global progress: new ideas for the future of the global progressive movement

8/20/2019 Global Progress: New Ideas for the Future of the Global Progressive Movement

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New Ideas for the Future

of the Progressive MovementEdited by Neera Tanden and Matt Browne


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Contents

1 Preface

Tom Pitfield, President of Canada 2020

3 Forewords

Constance Milstein and Hamdi Ulukaya, Patrons, Global Progress

7 A Future Built on Global Progress Neera Tanden and Matt Browne, Center for American Progress

13 Past as Prelude

15 Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

19 Bill Clinton, Founder of the Clinton Foundation

and 42nd President of the United States

23 Ricardo Lagos, Former President of Chile

29 Helle Thorning-Schmidt , Former Prime Minister of Denmark

35 Challenges of Today

37 Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy

43 Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

49 Lodewijk Asscher, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands 55 Sigmar Gabriel, Vice Chancellor of Germany

61 Future of Global Progress

61 Andrew Little, Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party

69 Bill Shorten, Leader of the Australian Labor Party

75 Jonas Gahr Støre, Leader of the Norwegian Labour Party

82 About the Authors


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GLOBAL PROGRESS


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Preface 1

PrefaceTom Pitfield, President of Canada 2020

This year, Canada 2020 celebraes is 10hanniversary.

We have come a long way over he pas decade, and here

is much or us o celebrae. I hope, however, ha he

decade ahead holds even more promise or he progressive

ideals we cherish. Tey are needed now more han ever,

boh in Canada and around he world.

From our concepion, i is air o say ha Canada 2020

sough o be no jus he pre-eminen progressive hink

ank a home, bu also a condui or he ransi o resh

hinking and he laes ideas in and ou o Canada. My

ounding parners and I recognized ha in a globalized

world, insighs and knowledge rom abroad could help

us hink differenly abou he challenges we aced. While

every counry has is own unique hisory, many o hechallenges we ace are similar in naure.

Paricipaing in he Global Progress nework has, here-

ore, been crucial o our success and o he revival o

progressive poliics in Canada. We are delighed o be

parnering wih he Cener or American Progress on his

volume and o share he inspiraion we ound and he

riendships we buil wih he wider progressive commu-

niy. oday, he markeplace or new ideas is global. And

or he firs ime in a generaion, Canadian progressives

have he opporuniy o lead he debae abou he uure

o our global movemen wih pride. I is an opporuniy

ha we a Canada 2020 inend o seize.

We look orward o building global progress ogeher.


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2 GLOBAL PROGRESS


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Forewords 3

ForewordsConstance Milstein and Hamdi Ulukaya, Patrons, Global Progress

In the spring of 2002—a Harwell House inBuckinghamshire, EnglandI had he honor o hosinga discussion beween ormer U.S. Presiden Bill Clinon,

hen-Briish Prime Miniser ony Blair, and a presigious

group o progressives rom across Europe. Te meeing

had been convened o discuss how o mee he challenges

o a new conservaism ha was hreaening he dominance

o progressive ideas. As we debaed and shared ideas ino

he early hours o he morning, I became convinced ha

such an exchange o ideas was essenial o helping our

movemen rise o he challenges o he 21s cenury.

Unorunaely, in he years ha ollowed hese discus-

sions, his new conservaism did indeed riumph in he

Unied Saes and much o Europe. During ha ime,

many o he challenges conroning our plane wereignored or grew worse. oday more han ever, hey need a

progressive soluion. For ha o happen, however, a new

generaion o leaders needs o develop and share heir

own ideas or how bes o respond. I was my desire o

help his ambiion become a realiy ha led me o suppor

he Cener or American Progress and o agree o become

a paron o is Global Progress iniiaive.

Te insighs rom world leaders ha have engaged wih

Global Progressand are compiled in his volumehelp

se he sage or wha I hope will be a new golden era o

progressive governance. I look orward o paricipaing in

he discussions o come and working ogeher o achieve

global progress. Constance Milstein


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4 GLOBAL PROGRESS

S t u a r t R

a m

s on

/ A P I m

a g e s f or T

e n

t F

o un

d a t i on

❛❛The refugeecrisis is thegreatesthumanitarianchallenge ofour generation.

❜❜


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Forewords 5

The modern world is confronted wiha hos o new global crises, many o which are unprec-

edened in scale. Te crisis ha roubles me he mos is

he exponenial growh o he number o reugees and

displaced people across he globe. oday, here are morehan 60 million reugees or inernally displaced people

in he world. I is perhaps he greaes humaniarian

challenge o our generaion.

roublingly, we have also seen wha was iniially a

humaniarian crisis grow ino a poliical and economic

one. Te rise o a oxic discourse o xenophophia, ear, and

exclusion have made i all oo easy or people o ry and

sidesep heir responsibiliies or finding shared soluions.

I esablished he en Foundaion o ocus on he pligh

o reugees. ens mission is o improve he livelihoods o

hose who have been orcibly displaced around he globe,

and i works o promoe innovaion and creae new par-

nerships o help he displaced realize heir ull poenial.

Forunaely, wih he help o Global Progress, a new gen-

eraion o poliical leaders who undersand he srengh

o diversiy and is power o drive economic growh is

emerging. Tis generaion is more open o collaboraion

and parnership wih he privae secor and civil socieyin promoing new and innovaive ways o rising o he

global challenges we all ace.

Im honored o have had he opporuniy o engage in hese

discussions and look orward o finding new ways o working

ogeher o mee he challenges ahead. Hamdi Ulukaya

Te Center for American Progress thanks Constance Milstein

and Hamdi Ulukaya for their support of Global Progress and

of this booklet. Te views and opinions expressed here are

those of the Center for American Progress and the authors and

do not necessarily reflect the position of Constance Milstein or

Hamdi Ulukaya. Te Center for American Progress produces

independent research and policy ideas driven by solutions that

we believe will create a more equitable and just world.


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6 GLOBAL PROGRESS

Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and Helle Thorning-Schmidt discuss

progressive challenges at the Global Progress meeting at

the United Nations in New York, December 2010.

C e n

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A Future Built on Global Progress 7

A Future Built on

Global ProgressNeera Tanden and Matt Browne, Center for American Progress

Today, progressives across the world

are conroning similar challengesrom promoingmiddle-class growh o combating climae change and

advancing inclusive poliics. Developed counries such

as he Unied Saes ace sagnan wages, a disappearing

middle class, and a resurgence o grassroos populism on

boh sides o he poliical specrum.

In 2009, he Cener or American Progress creaed he

Global Progress iniiaive, a nework o like-minded

hink anks across he globe ha sough o advance

progressive policy ideas. Te idea behind he iniiaive

was simple: Progressives in America and around he

world could benefi rom a more sysemaic approach

o sharing ideas, knowledge, and bes pracices in order

o respond o global challenges. While each counry is

unique, in a globalized world, many o our problems are

no: We can learn rom each oher.

