largely thanks to timely it is also the single most influential force in European politics and and effective intervention by EU governments. But this intervention the biggest group in the European Parliament. In 13 Member States, has produced a load of debt that will remain problematic for many years EPP politicians hold the position of head of government, and 13 of to come. That is why recovery is far from certain. We have to apply the the 27 members of the new European Commission come from the successful concepts of the Social Market Economy to the world of the EPP’s ranks. twenty-first century and to keep the EU competitive – not only vis-à- vis Japan and the US, but even more importantly vis-à-vis the emerging The EPP unites Christian Democrats, conservatives, liberals and cen- economies of Brazil, India, China and Russia. At the same time, inter- trists. This means that, first, it is a diverse coalition with a considerable national political success for the EU is far from guaranteed. The Lisbon spectrum of views on many specific policies; and second, because of Treaty has given us the preconditions for an EU that is more capable of this diversity, it has to have a strong basis of underlying common values acting internationally, but a great deal of work remains to be done even that hold it together. It is this diversity, as well as this stable foundation after it comes into force. We will only be able to face these challenges if of shared values, that gives the EPP family its unique strength. we abide by our values and work tirelessly to apply them to the chang- ing world of today and tomorrow. First and foremost, these values are: a Christian view of man; freedom and responsibility; subsidiarity; and a clear commitment to a strong This book will help us do just this, for it examines the roots of our party European Union. These values not only hold our family together, family, taking into account the diverse histories of the Centre Right in they also, in their sum, distinguish us from our political competitors. different Member States and spelling out what this history means for us After all, it was within our political family that the idea of European in the face of the challenges ahead. I believe the Politische Akademie, integration originated and the concept of the Social Market Economy together with the EPP’s political foundation, the Centre for European was born. It is also our political family that most clearly advocates a Studies, has published the right book at the right time. strong transatlantic partnership and that, since the beginning of the Cold War, has continuously pleaded for a Europe whole and free. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, most of the victorious democratic Wilfried Martens movements in the East joined our family – and together we were at the EPP President forefront of enlarging the Euro-Atlantic institutions to include these new democracies. 10 11 edition noir The European People’s Party Section I : History, Intellectual Basis and Values Section I : The European People’s Party: Identity and Integration History, Intellectual Basis and Values Stefan Zotti Summary “The European model is based on values, culture and history. That is where the answers to the new questions come from. That is the starting point for us as Christian Democrats, moderates and centrist, members of the 1 EPP.” The Fourteenth Congress of the European People’s Party that was held in Berlin at the beginning of 2001 was not the first in the twenty-first century but, with its final document “A Union of Values”, laid claim to having created a foundation for values that were appropriate for the challenges facing our present time. Not only contemporary issues, but also the political scope of the EPP that was expressed in the statement given above, made new answers necessary: the Christian party of the 1970s had developed into a collective movement of centre-right parties with “Christian Democrats, moderates and centrists” – and probably a few liberals and conservatives – in its ranks. The European People’s Party has played a determining role of European politics in the past decade – as it has throughout the entire history of European integration.