Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-15-Speech-2-314"
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"en.20000215.13.2-314"2
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"Mr President, I come from the same country and the same region as the rapporteur, Mr Andersson. In my constituency, there is deep scepticism about the Commission’s attempts at direction and control. If those who voted for Mr Andersson knew that he is proposing that social policy throughout Europe should be coordinated, that taxes should be harmonised and that the welfare system should be subordinated to the process of European Monetary Union, then they would protest vociferously and in no uncertain terms. I am certain that most of them would vote for another party next time.
Certainly, Mr Andersson’s report contains many good concrete proposals, which I can entirely support. But I am critical of the global perspective on social security which characterises both the Commission’s communication and Mr Andersson’s report. They seem to believe that it is the
which is the engine, centre and driving force of the process of change in Europe. Just as Mr Prodi described himself this morning as someone who bears the responsibilities of the world on his shoulders, what we are encountering here is a top-down perspective upon social issues, from which the talk is of convergence and harmonisation. There is even an attempt to make us believe that social integration can be considered a common pan-European process.
The reality is quite different. A socially integrated Europe is a distant utopia which not even an all-powerful Commission can turn into a reality. Great steps have been taken towards economic integration, and the process of political integration is now under way. But social integration is an entirely different type of process which presupposes cultural community and direct communication between people. The concept of a social Europe is a drawing-board product which is far removed from the real world.
Social policy is chiefly a national process. In my own country, we have learned that large parts of the social security system have to be created locally within the framework of the municipalities. Decentralisation and closeness to the people they serve are important factors for promoting quality and efficiency within health care, education and social services. The municipalities have responsibility for delivering almost all welfare services. Local democracy provides the framework for social security. Now that we have economic coordination, I certainly believe we need to increase the degree of coordination of social policy, too, at European level. But a European strategy for coordination must be based upon local initiatives and upon diversity. It must have democratic support and respect the principle of closeness to the people. I belong to a party which, once upon a time, believed in central control, five-year plans and far-reaching convergence requirements. We were horribly wrong, and history forced us to ask questions of ourselves, to reconsider, and to revise our ideas about democracy. I do not believe that the chief responsibility can lie with Mr Prodi and his Commission. I am convinced that this must be borne by those people who are directly affected by the social problems concerned."@en1
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