For he pas eigh years, he Global Progress iniiaive

has brough ogeher he ounders o he global progres-

sive movemen wih curren and uure leaders o discuss

how progressives can overcome obsacles and lead a

new, global progressive movemen. From Washingon o

Amserdam, Paris o Sydney, he Global Progress iniia-

ive has led discussions wih world leaders, inellecuals,aciviss, and like-minded hink anks o shape a progres-

sive agenda or he 21s cenury. By commiting o more

inclusive poliics, we can help build susainable socieies

where prosperiy is shared more equiably and govern-

mens work beter or heir people. Te essays in his

volume suppor our progressive vision and offer a road

map or he uure.

Te world sands on he cusp o a new, global progres-

sive movemen. People around he globe are dissaisfied

wih heir governmens and eager or change, and many

have urned once more o progressivism. In Europe, or

example, where auseriy once prevailed, he rise o new

leaders such as Ialian Prime Miniser Mateo Renzi has

shown ha modern cener-le poliics can inspire voers

and deliver real change. And in Canada, Prime Miniser

Jusin rudeau has led a new movemen o inclusive

and inspiraional poliics o end more han a decade o

conservaive power. We are convinced ha rudeau and

Renzi will become paragons o he progressive movemen.

And a his crucial momen in American poliics as pro-

gressives look o build on he achievemens o Presiden


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8 GLOBAL PROGRESS

❛❛Progressives need to show that we can respondto rising inequality, increased global competition,

and technological innovation in a way thatrebuilds and strengthens the middle class.

❜❜Barack Obama, we hope his global reflecion on he

uure o progressive poliics provides a resh perspecive

on debaes in he Unied Saes.

Bill Clinon, ony Blair, Ricardo Lagos, and Helle

Torning-Schmid reflec on how heir experience in

office and he renewal o progressive governance can help

leaders around he worldparicularly in Arica, Asia, and

he Americasas hey conron new challenges. Mateo

Renzi, Jusin rudeau, Sigmar Gabriel, and Lodewijk

Asscher address he complex emergence o new popu-

lis ani-poliics, he need o ackle rising inequaliy and

promoe opporuniy, and he imporance o developing

a more open and inclusive poliics. Finally, Andrew Litle,

Bill Shoren, and Jonas Gahr Søre show us he imporance

o a value-based agenda while reminding us ha a progres-

sive approach o creaing inclusive and prosperous socie-

ies is no only more jus, bu also more effecive.

Every conribuion ouches on a leas one o he hree

core challenges acing oday’s progressives: economic

inequaliy, insiuional reorm, and poliical renewal.

Te uure success o he global progressive movemen

depends upon our abiliy o conron hese challenges in

new and convincing ways.

Firs, when i comes o he economy, progressives

need o show ha we can respond o rising inequaliy,

increased global compeiion, and echnological innova-ion in a way ha rebuilds and srenghens he middle

class. Te insiuional dilemma requires progressives o

use our passion, energy, and creaiviy o make govern-

men responsive, effecive, and ransparen. Te poliical

dilemma requires progressives o deend our values and

figh or wha we know is r igh, o renew our spiri and

reool our effors, and o rebuild our movemens o mee

he needs o a new cenury. I more and more people

lose aih in economic opporuniy and he chance o

prosperor hemselves and heir childreni will

undermine progressive policies.

In 2014, he economic dilemma led he Cener or

American Progress o esablish he Inclusive Prosperiy

Commission. Chaired by ormer U.S. reasury Secreary

Lawrence H. Summers and U.K. Shadow Chancellor

o he Exchequer Ed Balls, he commission sudied he

causes o wage sagnaion in advanced economies and

made recommendaions o address he growing problem.

Tese included ensuring ull employmen and air wages

or every worker hrough more invesmens in inrasruc-

ure and suppor or renewable energy coupled wih a


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srong minimum wage; rewarding companies ha share

profis wih workers a every income level; and modern-

izing employmen laws o limi he abiliy o firms o cucoss by classiying workers as subconracors insead o

ull-ime employees wih benefis.

Te commission also advocaed or making markes work

in he public ineres and he long erm by reorming cor-

porae governance o ensure ha workersno jus share-

holdersbenefi rom increased produciviy. Raising workers skill levels is also criical o increasing growh in

he long erm and he employmen and lie opporuniies

o workers hemselves. Ta’s why he commission also

called or improvemens o early learning and childhood

educaion, schools, universiies, vocaional raining, and

appreniceship programs. Finally, he commission argued

ha progressives need o push or essenial public inves-

mens in inrasrucure in order o keep pace wih our

growing populaion and economies and o help our soci-

eies mee he new demands o he global inormaion age.

We mus also address poliical reorm o ensure he sus-

ainabiliy o he progressive cause. Many people have los

aih in poliical answers, and over ime, his cynicism has

undermined rus in governmen oo. o build suppor

or hese improvemens, progressives need o show ha

we have ideas or improving how governmens work. Tis

brings us o he second challengeinsiuional reorm.

Progressives need o ouline a new vision or modern gov-

ernmen in he 21s cenury, one ha embraces ciizens’

call or greaer ransparency and provides a oundaion or

smarer and more effecive decision-making, and leverages

he laes innovaions in inormaion and communicaions

echnology and big daa. In he Unied Saes, ackling

campaign finance rules will also be a crucial elemen ohis renewal and essenial o ensuring ha governmen

works or everyone, no jus or special ineress.

Wih he rise o big daa and he reach o social media,

progressives have an opporuniy o make governmen

more responsible, effecive, and ransparen. By making

public inormaion and services more readily and easilyavailable, governmens can resore public confidence and

grow a new generaion o engaged ciizens.

New echnologies are already revoluionizing how govern-

mens respond o social challenges and deliver public

goods. By embracing hese advancemens, governmens

can cu wase and sreamline bureaucracy.

Bu jus as online communicaions, social media, and

increasing demands will orce a revoluion in governmen,

hey will also change how progressives do poliics and

hopeully help us rise o he hird challengepoliical

renewal. Barack Obama’s 2008 v icory ushered in a new

wave o progressive leaders wih new communicaions

ools o help hem reach a wider audience. Tey have

opened heir paries o new supporers, new ideas, and

new ways o doing hings. Te leadership primary process

adoped by he Ialian Democraic Pary and he French

le are jus wo good examples o such experimens and

have raised he profiles o young leaders such as Prime

Miniser Renzi and French Prime Miniser Manuel Valls.


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10 GLOBAL PROGRESS

Tony Blair speaks at the Global Progress meeting at the United Nations in New York, December 2010.

In many poliical culures, here is resisance o such

change rom boh old pary elies and rank-and-file

members. Change is disrupive, bu resisance o change

is a risky sraegy. Many young people no longer vieworganized poliics or radiional poliical paries as he

bes roue o improving heir lives or engaging wih he

issues hey care abou. W hen mainsream poliical par-

ies seem exclusive, eliis, and ou o ouch, hey sow

he seeds o populism. Ye as he conribuions o his

volume illusrae, progressives can overcome he wave o

cynicism and ani-poliics ha has enguled paries on

boh sides. By demanding insiuional reorm, inclusive

poliics, and inclusive prosperiy, progressives can uniy

a movemen or change.

