#8 FEPS Talks: Hopes of ensuring a sustainable planet, from a youth perspective

Brexit is not an issue of the past but the present, and it remains with us for the foreseeable future. FEPS Secretary General László Andor discusses its causes and consequences with Professor Catherine Barnard (University of Cambridge, Trinity College). They agree that in 2016 the pro-Brexit side in reality voted against EU membership, but not for a clear vision of the UK outside of the EU, and the UK is still working out what it wants to be as a country and where. The animosity against the EU had developed over time and across political spectrums, not just within the backbenchers of the Conservatives. Without the UK, however, the EU is finding it easier to move towards a Social Union to ensure that welfare states can be made more resilient.

Professor Björn Hacker authored a book about Social Europe for the FEPS Primer Series. Secretary General László Andor interviews him about some key aspects of the book, and especially about the evolution of the paradigm. Key thinkers and political leaders like Willy Brandt, Jacques Delors and Maria Joao Rodrigues are mentioned during the conversation, which also elaborates on why the assessment of EU social policy must pay attention to economic governance at the same time. A key part of this joint reflection focuses on the significance of the 2017 European Pillar of Social Rights, and the conversation ends with discussing further needs and opportunities to develop the EU social dimension.

In this episode of FEPS Talks, Professor Emerita Marguerite Mendell (Concordia University) shares some lessons from her long-term engagement with the development of the social economy in Quebec, but also her contribution to related discussions in Europe and various international organisations. In her view, a number of European countries offer remarkable examples of social economy transitions and experiments, and also at European Union level there have been important initiatives to develop the necessary ecosystem. The question that remains nevertheless is how to assure implementation within member countries. Going beyond a transatlantic comparison, she also mentions recent efforts from African countries. At the end of the conversation with FEPS Secretary General László Andor she explains the connection between her commitment to the social economy and the inspiration stemming from the study of the works of Karl Polanyi.

Teresa Ribera, Third Vice-President of the Spanish Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, receives the Progressive Person of the Year award from the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) this Wednesday, January 24th, 2024. Ribera is an outstanding leader and international policymaker in the fight against climate change who has helped European socialists develop a robust climate agenda over the past decade. FEPS awards the title of Progressive Person of the Year to social democratic policymakers who contributed to the most important progressive policy initiatives of the past year. Previous recipients include Frans Timmermans, Sanna Marin, and Roberto Gualtieri. 🎤 Event: https://bit.ly/PYB2024 📕 Book: https://bit.ly/ProgressiveYerabook2024

Emeritus Professor Jeffrey Henderson explains the key factors behind the outstanding growth performance of the Chinese economy in the past 40 years. He opines that this era of rapid growth seems to be coming to an end, but the systemic rivalry between China and the USA remains a dominant issue in the period ahead. The position Europe takes in regard to this rivalry will be decisive for our global future. The volume and nature of Chinese investment and the methods applied to access natural resources and acquire advanced technology justify a derisking strategy on the side of the European Union. However, it is important to view this global economic competition without racist undertones. While facing competitive pressures, Europe should avoid the blind alley of military confrontation and look for opportunities to learn and build productive cooperation as well.

FEPS Talks invited Israeli political scientist and former minister Yossi Beilin to reflect on the tragic developments in Israel in the past month. Dr Beilin was an active participant of the Oslo peace process in the 1990s and, together with FEPS Secretary General László Andor, he elaborates on the chances of a new peace process after the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas. He compares this shock to that of 9/11 in 2001 suffered by the United States, and highlights the role of leaders who need to find a constructive solution to such complex situations. Dr. Beilin insists that a new peace process is possible, but for that both the United States and the European Union need to develop a different approach than in the past decade. He proposes (with a Palestinian group, led by JD Hiba Husseini) a Palestinian-Israeli Confederation, which will follow the EU model.

Brazil's political landscape fascinates experts across the globe due to its vibrant democracy, complex socio-political landscape, and the country's ability to navigate diverse ideologies and challenges while continuously striving for progress. Brazil's voice and actions have the potential to shape global policies and contribute to finding solutions to pressing global challenges, such as climate change, sustainable development, and changing peace and security architecture. What will the presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva bring? To find out more listen to our new episode on EU-Brazil relations with Maiara Folly, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Plataforma CIPÓ & Andriy Korniychuk, FEPS Policy Analyst on International Affairs.

FEPS Secretary General László Andor speaks with Dr. Steffen Angenendt, Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. Dr. Angenendt has been involved in migration research and debates in the last three decades and offers an overview of the evolution of policies in German and European context. The 2015 migration crisis is a major milestone which gave rise to Willkommenskultur in Germany but also put more light on the death of thousands of migrants trying to arrive to the EU in difficult circumstances. The two speakers assess the efforts of the EU which has been trying to complete a „migration pact” and the reasons for various European governments taking diverse positions. Dr. Angenendt points to some critical measures that could help improve the practice of managing migration through EU borders and underlines the importance of dialogue between European and African experts.

In Barcelona, FEPS Secretary General, László Andor, talks with Professor Gösta Esping-Andersen, whose name is familiar to all who have studied sociology or political economy in the last 30 years. They explore the connection between the role of families in reproduction, the quest for gender equality, and rising social inequalities. Professor Esping-Andersen shares his view about the resilience of welfare states against crises such as the pandemic but also the current war in Ukraine, and he does not hide his opinion on the migration policy of the Danish government. The link between social democratic identity and the universalist welfare state appears as a key part of the conversation, which ends with outlining a potential role for the European Union in support of the well-being of children.

Anna Diamantopoulou, President of DIKTIO, former minister in Greece and former EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, engages in a talk with David Rinaldi, FEPS Director of Studies and Policy, to reflect on the ongoing and upcoming societal transformations that require innovation and ambition on welfare policy. The exchange looks at the contribution of the Commission’s ‘High-Level Group on the Future of Social Protection in the EU and of the Welfare State in the EU Members’ which President Diamantopoulou chaired. What are the implications of moving towards a life-course perspective? What are the political lines around care and family policy that will shape the future of this policy field? How to finance welfare if stagflation endures?