Rue de l’Escaille, 14 7070 Mignault (Belgium) EUROPE FR. Brasseur Jean-Paul 32 (0) 499 35 85 72 DE, FR, EN Meyer Joseph 32(0) 080-227689 [email protected] http://www.vivant-europe.eu Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivant- Europe/802200473187251 “Liberate work by removing its tax burden and finance social security by taxing the consumption of goods, which most often are produced by machine.” (+ unconditional Basic Income for all ) ELECTRONIC VIVANT- EUROPE N° 140 March 2017) Summary 0. Preliminary remark 1. The treaties of Rome are 60 years old Roger Van Campenhout 2. BenoÎt Hamon’s Presidential programme (France) A. Benoît Hamon’s rally in Paris January 2017 (extracts) B. Benoît Hamon’s rally in Lille on 27 January 2017 (extracts) C. Benoît Hamon’s speech at ‘La Mutualité’ (Paris) 3. Emmanuel macron*and the universal basic income 0. PRELIMINARY REMARK TO THIS ELECTRONIC LIVING-EUROPE NUMBER In their programme, Mr. François Fillon, Mr. Jean-Luc Mélanchon and Mr. Emmanuel Macron aim at restoring full employment. It is not the case for Mr. Benoît Hamon who justifies the need for a universal basic income by the fact that many jobs will disappear because of digitalisation. In fact, restoring full employment or not in France is still a problem for the future. Given this uncertainty Vivant-Europe believes that the universal basic income considered by Emmanuel Macron as an interesting idea is a prudential financial measure because it allows to avoid pauperisation of society, guarantees minimum purchasing power and does not condemn The unemployed to wait for the possible return of full employment. 1 Moreover, the universal basic income allows the reduction of working time and therefore its sharing. 1. THE TREATIES OF ROME ARE 60 YEARS OLD INTRODUCTION The two Treaties of Rome (1957) On 25 March 1957, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands signed two treaties in Rome: the first one led to the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC); the second one led to the creation of the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom). These two treaties came into force on 14 January 1958. The new Communities appeared then as a factor of economic reinforcement for the Member States. 6-02-2017 Roger Van Campenhout Master of German philology (German, Dutch, English) (ULB) Bachelor in journalism (ULB) Teacher of German languages European Commission retired civil servant 2017: an anniversary which is not at the party . The treaties of Rome are 60 years old. Let us not deny ourselves the pleasure of the anniversary . despite ambient euro-scepticism, euro-pessimism, or even euro-phobia. The Community of the Inner Six, enlarged to a Union of 28 Member States, has achieved results that would be suicidal to call into question. 2 It has included, among others, countries which liberated themselves from the dictatorship and from the yoke of the Soviet communism, leading to the creation of a vast group ruled by law. Within its borders, it has ensured peace and has enhanced the global rise in the standard of living, despite the persisting, and, if we are not careful, increasing inequalities. It has implemented the customs, the single market, the economic and monetary union, the euro, a single currency shared by 19 members. Years after years it has been trying to implement a banking union, to harmonize taxes, not to mention its efforts- undoubtedly late- aiming at promoting « Social Europe »: reducing “social dumping” and “social tourism” between the Member States. It has set up an area without frontiers- the Schengen area - between 22 Member States and associated states. Besides, it has launched, developed or coordinated a series of policies: regional development, competition, environment, research, education (Erasmus), digitalization, industry (Airbus), energy, transports, agriculture, fisheries, …: so many challenges that isolated countries cannot meet. It has sketched and deepened a coordinated policy on justice and home affairs. At the international level, it has promoted a common trade policy, the development aid and foreign relations. It has worked - with noticeable difficulties - for a common foreign and security policy, and even a common defense policy. The Union also takes part in large projects on nuclear research (ITER Project), space (the Ariane Rocket, the Rosetta space probe, Galileo. Despite this overview, it is admitted that the European integration has not been largely achieved. The Union is regularly criticized for its shortcomings or even for its successes. « Stones are thrown at the tree bearing fruit », says An African proverb: if some criticisms towards the Union can be justified, other ones are the result of the ignorance of reality, even of a will of disinformation. Europe is criticized by Euro-sceptics, « sovereignists » and nostalgic nationalists, Europe is the ideal scapegoat– surely not always innocent- for the challenges of globalization. Somehow situated between a