Te Global Progress iniiaive a he Cener or American

Progress will coninue o play is own small par o revive

progressive governance across he globe. By osering dia-

logue and working wih a new generaion o leaders, he

global progressive movemen will build on he progress

we have made. And ogeher, we will secure he progres-

sive uure our children deserve.

C e n

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12 GLOBAL PROGRESS : XX subtitle XX


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The experiences of previous periods of progressive governanceillustrate that it is possible to marry social justice with a dynamic market economy

in order to deliver shared prosperity. In this opening section, successful leaders

evaluate how their experience of previous periods of progressive governance

can inform the challenges of today. How has government been used to empower

people and provide them with the tools to make a success of their own lives? How

can the ideals of shared opportunity and shared responsibility be renewed to help

inform a new era of progressive leadership? ››

PAST AS PRELUDE

PAST AS PRELUDE 13


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14 GLOBAL PROGRESS


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PAST AS PRELUDE: Tony Blair 15

Third Way, AgainTony Blair, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

❛❛We needto balancea thriving

private sectorwith anefficient andcompetentpublic sector.

❜❜

I remember the 1999 Florence Conference on ProgressiveGovernance conerence so well. I came a a ime o grea ension in Europe and he

Balkans. I was he firs ime anyone could recall ha a Democra U.S. presiden and pro-

gressive le European poliicians had come ogeher on he same plaorm o celebrae

wha we had in common.

So here we were lae a nigh in he sumpuous Florenine surroundings, where he very

walls and painings were suffused wih poliical hisory, debaing poliical ideasacually,

a new poliical idea.

Tis could never have happened wihou Presiden Bill Clinon, who had he inellec-

ual skill o converse in erms he European le could undersand wihou alienaing he

American public.

Bu i also came a he righ ime in he shi in poliical zeigeis.


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16 GLOBAL PROGRESS

❛❛The center ground of politics is in danger. It doesn’t actually makethe most noise. But it is still where a large part of the public is.

❜❜ Jus beore he adven o a new cenury, i became very clear he old policy hinking had

o change.

Te 20h cenury revealed ha wihou he capaciy o he sae o guaranee cerain

key proecions and provide basic services or ciizens, hen he objecive o a more jus

sociey in which opporuniy would be opened up o all could no succeed. In his way,

we needed o ax airly and o spend in order o atain social jusice. And we buil he

insiuions o he welare sae.

However, over ime as he insiuions o collecive power grew and ordinary people

became payers o ax, i became plain ha he sae could also abuse power, spend

unwisely, and be a vesed ineres sanding in he way o necessary change. Likewise, he

civil sociey counerpars o he saerade unionscould do he same.

Hence, he concep o he Tird Way came abou, which was and is essenially a projec

o modernizaion. Te world has changed, and we mus change wih i. Tis is no abou

abandoning principle; on he conrary, i is abou applying i bu wih he courage and

imaginaion o do so in he ligh o a world vasly differen rom he one o previous gen-

eraions. I is absoluely rooed in he progressive, no conservaive, radiion o poliics.

Bu i acceps as a realiy ha or he original goals o progressive poliics o be achieved, we have o reorm he way ha collecive power, including sae power, operaes. We have

o make sure he sae, i i spends, spends wisely; ha services are run or he benefi o

hose who depend on hem; ha issues like crime, seen as he preserve o he righ, are

aken seriously by he le; and ha we are he champions o a compeiive and enrepre-

neurial privae secor, as well as organized labor.

I is grea ha Tird Way ideas are back in vogue. Tis is no jus in pars o Europe.


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PAST AS PRELUDE: Tony Blair 17

Virually wherever I go in he world rom Lain America o he Far Eas, Tird Way hink-

ing is geting a hearing. Tis is or a very simple reason: I speaks o he criical balance

ha mos sensible people wan o srike in public policy. Ta is a balance ha unies ahriving privae secor wih an efficien and compeen public secor, providing services

o qualiy o he ciizen and social proecion or hose who are vulnerable. And i ocuses

on pracical, evidence-based policies ha work, no on ideological soluions ha may ge

a round o applause among pary aciviss bu are compleely unrealisic in he real world.

Looking back a he commenary o he ime is insrucive. Many accused boh me and

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder o acing like conservaives, and we were old our

reorms would never work. In ac, he laid he basis or he German economic moderniza-

ion, and I won hree consecuive elecions or ull erms o governmen by implemening

reormspreviously, he Briish Labour Pary had never won even wo.

oday, he Tird Way is more relevan han ever. We can see his around he debae in

Europe. Te righ wans auseriy; he old le resiss he necessary srucural reorm.

Te resul is perilously close o sagnaion, wih a real risk o a poliical allou ha

overwhelms sensible mainsream European poliics. In ac, wha is clear is ha we need

policies or growh combined wih srucural reorm. Te poliical leaders rying o make

such reorms need o know ha heir economies can grow. Fiscal policy mus encourage

his and no leave everyhing up o a moneary simulus ha can keep he euro alive bu

canno by isel make he eurozone economy healhy.

Te cener ground o poliicsin Europe, including he Unied Kingdomis in dan-

ger. I doesn’ usually make he mos noise. I operaes bes in he quie chambers oanalysis and reflecion. I seeks o build consensus raher han exploi ris. Bu i is sill

where a large par o he public wishes o congregae. Tey urgenly need he leader-

ship o people like Ialian Prime Miniser Mateo Renzi, French Prime Miniser Manuel

Valls, and, mos recenly, Canadian Prime Miniser Jusin rudeau. Tere couldn’ be a

beter ime o renew he Tird Way.


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18 GLOBAL PROGRESS


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PAST AS PRELUDE: Bill Clinton 19

Moving ForwardTogetherBill Clinton, Founder of the Clinton Foundation

and 42nd President of the United States

❛❛The role ofgovernmentis to empowerpeople with

the tools tomake the mostof their ownlives.

❜❜

A little more than 15 years ago, progressive leaders rom around he world gahered in he birhplace o he Ialian Renaissance hoping o develop he policiesand poliics necessary o unleash anoher age o progress, discovery, and creaiviy.

Te enire world was a a crossroads. Since he end o he Cold War less han a decade

earlier, he orces o inerdependence had swep he globe, wih new scienific and ech-

nological advances revoluionizing he ways people lived, worked, and ineraced wih

one anoher. Borders were saring o look more like nes han like walls, wih he lines

beween oreign and domesic policy growing increasingly blurred. We knew ha hecoming cenury held boh grea promise and grea peril and ha eiher way we would

rise or all ogeher.

