NEWSLETTER HEERLEN GROUP
Nr 8 – December 2005
The Heerlen Group is an initiative of
members of the Green parties of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Our aim is to establish direct contacts between party members at the grassroots
level in order to strengthen cross border political conscience, to exchange
local experiences and ideas, and to create a bridge between local practice and
European policies.
We also intend to be a pilot within the European Green Party, a breeding place
for European citizenship.
For a start we will work at a regional level (Flanders, Wallonia, North
Rhine-Westphalia, Netherlands).
Every Green member who is interested in our work is welcome to join. We have a virtual meeting point at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/heerlen/
And our website is at: http://www.greenyourope.net/
This (irregular) Newsletter contains messages from the group and the associated parties with links to more extensive information. The newsletter is distributed to all participants in the conferences of the Heerlen Group and other interested people. The editors are Patrick Kopischke (Die Grüne Nord-Rhein Westfalen), Marianne Saenen (Ecolo) and Jos van Dijk (GroenLinks).
Contents
nr. 8
1.
Grüner Ratschlag in Bonn
2. European Network of Green Seniors in Brussels
3.
Heerlen 4 in Antwerp : Gaining Momentum
4.
Heerlen 4: Action program 2006
5. Report to the EGP Council in Kiev from the working group on individual
supportership
6. New Charter European Green Party
7. Books to read
8. Links that might interest you
9. AGENDA
___________________________________________________________________________
1. Grüner Ratschlag in Bonn
Workshop
„How to proceed with the European Constitution” at the “Grüner Ratschlag”
(Green Council) in Bonn, Dec. 10.-11., 2005
In this
workshop, a group of about 15 people met and discussed problems on the European
Constitution for about 1,5 hours. Two input-papers were presented, first the
paper by the European-Working Group of the Münster Greens “A new beginning for
Europe” and second the paper “The Constitution-Treaty is dead – long live the
European Constitution”, written in response to the Münster paper by Katharina
Dröge, Sven Lehmann and Börje Wichert.
Although the group came to the
agreement, that a backward headed discussion, whether the French and Dutch “No”
to the treaty was correct would lead to no progress, we started the discussion
by analysing the arguments that mainly lead to the denial by the French and
Dutch voters. Everybody could agree that a European Constitution is needed, but
a controversy arose on the question, what price should be paid for the success
of a new constitution. The one side said mainly “It’s better to have no
constitution than a bad one” – the other side said “The old Constitution-Treaty
with all its weaknesses nevertheless would have meant a progress in
democratisation of the EU and should therefore have had our support.”
The group
agreed that the Greens’ position in the debate should be strongly heading
towards a new and better constitutional-draft. Of course, the critical points
must be respected this time. The “free and unrestrained liberal economy”,
EURATOM and the passage on “improving military capacities” for named as unbearable
for a new constitutional draft. In addition, we Greens want a real division of
powers on the European level. This includes a future role for the European
Council and the Councils of Ministers as a Second Chamber of the European
legislative, not as part of the executive power. We agreed that the European
Parliament should be granted full legislative power.
Two further
debates were dominant in the discussion. We discussed the question of European
level versus national states, in this respect also the question whether the
European Constitution or the national constitutions should have the highest
rank in the judicative. Also, the question whether we’re heading towards a
federal European national state – like the US is constituted – or towards a
looser confederation of national states. In this respect the concept of “Europe
of the regions” was brought into the debate.
All
participants agreed that harder work especially by the German Greens should be
done. The German Greens in opposition should see one of their main tasks in
keeping the national government(s) as executive power out off the
drafting-process.
Peter
Alberts
Read more
soon at the weblog of: http://www.greenyourope.net/
2.
European Network of Green Seniors
in Brussels
Green seniors adopted 7th December in Brussels a statement
founding the European Network of Green Seniors. Members of Groen! organized the
meeting. MEP Bart Staes welcomed participants from 8 different countries as the
founding fathers and mothers of the European green movement. After discussion
of the founding statement the seniors installed four workshops on the themes:
the strengthening of the EGP (with Ludo Diercx, Groen!), European policy on
poverty (Birgit Meinhard-Schiebel, Austrian
Greens) age discrimination on the labour market (Lea Krank, Finnish Greens) and an economy without growth Wilhelm Knabe (German Greens).
