For a New Social Consensus in Europe, a promise of jobs, welfare and empowerment

From the 29th September until the 1st October 2013, the FEPS Next Left Research Programme held a three day event entitled ‘For a New Social Consensus in Europe, a promise of jobs, welfare and empowerment’ in Warsaw, Poland. This event consisted out of the Next Left Focus Group meeting and the Next Left National Round Table Debate. This event was co-organised by the Foundation Amicus Europea, the Centrum im. Ignacego Daszynskiego and the Renner Institut. The patronage of this activity was taken by President Aleksander Kwasniewski (former President of Poland), Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer (Chair of the FEPS Next Left Research programme and former Chancellor of Austria) and Dr. Ernst Stetter (FEPS Secretary General). This activity allowed the creation of a junction between the pan-European debate on renewal of Social Democracy and the current debate on the national level in Poland. 

The event was composed of two integral parts. First of all, it consisted of the closed session of the FEPS Next Left Focus Group (FG). Following the respective meetings in Vienna (February 2013) and in Lisbon (May 2013), the FG members (for a full list of its members, please see the activity report) gathered for the third review of their papers that constitute the core of this year’s research on the state and future of the European social democracy. The questions tackled this year focus on the review of the cornerstones of the Social Europe’s vision, and as such include, among others: way forward for welfare society; stadium on the labour market institutions and concepts such as flexicurity; lessons from Lisbon Strategy and EU2020 agenda; cultural, economic and political underpinning of Social Union; judicial assessment of accessibility of legal instruments that empower people and enable construction of European social citizenship.

The Next Left National Round Table debate gathered over 70 representatives from different streams of the Polish progressive forces. Among them were representatives of the political parties, associations, foundations, trade unions, as also academics and journalists. The conference was composed of 3 panels, which were framed by the following questions: For a working society – providing quality employment for all; For a welfare society – transforming our social models; For a prosperous society – framing a new socio-economic paradigm.

Please read the activity report for a more detailed description of this event.