Te idea behind he Florence Conerence on Progressive Governance, like all o our

Tird Way meeings, was simple. We believed ha as progressive leaders, here was

value in learning rom one anoher’s experiences and in creaing neworks o suppor or

policies ha would spur growh, li lives, and raise sandards boh wihin our naions


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20 GLOBAL PROGRESS

❛❛Whereverpeople arepursinginclusivepolitics,economics,

and socialpolicy, goodthings arehappening.

❜❜

and around he world. We believed in shared opporuniy and shared responsibiliy, and

we rejeced he alse choices ha oo oen pollue dialogue and obsruc smar gover-

nancebusiness or labor, economy or environmen, privae secor or public secor. We

believed ha he role o governmen was o empower people wih he ools o make hemos o heir own lives and o creae he insiuions and condiions or hem o succeed.

We believed ha resuls mean more han rheoric, so we ocused on wha works.

Tis approach had served us well in he Unied Saes during my presidency, when we

added 22.9 million jobs, moved 7.7 million people rom povery o he middle class, and

enjoyed he firs our consecuive budge surpluses since beore he Grea Depression.1 I

hough I could share some o he lessons I had learned abou dealing wih he domesic

pressures and poliical challenges I had encounered when enacing my policies, which

many o my colleagues in Florence were currenly acing. I also knew I could learn a

lo rom leaders like U.K. Prime Miniser ony Blair, Ialian Prime Miniser Massimo

D’Alema, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, ormer Ialian Prime Miniser Romano

Prodi, Brazilian Presiden Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and French Prime Miniser

Lionel Jospin, who had innovaive ideas abou how o lead heir own counries and he

inernaional communiy ino he 21s cenury.

Our meeing in Florence was spiried and subsanive, as we worked lae ino he nigh

a he Palazzo Vecchio on issues ranging rom inequaliy o securiy o human righs o

rade. And while we cerainly didn’ find an answer or every quesion, we came away

wih a uniying vision ha respeced our ineresing differences bu recognized ha our

common humaniy and shared uure matered more.

Te pas 15 years have shown us ha he world will only coninue o ge smaller, spread-ing and inensiying he impac o boh he posiive and negaive orces o inerdepen-

dence. And we’ve learned again and again ha he mos effecive way o increase he

posiive orcesand conain and reduce he negaive onesis hrough neworks o

creaive cooperaion.


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PAST AS PRELUDE: Bill Clinton 21

ake, or example, he impressive growh across much o sub-Saharan Arica over he pas

wo decades. Wih help in par rom inernaional policies in which aid, rade, and inves-

men reinorce one anoherlike he Mulilaeral Deb Relie Iniiaive and he Unied

Saes’ Arican Growh and Opporuniy Acmany Arican counries have increasedheir capaciy, srenghened heir insiuions, and improved he qualiy o lie or heir

people. Sub-Saharan Arica’s average real GDP growh rae was 4.9 percen rom 2000

o 2008, and oday i remains one o he ases-growing regions in he world.2 We’re all

beter off or i, and we mus coninue o find ways o help he counries ha have no ye

reached heir poenial.

Te evidence is clear all over he world ha wherever people are pursuing inclusive

poliics, economics, and social policy hrough neworks o cooperaion, good hings are

happening. Ye oo much o our world is sill plagued by economic inequaliy and divisive

ideniy-based poliics. Ta’s why I believe he lessons o he Florence conerence are sill

relevan oday, and I hope he rising generaion o progressive leaders will carry he orch

and coninue o work ogeher oward a uure o shared paricipaion, shared prosperiy,

and shared values.

Endnotes

1 Center for American Progress, “Power of Progressive Econom-ics: The Clinton Years” (2011).

2 McKinsey Global Institute, “Lions on the move: The progressand potential of African economies” (2010).


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22 GLOBAL PROGRESS


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PAST AS PRELUDE: Ricardo Lagos 23

Progressive Governancein PerspectiveRicardo Lagos, Former President of Chile

❛❛Theprogressivegovernancedialogues

challengedtraditionalpolicyparadigms.

❜❜

The progressive governance dialogues began a he close o he

20h cenury aer he all o he Berlin Wall. Te collapse o he Sovie sysem did no bring abou he end o hisory, as some claimed. I did, however, inspire a undamenal

rehinking among social democras and progressives abou how o approach a new world

order characerized by globalizaion and he inormaion echnology revoluion.

In parallel, an increasingly complex se o socieal changes were also aking place; sric

social classes, he nuclear amily, and radiional gender roles were giving way o a more

diverse posmodern sociey. In his conex, i had become increasingly apparen haprogressive poliics needed o find resh answers o boh he new and he radiional

challenges o our world.

Te Tird Way renewal o progressive poliics ha shaped hese discussions sough

o accep he srenghs o some areas o he economy and undersand he limis o

ohers. Te challenge was one o ideniying how public policies could combine he

capaciies o he sae, social groups, and civil sociey wih hose o marke orces. Tis


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24 GLOBAL PROGRESS

enailed no only a new se o policies, bu also a new way o doing progressive poliics.

And i was hese challenges ha gave rise o he firs progressive governance meeing

in Florence in 1999 and subsequen gaherings in Poznan (a small own near Berlin),

Sockholm, London, and elsewhere. Te discussions a hese meeings were oen char-

acerized by an inense debae abou how bes o srenghen democraic insiuions,

simulae higher growh, and improve social jusice. Tis was progressivism in acion.

During hese discussions, we challenged radiional progressive policy paradigms. For

example, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s approach o innovaion and change

in labor relaions was highly conroversial. Liberalizing he labor marke seemed coun-

erinuiive o many. Ye Schroeder illusraed i was possible o do i in line wih social

democraic values. Trough he policy o so-called flexicuriy, his governmen helped

workers adap o changes in global compeiion by helping o suppor unemployed

worker’s income and providing beter raining o learn new skills and perorm new asks.

Tese reorms have since been crucial o he success o he German economy.

oday in 2015, he world has changed enormously. Te global economic crisis o 2008

has posed a significan challenge o progressive poliics. Tis crisis raised prooundquesions abou a neoliberal ideology ha avored deregulaion o he economy and

allowed he financial sysem o sel-regulae. Prior o he crisis, a wave o unbridled

capialism had swep across he globe. Aer he crisis, all poliical leadersrom

Presiden Bush o Presiden Obama, rom Presiden Sarkozy o Presiden Hollande,

and rom Prime Miniser Brown o Prime Miniser Cameronrejeced he idea o sel-

regulaion in he financial markes.

Te global economic crisis, like he all o he Berlin Wall earlier, necessiaes a deep

reflecion on he uure o progressive poliics. Tis single momen orced everyone o

discuss how he inernaional economic sysem was governed. I is somewha ironic ha

i was he conservaive U.S. Presiden George W. Bush who called he firs G-20 leaders

meeing. Ye by Sepember 2008, i was clear ha he G-7 (or G-8 wih Russia) was no

longer capable o responding o he crisis alone. Te paricipaion o leaders rom emerg-

ing economies was now necessary.


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❛❛The globalfinancialcrisis, likethe fall of theBerlin Wall

before it,necessitateda rethink ofprogressivepolitics.

