Updated on 10/15/2022 at 16:47
- With Olaf Scholz, European Social Democrats have been at the helm of the EU’s most populous country for ten months.
- At its congress in Berlin, the SPE celebrated the chancellor with much applause – and set the goal of winning the 2024 European elections.
At the Congress of European Social Democrats, Chancellor Olaf Scholz campaigned for a reform of the European Union in order to prepare it for the admission of new members. In front of nearly 300 delegates from the Party of European Socialists (PES) on Saturday, he campaigned for the gradual abolition of the principle of unanimity in foreign policy decisions, but also in other areas such as tax policy.
“I know we still have a lot to convince,” said the SPD politician. “But I also say clearly: if a geopolitical Europe is our goal, then majority decisions are a gain and not a loss of sovereignty.”
EU with 36 instead of 27 states?
The EU spoke with candidate countries, which include several Balkan countries, but also Ukraine and Moldova. “A united European Union of 27, 30, 36 states with then more than 500 million free and equal citizens can bring even more weight to this world”, emphasized the chancellor. The concerns of smaller Member States, in particular, must not be overlooked. “Also in the future, all countries must be heard with their concerns, anything else would be a betrayal of the European idea.”
Scholz advocated greater autonomy, including military independence, for the EU. He called for a coordinated procurement of weapons and equipment, an EU rapid reaction force by 2025 and a true EU headquarters for the European armed forces. “We must confidently advance joint European defense efforts.”
Scholz also called on EU member states to resolve conflicts in finance and migration policies. Migration must be designed with foresight. This also means reducing irregular migration while allowing for legal migration and the influx of skilled workers from abroad.
The PES is made up of 33 European parties. Already on Friday night, the congress elected former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven as its new president. 255 of the 262 delegates voted for the 65-year-old, who replaces Bulgarian Sergey Stanishev after eleven years. There were seven abstentions and no votes against.
Löfven, Scholz and Klingbeil: Social Democrats must once again be the strongest group in the EU Parliament
At the congress, Löfven, Scholz and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil stated that the electoral objective for the 2024 European elections was for the Social Democrats to once again become the strongest group in the EU Parliament. The conservative European People’s Party is currently the strongest party in the European Parliament – ahead of the Social Democrats and Socialists.
In a resolution, Congress advocated, among other things, continued support for Ukraine, including military support, and new sanctions against Russia. “The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is not only an attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty, but also on the European peace order and European values,” the resolution said.
The congress ended in the afternoon with a declaration of solidarity with women protesting against the oppression of the state apparatus in Iran. (dpa/mbo) © dpa
Updated on 10/14/2022 at 17:04
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