How can we go in confidently and boldly about intervening and imposing a degree of accountability?

April 6th, 2008by Noel Hatch

Michael Walsh, Research Director for Community at the New Social Europe debate of the PES Manifesto Consultation introduced the trade union Community as the only union in the UK that has spoken up for the European Union, but often the message doesn’t get across, such as when we talk about “social dialogue”.

The EU record doesn’t compare favourably with the British record. Free markets don’t work. We need to disentangle the European dimension from national politics; otherwise people will bash Europe in order to bash the government. Great social victories have been attributable to the European Union, especially on equality.

Michael proposed that we need to:

• disentangle the European dimension from national politics, otherwise people will bash Europe in order to bash their national government
• shouldn’t lose faith in our basic beliefs - we should prepared to intervene in favour of a more social Europe
• go in confidently and boldly about intervening and imposing a degree of accountability
• build coalitions across society and intensify European co-operation

See more of his proposals and his debate here: