Expectations of the Berliner Republik Berlin, 27-28 January This event on Expectations of the Berliner Republik will bring together German and European thinkers, politicians, academics, journalists and other relevant players to discuss the future of Germany and how it needs to adapt to its role in today s Europe and and how social democratic parties across Europe need to adapt to the key social, economic and political trends that are shaping our societies in the 21st century. Background to the meeting The term Berliner Republik refers to German politics and German political culture in the period since Berlin became the capital in the nineties. In the past 15 years, Germany has changed dramatically. Among the most relevant shifts are the modernisation of the welfare system, school reforms, expansion of early-childcare, investments in renewable energies ( Energiewende ) and a vibrant new enterprise culture. Altogether, Germans have a more relaxed and self-confident view of their country. On the other hand, there are some worrying developments. Inequality is on the rise. Upward social mobility is decreasing. Resentment towards migrants is getting stronger. Both public and private investment levels are too low. Even the picture of the allegedly robust German economy has been shattered: evidence suggests that economic recession is around the corner. The European economic, financial and debt crisis is not yet over. To sum up: political reforms seem necessary in many different areas while public willingness to accept disruptive change has decreased. In parallel with these internal shifts and developments, Germany has gained importance internationally, not the least through the crisis in the Eurozone. However, the reluctant hegemon was not very well prepared for its new role as the leading power in Europe. This has damaged Germany s image in other countries. Many Europeans hold Germany responsible for the drastic austerity measures in the crisis countries and point to the drawbacks and sustainability of the German economic model. The Berliner Republik was also unprepared for the latest foreign policy developments in the Ukraine and in the middle-east. Aspirations to take more international responsibility announced by German politicians is only partially shared by the public and tends to dissipate completely when it comes to concrete action and technical feasibility. The focus of the seminar The overarching question of the seminar is how the Berliner Republik needs to prepare for the future: which progressive reforms should be put on the political agenda and what are the right strategies to implement them? What expectations are there especially from its European
neighbours with regard to the future European and international role of Germany? And with which topics and means can German social democrats contribute in alliance-building to make European social democracy as a whole capable of winning majorities again? Agenda Dinner 27/01/15 19.00 22.30 Dinner speeches: Welcome Peer Steinbrück, former German Finance Minister Winning back the political center Nils Schmid, deputy prime minister of Baden-Württemberg The British Election of 2015 and the Risk of Brexit Roger Liddle, chair, Policy Network Dinner interventions: Dispatch from Sweden- From snap election to haven of stability? Jan Larsson, leader of the 2014 Swedish election campaign, Swedish social democrats Understanding Ed Miliband s Labour Party Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London Germany and the euro-crisis Grexit vs debt relief Gesine Schwan, former social democratic candidate for the federal presidency of Germany Renzi s reform politics in Italy Lia Quartapelle, MP, Italian Democratic party The PSOE and the Spanish election of 2015 Manuel de la Rocha Vázquez, economics secretary, Spanish Socialists, PSOE Final comment Hubertus Heil, MP, deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group,co-editor of the Berliner Republik Host: Tobias Dürr, chief editor of Berliner Republik
Agenda, 28/01/15 9.30 10:00 Welcome and Introduction Kirsten Lühmann, MP, chairman of the Berliner Republik Tobias Dürr, chief editor of Berliner Republik Ernst Hillebrand, head of the department for international policy analysis, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung 10.00 11:30 Session 1 - The German economic and social model: necessary reforms and reform barriers? Anke Hassel, professor at the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin Christoph M. Schmidt, chairman of the Advisory Council, President, the Rhine-Westphalia Institute for Economic Research (RWI) Matthias Machnig, state secretary, Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy Conclusions: Hubertus Heil, MP, deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, co-editor of the Berliner Republik Carsten Schneider, MP, deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, co-editor of the Berliner Republik 11.30 12:00 Coffee break 12.00 13:30 Session 2: The state of European social democracy Presentation: Europe and European social democracy after the crisis Roger Liddle and Patrick Diamond, chair and vice-chair, Policy Network, London Case-studies Inequality, political instability and the future of the Swedish model Håkan A. Bengtsson, CEO, Arenagruppen, Stockholm The youth precariat and the future of the Spanish economy Rocío Martínez-Sampere i Rodrigo, MP and spokesperson on economics, finance and budget for the Catalan Socialist Party Analysis: Prospects for European social democracy in times of rising populism Ernst Hillebrand, head of the department for international policy analysis, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Conclusions: Jakob von Weizsäcker, MEP, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Jörg Asmussen, state secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, co-editor of the Berliner Republik 13.30 14:30 Lunch break 14.30 16:30 Session 3 - The responsibility of Berliner Republik in Europe and the world European growth strategies and EU solidarity Valérie Rabault, member of the French parliament (PS), general rapporteur of the budget committee European populism René Cuperus, director for International Relations and senior research fellow at the Wiardi Beckman Foundation, thinktank of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA) Foreign policy, security and the neighbourhood John Spellar, UK Labour MP and shadow foreign affairs minister Ulrich Speck, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe, Brussels Bartłomiej E. Nowak, assistant professor at the Vistula University, Warsaw Conclusions: Hans-Peter Bartels, MP, chairman of the Defence Committee, coeditor, Berliner Republik Constanze Stelzenmüller, Robert Bosch senior fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings 16.30 Summary and End of event Berliner Republik Birthday Party (with 300 people) 18.00 Presentation of award for outstanding intellectual, moral and political contribution to the Berliner Republik, and speech by German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
19.30 late Birthday party with music, food and drinks. *All events will take place at Ellington Hotel Berlin.