❜❜

Jus as here was a need o bring a new insiuion o lie, here was also a need o orge an

acive consensus on how o respond. Upon reflecion, i is remarkable ha U.K. Prime

Miniser Gordon Brown’s leadership o he G-20 was able o provide such a clear and

concise response in March 2009. Te London summi he hosed helped he world avoid

depression, creaing a consensus on he need o immediaely revive he economy wih

new capial flows. I ook jus 30 minues or he G-20 o agree o raise Inernaional

Moneary Fund capial reserves rom $250 billion o $750 billion.1

I was a he nex G-20 in Pitsburgh, however, when his consensus began o unravel.

Differences in sraegy began o emerge, and he lack o a common progressive vision

became apparen. While Presiden Barack Obama sressed he need o revive he

economy hrough invesmens similar o Presiden Franklin D. Roosevel’s approach

in he New Deal, auseriy poliics had begun o ake hold in Europe. European social

democras had los he argumen.

Looking back, i is hard o deermine why he progressive collaboraion ha seemed so

obvious in Florence and Poznan was no possible aer he crisis. Why did progressives

no use he crisis as an opporuniy o have heir say?

In Sepember 2000, Presiden Bill Clinon and I had a conversaion a he U.N. General

Assembly in New York. By hen, he already suspeced ha progressives were beginning o

lose he argumen. I ound i hard o believe ha George W. Bush could be se o deea

Al Gore. Presiden Clinon himsel had already snached he classical Republican flags o

balanced budges or progressives. Over he course o his presidency, he had proven ha

progressives no only ook macroeconomic maters seriously, bu moreover ha we were beter a delivering on hem. He, alongside oher leaders rom he progressive governance

era, had illusraed ha rue social democras were no populiss and ha we did no

believe in shorcus. On he conraryas Wim Kok, he ormer prime miniser o he

Neherlands saidwe believed in hard work, which is very differen.

Seven years on rom he global economic crisis, we should no be surprised ha here

has sill no been a ull economic recovery. A ull recovery would have required an


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26 GLOBAL PROGRESS

unequivocally progressive response. Looking ahead, we

mus hope ha a new generaion o European progres-

sives, led by Ialian Prime Miniser Mateo Renzi and

French Prime Miniser Manuel Valls, will succeed where

ohers have ailed. For i hey ail, less-responsible

populis leaders have shown hey are waiing o seize he

opporuniy.

Renzi and Valls, like Prime Miniser Jusin rudeau in Canada, are righ when hey

emphasize he need o ocus on growh o reduce inequaliies and, in paricular, o pay

down he remendous deficis ha have accumulaed hrough economic sagnaion.

I is a paradox ha counries ha only a shor ime ago were held up as an example o

good governanceor example, Spainhad o incur large fiscal deficis o save he

financial secor and now encumber heir enire populaion wih insurmounable deb.

Tis is a serious ailing o he social democraic response o he crisis, one ha now

challenges he legiimacy o democraic insiuions hemselves and ha eeds he

anger and alienaion o a dangerous populism on he exreme le and righ. I is ime

or a new approach in Europe.

Similarly, in Lain America, he answers o yeserday are also no an effecive response

o oday’s challenges and hose o he uure. Over he pas 20 years, Lain America has

seen proound changes in is economy and is social abric. Chile is an eloquen example.

Beween 1990 and 2010, no only was democracy consolidaed, bu he proporion o

people living in povery ell rom 40 percen o jus 10 percen. During he same period,

gross domesic produc per capia raised rom approximaely $5,000 o $20,000, wih

only a sligh increase in he levels o inequaliy.2 A new emerging middle classwihample access o credi and higher educaion bu also highly indebedhas developed.

Te same is rue in Brazil, Peru, and many oher counries across he coninen. Tis new

and emerging middle class is an opporuniy or he region and he globe. I provides a

new consumer base or local and inernaional goods and services. Bu i progressives

don’ provide good answers o heir need or beter public services and coninued eco-

nomic growh, his opporuniy may be los.

❛❛A full economic recoveryfrom the crisis requires an

unequivocally progressiveresponse and new leadership.

❜❜


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Across he globe, hen, here is a world o new challenges ahead; new challenges

ha can become opporuniies wih a new way o hinking. As we have done beore,

progressives mus once again lead he way wih new analyses and new ideas. I is ime

or a new generaion o progressives o answer he eernal quesions o how o deepen

democracy, achieve greaer social jusice, and ulimaely, how o build an inclusive

sociey ha ensures he digniy o every human being and wherein everyone has heir

place in he sun.

Endnotes

1 The Economist , “The IMF: Mission: possible,” April 8, 2009. 2 U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Carib-bean, “Statistical Yearbook” (2014).


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PAST AS PRELUDE: Helle Thorning-Schmidt 29

The Lonely Lifeof a ProgressiveHelle Thorning-Schmidt, Former Prime Minister of Denmark

❛❛Thefoundationsof personalfreedom are

institutionsthat ensurefairness.

❜❜

One of my predecessors in Danish politics, former Prime

Minister Viggo Kampmann, often famously said, “It’s wonderful being a social

democrat.” This was back in 1962. At that time, the Nordic social democratic

parties would easily win 40 percent of the vote at elections—making them by far

the largest and most inuential political parties in their respective countries. Social

democrats were the undisputed center of political thought and action during those

years. The sky was the limit. And being a social democrat was the very denition

of what it meant to be progressive. A bright future lay ahead.

I agree with Viggo Kampmann, it is indeed wonderful to be a social democrat. I

also believe there is no alternative. But, I’d like to add, it sure isn’t easy.

What distinguishes progressives from both the conservatives on the right and the

far left is that at the core of our political DNA, we share a determination to seek

inuence and act responsibly. We also know that governing responsibly comes


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❛❛Progressives should takemore pride in the size ofeducation budgets than thescale of social transfers.

❜❜

with a price—especially at times when tough choices

need to be made, severe economic challenges faced,

and new global risks tackled.

Today, social democrats are criticized from the left

and the right. From the left, we are attacked for not

spending more on welfare or for daring to reform

our outdated welfare state and public services.

The members of the far left now loudly proclaim

themselves to be the true social democrats and

progressives, asserting that we are mere echoes of

neoliberal dogma. From the right, on the other hand,

the conservatives argue that we are still spending

too much on welfare and that we don’t care enough

about the fundamentals of the economy.

Leading a progressive government can be a lonely

place, especially when you are being attacked from

both the left and the right. Still, it’s the only place

to begoverning with responsibility, guided by

our values, and driven by the ambition to see them

realized anew in the modern era.

Social democrats will always stand up for a fair

society. The foundations of personal freedom are

institutions that ensure fairness.