Next meeting of the seniors will be held in June 2006. Coordination is in
the hands of Tony Cooreman (Groen!) with the help of Erika Rohwedder (Bündnis90/Die Grüne),
Johan Norris (Green Party of England and Wales) and Wilhelm Knabe
(Bündnis90/Die Grüne).
Press officer: Walter
Decoene (walter.decoene@pandora.be)
3. Heerlen 4 in Antwerp : Gaining Momentum
Antwerp,
16/10 2006 With seven nationalities, eight parties and over forty participants,
the fourth international meeting of the Heerlen Group in Antwerp, from 14 to 16
October, beat the quantitative records. But politically this international
network of greens made some progress as well. Debates on the rise of extreme
right and nationalist - very real in Antwerp where the Vlaams Belang is at 33 %
in the polls - , the European constitution and the need for a social Europe,
showed a shared eagerness of greens of all ranks to share and develop ideas on
a cross border level.
Cameroon
The Heerlen
Group is striving for more direct democracy and participation in European green
politics. Members of four green parties in the Dutch-Belgian-German border
region founded the group in 2002. The first three years the emphasis was on
expanding its network of members and getting commitment from the European Green
Party (EGP) and its member parties. The latter only has had a limited success
so far: to date only three parties (GroenLinks, Die Grünen, and Écolo) allow
members to become individual supporter - member
without voting rights - of the EGP.
But the
network is gaining momentum. Members of over ten parties participate. Seven of
them attended the meeting in Antwerp - Groenlinks (Netherlands), Groen! and
Écolo (Belgium), Les Verts (France), Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen (Germany), Zeloni
2004 (Poland), and the Green Party of England and Wales. There even was a
visitor from the Green Party of Cameroon. And whereas last year a group of
seniors from Antwerp joined the ranks, Antwerp saw an influx of Jeunes Verts.
Cordon sanitaire
This
diversity was reflected in every debate.
As to the European constitution: for the German participants the text
still is on the table, for the English it is dead. And whereas one Englishman
proposed several steps back, the
French and Dutch - yes- and no-voters alike - asked for a big
democratic leap forward. As to a European social safety net: all seemed to agree
on the need - though not on the parameters, with the exception of Michael
Stimson from England, for whom the issue is not sufficiently green to be
debated by greens in the first place. As to right wing nationalism: for the
Flemish the threat is so vivid that even a cordon
sanitaire - a joint boycott by all other parties - is more than justified.
But for many that watch at a distance, such a boycott is undemocratic or even
counterproductive.
Heerlen 5 in Paris
Some attempts were made to come up with resolutions
- like in a true political party-in-the make. But the general feeling was, that
there are still more questions to answer than answers to give. Three working
groups were set up to study the issues more thoroughly. Apart from these, the
Heerlen Group will participate in the Climate Campaign, the first joint action
of the European Green Party that will be launched on December 3rd.
These activities were added to the already existing list, consisting of
improving the website, promoting cross border linking and lobbying for a more
democratic EGP.
Maybe it is
time to focus - as some have made clear. But if you want to canalise
enthusiasm, you first have to generate it. And that certainly has happened in
the Belgian port: if the French-Dutch no to the European Constitution has led
to a general paralysis for European projects, this backlash was not shared
here. Whether it will help turning the
European Green parties into a true cross border movement, has to be seen … for
example during Heerlen 5 in Paris, autumn 2005.
Report by Lin Tabak
More about the Heerlen Group - and
ways to join - you can find at www.greenyourope.net
4. Heerlen 4: Action program 2006
As resolved
in Antwerp, 16 Oct. 2005:
1.
Communication
-
develop
the website, Newsletter and e-mail list into a European platform for
information exchange and debate;
2.
Working
groups on SOCIAL EUROPE the EU after the CONSTITUTION defeat and RIGHT_WING
NATIONALISM will continue the thematic work started in Antwerp
3.
A Fund
raising group will explore the possibilities to get financial support
And the
Heerlen Group will continue to
4.
Further
Cross border initiatives will continue, to be joined by twinning projects
further from the borders: what counts is the exchange of experiences, not the
distance;
5.
Participate
in campaigns and events will continue, e.g. EGP climate change campaign,
European Social Forum in Athens;
6.
Use
Summer universities, Les Verts, Ecolo, Groenlinks, and other relevant party
events to meet, and expand the network;
7.
