Contributions
Das Progressive Zentrum has a new Board of Directors: Michael Miebach, founder of the think tank and longtime board member was elected as Chair for the first time. Tobias Dürr is passing him the baton after resigning after 12 years of successful and groundbreaking work. The Deputy Chair is Judith Siller, who will bring new perspectives to Das Progressive Zentrum. Additionally, the Board of Directors includes the Commissioner for Integration and Migration of the State of Berlin, Katarina Niewiedzial, as well as the former Head of the Brandenburg State Chancellery, Thomas Kralinski.
The Länder election in the Saarland is a dampener for the SPD. Nevertheless, Martin Schulz is bringing hope to the center-left all over Europe. The former president of the European Parliament is benefitting from the fact that the EU is seen as an increasingly positive issue in Germany. To remain successful, he must make tough policy choices and answer questions on how the SPD will finance its promises.
The Brexit opens up a new policy space for the SPD. It can only profit from it, if it takes on a realistic stance with regard to the Article 50 negotiations, solves its inner-party contradiction concerning the future of the EU, wins the debate on stimulating growth – and if it puts policies to the forefront where Europe offers a visible extra benefit for the people.
Germany’s CDU are in disarray over the refugee crisis, but the SPD cannot presume to become the automatic beneficiaries
On July 6 and 7, Das Progressive Zentrum participated in the conference “Progressive Politics in Fragmented Times” in Oxford, UK, hosted by the Policy Network, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies FEPS and Renner-Institut. Together with participants from all across Europe, we engaged in discussions about new impulses for contemporary centre-left politics. The debate focussed on Labour’s future in Great Britain, an update for oldfashioned left-right narratives and the search for innovative ideas for party democracy, matching our project efforts in reforming German party organisations as well as the research on right-wing populism together with the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP).
Struggling in the polls, the social democrats still need to learn the lessons of their defeat in 2013. A new focus on those the party failed to persuade last time may help them to do so.
Germany has recently been criticised for its current account surplus, urged to spend on investment to reflate Europe’s markets. However, domestic demand has been growing lately and additional investments would only have a marginal impact on export growth in countries where this is needed most. Europe must face the truth: it seems unlikely that Germany will back a ‘large pan-Eurozone fiscal stimulus’.
Sozialdemokratische Denker suchen eine Alternative zum »Raubtierkapitalismus«. Mit ihrer Häme über den Dritten Weg schießen sie übers Ziel hinaus.