Yet our denition of what constitutes a fair society

cannot simply be based on how much wealth

we redistribute. We cannot be preoccupied by

a simplied and technical discussion on Gini

coefcients. Even in highly developed welfare

societies such as those in the Nordic countries,

C e n

t e r f or A m

e r i c

a nP r o

gr

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there is a signicant opportunity gap. Being born in to the “right” family is still

the most important factor affecting educational attainment, lifetime income, and

personal health. That is why progressives must now be judged on how effective

we are at helping to create wealth, as well as by the inventiveness and success

of our policies in delivering equality of opportunities for all our citizens. That

is why the Danish Social Democrats are committed to crafting a strong balance

between markets and social justice. That is why we take more pride in the size of

our educational budgets than in the scale of social transfers. Our boldest ambition

is to invest in people in order for them to be self-reliant in a modern society

shaped by information technology and global competition.

Social democrats, then, build a fair society by harnessing the dynamism of a

strong and vibrant social market economy. We know from history that the market

economy is the most powerful engine to secure growth and create wealth. But we

also understand that markets have failings. This is why we believe in regulation

that ensures markets function for the benet of all. That is why we are so concerned

with reform of the nancial sector, to ensure it is more stable and efcient.

The social market economy also needs to be sustainable in all its dimensions. Associal democrats, we must be concerned about the decit. Structural decits not

only hamper our prospects for economic growth in the short term, they also burden

future generations with unfair debt.

The social democratic vision of a just society is one in which rights and

opportunities come with obligations and duties. Yes, we want to invest in people,

but people have a matching obligation to provide for themselves and their familyif they can. Social democrats are also, by tradition and by inclination, strong

and committed internationalists. We know that we cannot solve climate change

acting in isolation, we need to act together. We know that we cannot regulate the

nancial sector on our own, we need to act together. We know that we cannot

halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons alone, we can only do this together. We

know that we cannot cope with global terrorism and extremism one nation at a

time, we must build a global coalition and work in close collaboration with one


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32 GLOBAL PROGRESS

another. We know that we cannot tackle the refugee crisis by acting alone, we

have to agree on cross-national solutions. At the heart of this internationalism,

we need a strong trans-Atlantic cooperation that can be the backbone of an ever-

expanding alliance of democracies.

In these turbulent times, social democrats stand up for political leadership, even

though it is a lonely life.

Over the years, the opportunity to meet with fellow progressive leaders from

around the globethrough the progressive governance and global progress

dialogueshas helped build a strong political community that transcends

national boundaries. These gatherings, such as the one I hosted in Copenhagen

in 2013, provide us with an opportunity to share new policy ideas, compare political strategies, and revitalize our spirits for the battles ahead. As reformers

and modernizers, progressives are bound to face endless allegations and dreadful

attacks from both left and the right. Yet as we each work to reform our societies

to respond to the structural changes that will shape our future, staying true to our

values is what denes our leadership.

This leadership is what being progressive is all about. That is why, despite all thedifculties we face, it is still wonderful to be a social democrat.

❛❛A fair society cannot simply be based on how much wealth wedistribute, but also on how effective we are at creating wealth.

❜❜


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CHALLENGES OF TODAY 35

Rising inequality, climate change, the growth of populism, andincreased skepticism in politics are presenting new and urgent challenges for

progressive governance. Fortunately, a new generation of leaders is rising to

the occasion. In this section, these current leaders share their experiences of

opening up the political process, developing a politics of aspiration, tackling

economic growth and stagnant wages, and ensuring a sustainable planet for

all. Informed by the lessons of the past, the latest knowledge, and the bestpractices of today, the contributors here are charting an agenda that is set to

herald a new era of global progress. ››

CHALLENGES

OF TODAY


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CHALLENGES OF TODAY: Matteo Renzi 37

Toward a NewProgressive PoliticsMatteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy

❛❛The renewalof progressivegovernancemust begin

with a re-inventionof how wedo politics.

❜❜

At the close of the 20th century, he ae o he modernizing le was

inimaely ied o he Tird Way. Te Tird Way renewal o progressive governance wasa passionae, criical, and evidence-driven approach. I was an approach ha sough o

provide individual reedom and social jusice by shaping an agenda or change ha ran-

scended he blind reliance on he marke ypified by he righ and he radiional sais

ideology o he le. Te success o he Tird Way illusraed ha i is indeed possible o

renew progressive hinking in order o mee new challenges. oday, however, he ask o

defining progressive governance is more difficul han i was hen.

Te Tird Way only had o conend wih wo old conservaisms, one on he righ and

he oher on he le. oday, hese oudaed radiions have been joined by a new oe, an

amorphous populism ha appeals o base prejudices and fills poliical vacuums. In Europe

in paricular, his populism has been paricularly successul, hough i is eviden elsewhere.

For many ciizens across he coninen, a lack o ineres in poliics is now a badge o pride.

Concern wih undersanding problems and finding soluions has been replaced wih an

obsessive need o ideniy enemies and persecue hem. While populism occasionally


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38 GLOBAL PROGRESS

Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, and

Antonio Guterres discuss the

challenges of progressive

governance in Florence, Italy,

November 1999.

ouches upon real problems or atacks he rue opponens o change, i always lacks cred-

ible soluions. Simply pu, oday’s populiss are as convenional and narrow-minded as heconservaives who resised change in he pas.

Our challenge oday is o find a new pah: one ha is mindul o pas progress, bu also

one ha ranscends boh he old conservaisms and he loud and incessan sammers o

he populiss. Tis pah can build on he lessons o progressive governance developed

under U.S. Presiden Bill Clinon’s leadership, bu hese lessons will be bu a oundaion.

Clinon, U.K. Prime Miniser ony Blair, and he oher Tird Way leaders succeeded inmodernizing progressive poliics by proposing a liberal humanism. Teir approach was

buil on a new dialecic beween he reedom given o he marke o provide opporu-

niy and prosperiy and a revised role o he sae ha sough o ensure he exension o

opporuniy o all.

Liberal humanism is as relevan o progressive poliics oday as i was hen. Unorunaely,

hough, i is no longer a sufficien basis upon which o build a new progressive agenda.

A P P h

o t o / H e r b

e r t K n

o s ow

s k i

Populism is an unconvenional enemy, hough i joins progressive poliics’ wo old adver-


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❛❛For manycitizens,a lack ofinterest inpolitics isnow a badgeof pride. The

politics ofskepticismis our mostsignificantchallenge.

❜❜

Populism is an unconvenional enemy, hough i joins progressive poliics wo old adver

saries in imposing is presence, screaming loudly, and spreading a poliics o ear. I is, how-

ever, he poliics o skepicism i eeds ha is he mos significan challenge oday. Te only

way o deea and neuralize populism is o respond o he public’s legiimae demands

or greaer ransparency and new orms o leadership. While in he pas he renewal oprogressive poliics required ha we reinven our policies, oday he renewal o progressive

poliics mus begin wih a reinvenion o how we do poliics and how we govern.