Lobby
for INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERSHIP in every Green party at party events and EGP
meetings;
8.
Have
an international meeting every year, to
develop this meeting into a real Europe-wide grassroots meeting in 2008
or 2009. The next meeting, HEERLEN 5,
will be held in Paris in 2006 and the conference language will be English.
Offices / the TEAM*
Diana
Siebert was appointed Treasurer.
The coordinating Group was expanded to 6:
Diana Siebert Germany), Lin Tabak (Netherlands), Marianne Saenen Belgian
Wallony), Michel Mosser (France), Michael Stimson (England), Luc Lamote
(Belgian Flanders).
Network activities:
1.
Communication
- Site: Marc Müller, Michel Mosser, Lin Tabak, Peter Alberts, Jerôme Desquilbert , Frédéric ?? . Greet Goverde, Diana Siebert, Gijs Termeer?
- Newsletter: Jos van Dijk, Patrick Kopischke, Marianne Saenen
- Mail group: Jos van Dijk
2.
Thematic
work-groups on the issues discussed in Nationalist
and extreme right, causes and cures: Adrien Saumier adrien.saumier@gmail.com; Ludo Dierickx ludo.dierickx@skynet.be ; Luc Lamote Michael Stimson a social Europe:
Marianne Saenen, Diana Siebert, Jean (John) Lekens, John Norris, Lin
Tabak
-
After the European Constitution: John Norris, Jerome Desquilbet jerome@desquilbet.org, Peter Alberts palberts@muenster.de
-
A social Europe: Marianne Saenen, Diana Siebert, Jean
(John) Lekens, John Norris, Lin Tabak;
3.
Fund
Raising: Diana Siebert, Michel Mosser, Gijs Termeer, Greet Goverde, Lin
Tabak
4.
Cross
border linking & twinning: Greet Goverde, Michel Mosser, Lin Tabak
5.
Campaigns
& actions**:
-
the
EGP climate change campaign
-
the
European Social Forum in Athens
6. Visiting Summer Universities etc.: Remco van der Stoep, Lin Tabak, Marianne Saenen, ????
7.
Lobby
for Individual Supportership to be introduced in every party, cooperate with
EGP top, develop activities plan for individual supporters**: the coordination
team
8.
Organize
Hearken 5 in 2006 in Paris: the coordination team
* I have
underlined the proposed coordinators
** Till
further notice
5.
Report to the EGP Council in Kiev from the working group on individual
supportership
This meeting (21st October) was attended by representatives of Green
Parties from Netherlands, France, Ireland, Luxemburg, Finland, Germany,
Belgium, Italy, England and Wales.
The current situation vis-à-vis membership in the Green Parties of the
delegates attending this meeting was that though several Green Parties have
taken up the idea with enthusiasm, many are sceptical, if not fearful of the
effect of masses of unaligned members swamping either their own party or
EGP..........
Full report from Lucille O’Shea at: http://www.europeangreens.org/peopleandparties/workinggroups.html
6.
New Charter European Green Party
Values to die for
Kiev, 24/10/2005 - A limited number of principles,
preceded by the roots of green thinking and followed by a vision of European
democracy will form the outline of the new charter of the European Green Party.
But which values qualify and how strong they will be worded, was not decided
during the workshop on the issue at the party council in Kiev. And whether the
32 green parties of Europe will find an inspiring common position on the
European Union remains in the dark.
Report by Lin Teak
Whaling quota
A new charter is needed because the existing text is
outdated. It was written in the mid-nineties, when the European Green Party
still was a loose federation and the European Union - to which still only a
part of the EGP parties belong - consisted of only fifteen members. A first
draft was a combination of timeless principles - like sustainable development -
and political goals - like the reduction of whaling quota. As many parties
found this combination unsatisfactory, these have been replaced by a limited
number of principles, to be preceded by a brief sketch of the roots of the
parties in the social movements of the 70's and 80's, and concluded by their
vision on Europe and the EU.
But the real choices, so much became clear in Kiev,
still have to be made. One of them: what is a principle and what is not? All
agreed that Environmental Responsibility qualifies, and so do Freedom,
Justice and Democracy. But what about Diversity - should
it be a value in itself, as some argue, or a characteristic of Democracy or
Justice?
