“Gabriel: Populism is not the main threat to the EU”
“right-wing populists-is predicted to make a rekordval in the EU elections in may. But the major threat to european cooperation from the democratic party idéfattigdom, according to Germany’s former vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.”
“I do not think it is sensible to stare themselves blind on the anti-europeans,” he says.”
“Elections to the european Parliament in may be boiled in the media is often down to two options: nationalism à la Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán or the EU-ivrande liberalism à la president of the French republic Emmanuel Macron. In fact, the crucial issue how the EU will continue to be a relevant player on the global stage, according to Sigmar Gabriel, former German vice chancellor, foreign minister and longtime leader of the social democrats (SPD).”
“Gabriel, who is in Stockholm for a seminar of the German-Swedish chamber of commerce, warns of paralysis in the face populismens the rise.”
“– instead, we must develop ideas for how we shall be able to show people that Europe is the only chance for us to have a voice in the world even in the future, ” he says to TT.”
“social democracy in crisis”
“at the same time as parties from the populist and far right is predicted to take home big success in the EU elections has other difficult to hide his concern. Not least, social democracy is in decline in Europe. In the sole EU-countries such as France and Germany are the social democratic parties are in deep crisis and have already lost large parts of its electorate.”
“the Result in the EU elections can become even a cold shower, of the polls are to be believed. The decline is a symptom that the labour movement has lost its grip on the major social issues, think Gabriel.”
“– there must be a much clearer way deal with vardagsfrågorna, in particular those related to the world of work, ” he says.”
“Silence from Germany”
“The French president Macron has since his spectacular election victory two years ago, wanted to get the other EU countries in their reformtåg. In september 2017, he tried, in a policy speech at the sorbonne university in Paris to sell the idea of a common eurobudget, a eurofinansminister and a number of other proposals in the same spirit.”
“From the EU’s most powerful country, Germany, echoed the silence – a big mistake, admits mr Sigmar Gabriel, who was then foreign minister in Angela Merkel’s government.”
“christian democrat Merkel’s successor as party leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, praised the recently Macrons vision for a Europe more capable of action, but raised at the same time a warning finger. More supranationalism? No, thank you.”
“Gabriel and she are united on one point: The major parties to the right and left of the political center needs to formulate their own solutions rather than to defensively go in opposition to the populists. And parties like the Lega or the Alternative for Germany (AFD) shall not be attributed too much weight, think Gabriel.”
“– They will do the work in the european Parliament more difficult, because their ambition is to destroy the parliamentary process. But I would also not exaggerate the threat. My feeling is that the biggest danger is not the right-wing populist parties, but to Europe’s democrats do not have the necessary courage for the development of the EU.”
“Born in 1959 in Goslar in the German state of lower saxony.”
“Leading social democrat who, among other things, has been the vice-chancellor (2013-2018), foreign minister (by 2017-2018) and the leader of the SPD (2009-2017). Sitting since 2005 in the bundestag.”
“Belonging to the so-called Seeheimerkretsen, which is sometimes described as the German social Democrats högerflygel.”
“Source: German bundestag, NE”