Editorial by Conny Reuter, SOLIDAR Secretary General

New Juncker Commission – Excitement, Opportunities, Threats

11th September 2014

The tweet of Martin Selmayr, head of the transition cabinet of Commission President-elect Juncker, on Monday evening indicating that there will be surprises in the attribution of portfolios to the Commissioners designated by the Member States, was promising and exciting. As a result, so many people wanted to witness the live broadcasted press conference of Juncker that the Commission server had difficulties yesterday midday.

After the communication of the portfolios, what remains? Although the famous French wording says “Promises only engage those who believe in it” and despite of the remaining ambiguities we take for granted that this new Commission will be “geared to give Europe its news start” and will focus on “getting people back to work in decent jobs , triggering more investment, making sure banks lend to the real economy again”. These statements of Juncker are both ambitious and feasible in the perspective of SOLIDAR. The mission letters to the designated Commissioners give clear indications. We highly appreciate the proposal of job-sharing and two progressives seconding the President: Federica Mogherini for the external policies and Frans Timmermans as depu ty for the more ‘domestic’ affairs. In addition, the portfolio distribution highlights the recognition of fundamental rights, social dialogue and need to invest in social justice. Some internal restructuring – such as shifting vocational training, skills development and adult learning to DG EMPL – is a good sign.

SOLIDAR is confident that, together with other civil society organisations, we can contribute to the political change requested by European citizens for a long time. The figures of the Employment and Social Development in Europe Report presented by the European Commission in March provided factual information on what is wrong throughout Europe: an increase of inequalities in and between the Member States. The European elections were just the translation of this reality which motivated a majority of Europeans to either not to vote or to vote populist and extremist parties.

What to build upon? Social Investment The EU has a strategy which is (still) called “Europe2020 for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth”. In the absence of a real social agenda, the actual review of Europe2020 should be the opportunity to raise the social ambitions and not to reduce the focus to only jobs and growth at any price, like in 2005 with the former Lisbon strategy. Social investment is needed to rebuild social cohesion in and between Member States; it is the only way to rebuild citizens’ trust in the European project. And this can be reached by recognising the role of a real social partnership and social dialogue at EU level, but also at Member State level. As civil society organisation we recall that the Lisbon Treaty article 11 gives civil dialogue a reference. Better binding in citizens goes through civil dialogue and cooperation with those who organise citizens: civil society organisations.

Dialogue is not transmission of messages, is not lobbying, but building together a better future in Europe by promoting Social Justice!

You opened the door Mr. Juncker, we are ready to come in!

The first 12 months: Juncker’s Legislative Agenda

The new European Commission will in the first months aim to deliver a new jobs, growth and investment package announced in the Political Guidelines. Promote progress towards EU 2020 targets through the mid-term review of the strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and gear funding to help get the younger generation back to work in decent jobs.

It has the ambition to remove unnecessary “red tape” at both European and national level, and seeks to ensure that every Commission proposal or initiative complies with the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Together the Commissioners will work for a Deep and Genuine Economic and Monetary Union, integrating the social dimension, and ensure that the European Semester should be the vehicle for pursuing the modernisation of labour markets, social protection and education systems.

In the light of ongoing conflicts and violence, the New European Commission will reorient the European Neighbourhood Policy and suggest a new way forward. It will organise the European Year for Development 2015 and prepare positions for the negotiations on the post-2015 United Nations Millennium Development Goal agenda; giving high priority to the respect for human rights, good governance and gender equality.

Last but not least, it seeks to strengthen the understanding of the general public of how EU policies are shaped today and to engage people in EU debates.

Several of these elements have been identified by SOLIDAR and its partners last June, when we held our General Assembly at the European Parliament, as reflected in the adopted resolution with the key demands for the new European Parliament and European Commission. Read the full version of the resolution here

SOLIDAR’s Requests to Juncker’s Team

Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Regulations, Rule of Law & Charter of Fundamental Rights (First Vice-President) Frans Timmermans is current Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The First Vice President shall focus on work on better regulation in order to maximise its contribution to the EU’s jobs and growth agenda. SOLIDAR looks forward to working intensively together to realise Social Justice in Europe by ensuring effective policies, which promote economic, social and cultural rights, to empower people and enable access to quality social protection as well as quality social, care and lifelong learning services. Better regulation based on high social, environmental and democratic standards.