Exit non-violence
And what is a principle? 'A value you are
prepared to die for, if necessary', stated the German party leader Reiner
Büttikofer. After which he rejected a Greek proposition to include Green
Economy, 'because economy is not a value but a process'. But when the chair
of Die Grünen tried to incorporate the European Constitution, as 'the most
important contribution to supra national democracy so far', his definition
rapidly lost authority.
A second point of disagreement was: how radical should
our principles be? If Greece's Yannis Tsironis had had his way, each single
principle would be so explicit that only greens agree. But a radical choice for
non violence found bigger parties like Die Grünen and GroenLinks on its path -
and was replaced by Peace and Security. A more neutral text probably
will be the general tendency - with Environmental responsibility as a possible
exception. As EGP-council member Philippe Lamberts (Écolo) diplomatically put
it: 'What makes us different from others is not every principle as such, but
the combination.'
Europe: worlds apart
A third dilemma proved to be the status of sustainable
development. For some this is so vital that they tended to make it a core
value. In doing so you reduce all other principles to a secondary place,
objected Büttikofer. Moreover, all agreed eventually, sustainable development
is not a value but a process - which should be resulting from all principles
once applied. This definition of sustainable development has two advantages: it
obliges the values to really produce this result. And it gives the document a
beautiful ending.
The last - and probably biggest - controversy still
has to be discussed: how do the green parties see the future European Union? A
harmless but not very meaningful statement seems the most probable outcome.
Then as heated debates on the constitutional process and the enlargement of the
EU made clear, in their vision about the EU the European Green Parties are
still worlds apart.
7.
Books to read
During a conference-debate on the 7th
of December organized in the European Parliament in Brussels under the
patronage of MEPs Thijs Berman and Pierre Jonckheer, Madame Alexandra
Laignel-Lavastine presented her book "Esprits d'Europe"
There is still a large divide between the
countries of Central Europe and Western Europe. Ignorance, even suspicion:
enlargement does not automatically mean integration. This is one of the
conclusions that presents itself after the double No in the referenda in the
Netherlands and in France. Therefore, it is urgent to reflect on what does
unite us.
See: http://www.greens-efa.org/en/agenda/detail.php?id=1936
"The European environment state and
outlook 2005". This is the third state and outlook report on
the European environment produced by the European Environment Agency (EEA)
since 1994.
To download at: http://reports.eea.eu.int/
8.
Links that might interest you
…is a
network promoting direct democracy. Our basic goal is the establishment of
direct democracy (initiative and referendum) as a complement to representative
democracy within the European Union and in the nation states. In addition, we
work on questions of worldwide democracy. We are actively promoting the idea of
direct democracy and propose a democratic procedure for a new European Convention,
which should lead to a result accepted by a majority of the Europeans.
Currently
we are working to get a fair European Citizens' Initiative.
From 2002
to 2004 we organised the European Referendum Campaign promoting fair referendums on the
EU Constitution in all member states.
Café babel
Welcome to cafebabel.com, the first multilingual European current affairs
magazine, designed for readers across borders. Cafebabel.com revolutionises
European media through participatory journalism, providing a unique platform of
expression for all citizens.
Café babel’s aim is to stimulate and develop European public opinion
through two distinct but closely related missions. The online magazine – cafebabel.com – offers every week
analyses of current affairs from a unique, European perspective. Secondly, at
grassroots level café babel’s network, actively promotes this perspective
through debates, conferences and other events organised in towns and cities
across Europe.
9.
AGENDA
17-18 December 2005: Alter
Ekolo Conference in Liège/Lüttich/Luik. 'Let us together build a European network for
reflection and action for an anti-liberal and anti-productivist political
ecology of transformation. More info: alter@ekolo.org or http://alter.ekolo.org
11-18 February 2006: FYEG
Winter camp in Judenburg (Austria). The
theme of the exchange will be the European Union after the constitution and the
future of the EU. See all details at: http://www.fyeg.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=205&Itemid=138
16
February: International Climate Change Day, official start of the common
campaign of the EGP
5-6
May: EGP Council in Helsinki
9-11
June: EGP Local Councillors Conference
in Barcelona
You
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On the press review's archives you can find most of the articles in full
Archive 2005 http://ecquologia.it/sito/pag706.map?action=all&field.joined.id=39450
Archive 2004 http://ecquologia.it/sito/pag793.map?action=all&field.joined.id=39319
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