federal organization exercising supranational competencies and a confederal organization of nation states, (1) the European Union is stigmatized, sometimes rightly, for its ‘democratic deficit » or for the fact that « Brussels deals with too many things », that it would be both great for little things and small for great ones …: from one hand, Europe of “the excess of rules and standards”, and on the other hand, its geopolitical weakness. (1) See the concept of « Fédération d'États-nations » proposed by Jacques Delors Nobody will then be astonished that in this year 2017, the European Union is not at the party . At the interior level, it will have to manage the consequences of the UK decision to leave the Union: the « Brexit » will be synonymous with a long and complex negotiation. The Union will face the elections and populist influences, even racist pressures in several Member 3 States: the Netherlands, France, Germany, not to mention the risks of unrest in Italy, Greece and elsewhere. The euro zone is far from being saved from this austerity policy, sluggish employment, unemployment of the young and the risk of persisting growth differences between northern and southern countries about the divergences about the policies to lead. In addition, the Union would doubtlessly do without violations of the rule of law in countries such as Hungary or Poland. It will moreover remain threatened by Islamist and jihadist terrorism, it will face refugee influx and asylum seekers escaping chaos in the Near and Middle East, not to mention Libya and the Sahel. It is still powerless in front of the convulsions of the Syrian conflict following the US and UK withdrawal, despite France’s availability o go further in this conflict and to leave the theatre of operation to Russia, even Turkey, countries that have totalitarian tendencies and that are qualified as « democratorship », as well as to Iran. The « ring of friends » that , at the turn of the millennium the European Union wanted to set up by Euro-Mediterranean and eastern partnerships has given way to a « ring of fire » : from one side, the « Arab springs » degenerated into bloody confrontations in several neighbouring countries and, on the other side, Russia, willing to restore its role of a geopolitical superpower has shown more aggressiveness on eastern borders of the Union: Baltic countries, Georgia, Ukraine. New forms of destabilization, such as cyberattacks, have emerged in several theatres of operation. In this context, incantations around the « Europe of defense » will rapidly give way to concrete initiatives. The European Union will then have to fulfil its role in the fight against global warming and increasing threats to biodiversity. The icing on the birthday cake: Donald Trump’s election as the president of the United States. Barely installed in the Oval Office, the unpredictable president is already multiplying messages of provocations on his Twitter account, aiming at keeping and implementing his electoral promises: the dismantlement of social (Obamacare), societal (abortion, immigration) environmental and other gains; the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with the risks of a trade war and a rise of protectionism and interventionism; the threat to go back to the fight against climate change … Let us add the threats to a US shift towards NATO and the turning point of the US foreign policy in some parts of the world, specially Asia. Moreover, Donald’s Trump’s attacks towards the EU do not bode on well for the future. Internal challenges, external threats: so many imperative reasons for the European Union to rely more on its own forces and to tighten its ranks. At the beginning of his term President Juncker had spoken of "Europe’s last chance". May the European leaders seize it in 2017! The anniversary of the Treaties of Rome provided them with an opportunity they cannot miss. 4 2. BENOÎT HAMON’S PRESIDENTIAL GRAMME (FRANCE) Preamble Why are we presenting here the extracts of three rallies of Benoit Hamon, candidate for the French presidency? Because his programme has several similar points as Vivant-Europe, that is to say: 1. Universal monthly payment (basic income) 2. Reduction on labour taxation (« Stop imposing a tax on work ») 3. Taxation on capital gains (“To levy taxes on wealth, on added value”) It somehow differs from the tax on consumption advocated by Vivant-Europe 4. The implementation of a participatory democracy (the right of initiative) 5. A new more coherent organization of the European Union on the economic, fiscal and social points of view. What is treated in Benoit Hamon’s three rallies? 1. The automatic payment of the RSA (Active solidarity income) to people who are entitled to receive it. 2. The payment of a subsistence income for the 18- 25 years old The target is €750 € a month 3. The funding of a subsistence income 4. The creation of a popular conference about the study of the generalization of the subsistence income and its funding 5.