High Representative for Foreign Policy (Vice-President) Federica Mogherini is current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy and has a long track record in international affairs. The High Representative will guide the work of the Commissioners for European Neighbourhood Policy, Enlargement Negotiations, Trade, International Cooperation, Development, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management. SOLIDAR is delighted that she will steer all External Relations of the EU. Together, we can actively promote the right to social protection, ensuring access to essential health care, access to education, basic income security and decent work, as well as advocate for an enabling environment for civil society and trade unions world-wide through the right of freedom of association..

International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica was a Deputy Prime Minister of the Croatian government and currently holds the position of Commissioner for Consumer Protection. In his new portfolio he will lead the negotiations on the post-2015 agenda, help ensure that ‘domestic EU policies’ are consistent with development goals and will give high priority to the respect for human rights, good governance and gender equality. SOLIDAR welcomes the nomination and is keen on working together to gear Europe’s development agenda towards organising international solidarity; by promoting freedom of association and universal social protection.

European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn was European Commissioner for Regional Policy in the 2nd Barroso Commission. Mr Hahn will continue working to develop and strengthen the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy and is invited to suggest a way forward within the first twelve months of the new Commission’s mandate. This is very timely, as the EU will have to draw attention to the 5-years anniversary of the Arab Spring. Hence SOLIDAR believes that this new, to be developed, approach will need to aim at enabling opportunities for social justice to those vulnerable people in the Middle East and North Africa that took a stand for a better future.

Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides is elected Member of the European Parliament in May 2014. His mission will be to maximize the impact of EU’s humanitarian aid and build close working relations with UN agencies, NGOs and civil society. SOLIDAR will be seeking strong working relations to strengthen mechanisms for swift facilitation of cooperation in order to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian aid.

Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness (Vice-President) Jyrki Tapani Katainen has been Prime Minister of Finland from 2011 to June 2014. As Vice-President, Mr Katainen is tasked to deliver swiftly the new jobs, growth and investment package; coordinate the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy; and ensure that the EU’s economic policy coordination is effective and successful, in line with the goals of the social market economy. In SOLIDAR’s opinion the Vice-President has to gear the Europe 2020 strategy to become a more coherent and better integrated framework for social cohesion.

Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labor Mobility Marianne Thyssen has been Member of the European Parliament from 1991 to 2014 and chairwoman of the Flemish Christian-democrat party (CD&V). Part of her mission will be to set priorities and channel funding to help young people back to work in decent jobs, ensuring that the European Semester enables progress towards the targets of the Europe 2020 strategy and ensure that the Posting of Workers Directive is correctly implemented and prevents social dumping. A new element in her portfolio is promoting vocational training, skills development and adult learning. SOLIDAR welcomes her nomination and is looking forward to working together for Social Europe and to promote active inclusion and social cohesion. As well as ensuring adequate social protection throughout Europe by putting an end to social dumping, zero-hour contracts and non-paid internships.

The Euro and Social Dialogue (Vice-President) Valdis Dombrovskis served as Prime Minister of Latvia from 2009 until 2014. As Vice-President he will steer the European Semester, promote social dialogue, integrate the social dimension into the European Economic and Monetary Union and will replace the “troika” with a more democratically legitimate and accountable structure. SOLIDAR calls upon Mr Dombrovskis to strengthen the social dimension of European economic governance and foster the potential of the social economy as a significant part of the European economy and a provider of quality employment.

Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship Tibor Navracsics is Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary since June 2014. He previously served as Minister of Public Administration and Justice beginning in 2010. In the latter function he was in charge of the ‘infamous” media law, as well as the contested constitutional and electoral law changes. SOLIDAR invests in education and lifelong learning through actively building inclusive learning societies; coming together as a community and working towards common goals as a way to fight the social exclusion of unemployment and poverty, and reinforce integration processes. SOLIDAR’s values are far from similar to what seems to be the vision of the Commissioner designate assigned to this portfolio looking at his political past.