As globalizaion and he inormaion communicaion revoluion have inensified,

democracies across he globe need o become accusomed o making aser decisions and

more effecive in how hey represen heir people. A he same ime, as deerence oward

eleced represenaives has allen, ciizens increasingly demand ha he ways in whichdecision are made become more ransparen. While his is a new challenge, progressive

poliicians mus also seize his ransormaion as an opporuniy. ransparency, com-

bined wih he use o new communicaion ools and neworks, can and mus help close

he gap ha people currenly eel rom poliicians and he insiuions o governmen.

Te need or greaer speed and greaer ransparency in decision-making is a hisorically

new challenge or democraic hough and pracice. And i is only once progressives haveme his insiuional challenge ha we can begin o ake on he difficul ask o defining

an economic and social agenda aimed a making he world a beter place.

In shor, rus and conneciviy is now a prerequisie or progressive poliics.

As we rise o hese challenges, we mus be wary o he le’s endency o become atached o

policies and achievemens o he pas. I is his endency ha oen leads he le o becomeconservaive. We canno deend pas policies and oudaed insiuions when i has become

apparen ha hey are now he main obsacle o achieving our uure goals. Tis is he pro-

gressive paradox: Only he coninuous renewal o how we realize he ideals o reedom and

jusice ensures hisorically ha he le coninues down he endless pah oward progress.

We mus, hen, be careul no o canonize he Tird Way, even i i is an objec o our

affecion. For many, he Tird Way has been he poliical compass, a guide raher han

a simple ool o orienaion. Tis canno be he case or oday’s generaion o leaders.


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40 GLOBAL PROGRESS

p y g

When Bill Clinon and ony Blair summoned progressives rom around he world o

Florence in 1999, I was bu 24 years old. While I was already convinced ha poliics

could be a orce or good, a ha ime, I came o believe ha i mus be based on parici-

paion and choice, commimen and responsibiliy.

Ye in his season o grea change in he global inormaion age, an old compass can poin

us in he wrong direcion. oday, he proound social, economic, and democraic changes

aking place are oen as unexpeced as sudden shis in magneic fields ha make he old

compass needle jump. oday, only a new compassbuil wih he passions and inel-

ligence o he pas bu inormed and inspired by he knowledge and challenges o he

daycan effecively serve as our guide.

Te reorm effors ha we are making in Ialy, rom increasing ax credis o he working

poor o our agenda or insiuional and elecoral reorm, are based on such an approach.

Aligned as hey are wih similar iniiaives implemened by progressives across Europe

and beyond, hey are helping o char a new pah oward progress. As wih he pah ol-

lowed by previous generaions, we will move beyond conservaives on he le and righ

and beyond hose populiss soking ear and spreading misrus. As we do, we will moveoward a more prosperous and happier uure.

Le us walk ha pah ogeher.


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42 GLOBAL PROGRESS


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CHALLENGE S OF TODAY: Justin Trudeau 43

The Promise of Progress Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

❛❛Real progressdemandsan inclusiveeconomicvisiondesigned

to give allcitizens areal and fairchance atsuccess.

❜❜

Wilfrid Laurier, Canada’s seventh prime minister and he

firs rancophone o lead he counry, once said ha “Canada is ree, and reedom is isnaionaliy.”

More han a cenury laer, his wisdom endures. I endures because i ariculaes a simple

ruh: ha our success as individuals, and our success as a naion, canno be separaed

rom our libery and our willingness o deend i.

In Canada, he deense o libery has a unique expression. I’s no abou reedom romsocial responsibiliy or permission o ac in one’s exclusive sel-ineres. Raher, i’s abou

a deliberae and enduring commimen o build a progressive sociey, one where indi-

vidual libery and collecive ideniy boh hrive and muually reinorce one anoher.

We haven’ always goten i righ. We’re a young counry, and we’re sill learning. Bu he

seady pace o Canada’s progress offers some reassurance.

❛❛


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44 GLOBAL PROGRESS

❛❛Progressiveleaders need

to promisegreateropenness andtransparency,and they needto deliver onthat promise.

❜❜

While criics argued ha o do so would compromise our radiional values or somehow

dilue wha i means o be Canadian, successive generaions o Canadians sood as andough o expand libery o hose who had been denied i. Tese effors o gain greaer

reedom or our ellow ciizens didn’ undermine Canadian values, hey defined hem.

In ha sense, Canada isand I hope wil l orever bea shining example o he pro-

gressive spiri. Bu hose o us who seek o build a beter uure or ourselves and or

our children and grandchildren also undersand ha here’s a limi o how ar vision

and values will ge you. Progressive ideals mean litle wihou a pracical and pragmaicplan or real change.

aking our cue rom Canadians, our pary offered such a plan and was rewarded wih

a majoriy mandae. Some dismissed ha success, saying i was simply he resul o an

elecorae ha was clamoring or change. Bu hose who paid atenion would have

noiced ha Canadians weren’ jus seeking a differen governmen. Tey waned a

beter governmen.

C e n

t e r f or A m

e r i c

a nP r o

gr e

s s

Canada’s elecion offers an imporan poin o insrucion or he global progressive

I d h l h d d l h i h ki d di d b


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movemen. I proved ha real change demands real choicesno he kind dicaed by

polls and pundis bu ough decisions inormed by shared values and made by leaders

who rus and respec he ciizens hey seek o serve.

Using Canada’s experience as an example, our hings sand ou as essenial o he uure

success o progressive poliics.

Firs, real progress demands an inclusive economic vision designed o give all ciizens a

real and air chance a success. In he pas cenury, i was Canada’s growing and opi-

misic middle class ha buil a beter counry, no jus or hemselves bu also or heir

children and or each oher.

Ta success canand shouldbe encouraged. I’s why we made a middle-class ax

cu a cenral par o our plaorm and our number one prioriy aer orming govern-

men. A he same ime, we inroduced a new ax bracke ha asked Canada’s wealhi-

es 1 percen o pay a bi more. By giving less o hose who don’ need help, we will be

able o give more o hose who do. I’s he air hing o do and he smar hing o do or

Canada’s economy.

Second, progressive leaders need o promise greaer openness and ransparency, and

hey need o deliver on ha promise. Ciizens now have access o more inormaion han

a any poin in hisory and are righ o expec he same rom heir public insiuions.

Governmens have a choice o make: Tey can eiher se a higher bar or openness and

ransparency or have voers rese i or hem a he nex elecion.

In Canada, his means commiting o elecoral reorm. I means bringing an end o par-

isanship in our Senae. I means liseningruly liseningo ciizens and seeking ou

ways o make heir paricipaion in our democracy more meaningul. For me personally,

i means avoiding he empaion o become cynical and recommiting mysel each day o

saying hopeul and vigilan when i comes o democracy. Yes, democracy can be messy.

Bu i doesn’ exis o make leaders look good. I exiss o do good or he people.

❛❛N i t d if it d ’t b th


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46 GLOBAL PROGRESS

Tird, progressive voices around he world mus do more o encourage innovaionno

as an end goal bu as a means o exend he ladder o opporuniy o more people. Earlier

indusrial revoluions creaed he middle class, now he base o he world’s mos resilien

economies. A similar opporuniy exiss oday.

