The “High Level Seminars” have been the activities, which have been organised as a conclusion of a longer-term processes involving preparatory workshops, drafting of research papers and involving in an exchange with representatives of the political leadership of the European social democracy. The summaries of those debates and the written inputs have constituted the materials that have been published in special editions of books and pamphlets.
In partnership with: Watson Institute at Brown University, IGLP at Harvard University, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Universiteit Maastricht, Nuffield College in Oxford (together with Policy Network). These meetings have resulted in the 5th volume of the Next Left Book Series and Progressive Politics After the Crash, Governing from the Left (together with Policy Network / Taurus, 2013).
2014
> 19th – 21st November (Santiago de Chile, Chile) – High level International Symposium “Next Left: A Progressive Answer to the Global Social Question”.
2013
In the course of 2012, there was one “High Level” Seminar held within the scope of the FEPS Next Left Research Programme. It was organised in partnership with the Italianieuropei and with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Office in Rome – and its success translated into continuity of the debate “Democratic Legitimacy and Political Leadership in the European Union: Towards the 2014 European Elections” in 2014.
> 18th January (Rome, Italy) – The FEPS Next Left International Seminar “Democratic Legitimacy and Political Leadership in the European Union towards 2014 elections” was composed of 2 experts panels and a round table, which was also opened to the public.
2012
In 2012 there were two “High Level” seminars held in total. Even though both took place in Berlin, still they both had different formats and served different immediate objectives. The first one, which followed partially the tradition of the High Level Seminars of 2011 – was held on the fringe of the inner-SPD debate regarding the perspectives “After Third Way / After Neue Mitte”. Its timing correlated also with the discussions regarding new directions and the new leadership of the party. The second Seminar was an opportunity to engage FEPS Next Left Focus Group and Working Group in an exchange with the SPD representatives.
> 24th – 25th April (Berlin, Gerrmany) – The event was organized together with Policy Network, Wiardi Beckman Stichting and Das Progressive Zentrum. The leading theme of the activity was “The New Social Democratic Settlement”, which was debated in two parts: during a public lecture in Hertie School of Governance and within an interactive round table.
> 8th – 9th November (Berlin, Germany) – Strengthening democracy and ensuring social progress in Europe of 21st century. Following the invitation of SPD by Andrea Nahles (Secretary General of SPD), FEPS with the support of Renner Institut arrived to Berlin with its Next Left Symposium. The idea behind the programme was to bring together and enable herewith an exchange in between FEPS Next Left Working Group and FEPS Next Left Focus Group. Programme
> University debate: 25th – 30th October (Boston, United States) – Preparatory Meetings within the “Transatlantic Dialogue of Dialogues”. Next Left: Building new communities – Delegation to Harvard Law School
2011
In 2011 there were two “High Level Seminars” held, which were organised on the junction between the FEPS Next Left Research Programme and the Policy Network/Wiardi Beckman Stichting “Amsterdam Process”. This exchange was of a profound importance, as before that the two initiatives existed in separation.
> 31st March – 1st April (London, United Kingdom) – “Social Progress in the 21st century”
> 4th – 5th October (Brussels, Belgium) – “What future for internationalism in the 21st century?”
The two events involved over 100 high level participants: academics, think-tank researchers, politicians, ngo’s representatives, and journalists. They featured speeches by, among others: Ed Milliband (Chair of the Labour Party), Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (then President of PES), Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer (Chair of the Next Left). In the course of these events more than 30 written contributions were collected, which are featured in “Queries 5 – Next Left: Social Progress in 21st century” and “Queries 8 – Next Left: cosmopolitan social democracy”.