Where Now for European Social Democracy? - Policy Network

INTRODUCTIONWhere Now forEuropean Social Democracy?PETER MANDELSONThe publication of this book of essays marks the occasion of a seminarin London of British, French and German social democrats to discussthe way ahead for social democracy.The seminar is an informal gathering, not a meeting of Partyrepresentatives. It has no official status. But it is, nevertheless, animportant event. I cannot think of anything similar that has happenedin my 20 years experience that has involved senior members of theBritish Labour Party.There is a paradox here. Politicians talk very little about politics topoliticians in other European countries. Yet integration is a centralreality of all our political lives. Economically, what happens in Franceand Germany impacts greatly on Britain, and vice-versa, becausewell over half our trade is with the European Union. I read a paperprepared for a recent international conference that the Chancellorof the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, hosted in London on enterprise: itcontained the statement that 50 per cent of the regulation affectingbusiness, and thereby jobs and prosperity, is now decided upon by theEuropean Union.Yet for all the realities of integration and interdependence,political dialogue is, at best, weak. Of course, there are intensiverelations between the governments of Europe, whatever their politicalcolour. National civil servants, across a wide range of departments, arein constant touch, bilaterally and in hundreds of official workinggroups that meet in Brussels, to crawl over technical dossiers. Ministerscome together more intermittently at Councils and bilateral meetings,but often to debate an agenda that reflects a pre-set national positionon issues that have been ‘in the system’ for some considerable time.5