Is no hard o see how he connecions beween compuing, inormaion, roboics, and

bioechnologies could deliver specacular progress. Is also no hard o imagine how icould produce mass unemploymen and greaer inequaliy. echnology isel will no

deermine he uure we ge. Our choices will. Leadership will.

Progressive leadership should be ocused on policies ha creae growh and on ensuring

ha growh produces angible resuls or everyone. Progressive leadership creaes a viru-

ous cycle. Te more resuls we achieve or peoplehe more we grow he middle class

and he more opporuniies we creae or hose working hard o join he middle classhe more our ciizens will gran license or urher ambiious leadership.

Finally, no progressive movemen can succeed i i doesn’ embrace he undamenal

ruh ha diversiy is srengh. Canadians know his. Canadians live his ruh every day.

So o do ciizens o many oher counries, despie he ongoing effors o some o make

people more araid, more anxious, and more suspicious o he unamiliar.

Fear, once soked, wheher by populis media or by an aspiring poliician wih a dog whisle,

is a dangerous hing. Tere is no way o predic where i will end. Bu a he same ime, here

is cause or hope. In he world, as in Canada, people are more oen kind han hey are cruel.

Tey are generous, open-minded, and opimisic. And i is o hose insincs ha we mus

make our appeal, respecing our differences bu remaining always mindul o he hings we

have in common and he common good ha we can build when we work ogeher.

No progressive movement can succeed if it doesn’t embrace thefundamental truth that diversity is strength.

❜❜

None o hese our hings an inclusive economy greaer openness and ransparency


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None o hese our hingsan inclusive economy, greaer openness and ransparency,

a ocus on susainable and shared growh, and a commimen o diversiywill happen

by acciden nor will hey succeed wih coninued effor. I’m confiden ha Canada will

respond in ways ha will do us and he world proud: wih honesy and humiliy, wihconsideraion and care. I is who we are and wha we do.

Canadians know, insincively, ha our counry is srong and prosperous no in spie o

our differences bu because o hem. We know ha a more inclusive and more generous

approach enriches no only our sociey, bu our economy as well. And we recognize, as

Laurier did, ha no mater how much progress has been made, we mus always srive o

do beter.

Ta is Canada’s challenge, and i is our promise o you.


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CHALLENGES OF TODAY: Lodewijk Asscher 49

Decent Jobs and

New PatriotismLodewijk Asscher, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands

❛❛Too often,people choseto ignoreproblems,and lack ofaspirationis sold asrealism.

❜❜

Twelve years ago, Duch filmmaker Teo van Gogh was brually murdered by

a home-grown erroris. Te killer was a young man o Moroccan descen who was raisedand schooled in Amserdam. I was a resh ciy councilor a ha ime, and I can sill vividly

remember he sense o disbelie and anger ha seized he ciy.

In an atemp o undersand he world and circumsances in which he killer grew up,

Duch journalis Margalih Kleijweg wroe Invisible Parents , a book abou a class o

youngsers in a so-called black high school in his neighborhood. She described he

powerlessness o he parens and he chaos a he school. Tose in ron o he class wereorced o ac like police officers raher han eachers, and some children did no show up

in class or monhs on end wihou he school aking any real acion o resolve his absen-

eeism. She alked o parens who had no clue abou he world in which heir children

were living. Some o hem did no even know where he school was locaed.

Even hough his all ook place jus a ew miles rom he ciy cener o Amserdam, mos

people chose o ignore he problem. Cynics said ha bad schools come wih big ciies.

Tey old me ha i couldn’ be fixed, so we shouldn’ ry. Lack o aspiraion was sold

as realism.


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50 GLOBAL PROGRESS

Many ellow progressives had given up as well. Insead o expecing beter resuls, hey

were jus explaining he bad ones. Bu when children seem o be given up on even beorehey’ve had a air chance, i should be our insinc o eam up and figh o improve his

school and ohers like i. Aer all, our raison d’êre is fighing injusice.

We have always done so. In he pas cenury, we ough he socieal divide beween he

haves and he have-nos, he privileged and he nonprivileged, hose who could voe

and hose who couldn’. We buil a middle-class sociey based on he values o solidariy,

emancipaion, and equal opporuniy or allan accomplishmen we should never akeor graned because here are always new injusices and batles o figh, especially when

you see ha so many people ear he uure righ now.

oday, values ha we held or graned are again esed by he hrea o radical Islamic

errorism carried ou by home-grown erroriss. Te enormous challenge o managing

he huge flow o reugees rom he conflics in he Middle Eas adds o he discomor

o ordinary Europeans.

A he same ime, hey eel hreaened by migran workers who are willing o work or

less, by highly educaed people working below heir level, and by echnology making jobs

obsolee. Tey experience ha he pahways o a beter lie are barricaded one by one.

Our sociey aces he danger o becoming one o my younges son’s avorie gis brough

home rom school: a adpole figure drawing o a person whose arms and legs are growingsraigh ou o his head. As a child’s drawing, i is an endearing picure, bu as a represen-

aion o sociey, i is quie he opposie. Te picure embodies a sociey rom which he

core, a srong middle class ha ypically binds he upper and lower echelons, has disap-

peared. Unorunaely, he adpole sociey is becoming increasingly more realisic.

Some o us blame he Tird Way or all ha has gone wrong. In heir search or economic

growh, U.K. Prime Miniser ony Blair, U.S. Presiden Bill Clinon, and Duch Prime

❛❛Progressivesneed todevelop anew sense ofnational pride

by building asociety basedon solidarity.

❜❜

Miniser Wim Kok supposedly los sigh o our common values. I don’ know i his is

rue, and in all honesy, I don’ care or a final verdic on he righs and wrongs o he


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Tird Way. However, I do care abou where he Tird Way was supposed o be leading:

social jusice in a marke economy.

Ta aspiraion will never be reached i we hark back eiher o pas soluions or impoen

rheoric. Le’s no become deenders o he saus quo and apologiss or modern injusice.

Insead, le’s ormulae a shared agenda o radical change. We need o embrace our old

goals and sar working on our uure by reclaiming he movemen or he middle class.

We need o figh oday’s new inequaliies.

Firs o all, we need o figh or air and decen work. Te road o prosperiy should no

be paved wih disposable work. Aer all, disposable work creaes disposable people.

We mus figh he convicion ha in order o win he global race, people have o lose. In

Europe, we see ha he ree movemen o workers can lead o a ree all o labor condi-

ions. In order o preven he value o work being barered away in he markeplace, we

need o guaranee equal pay or equal work.

Second, we mus figh agains he new inequaliies in lie chances and securiy, such as

he insecuriy o people who go suck in low-paid, flexible jobs who are no able o ren

a house, le alone buy one. Tere is an inequaliy in perspecive beween kids who go

o good schools and kids who have no such luck. In educaion, we can’ afford some o

be more equal han ohers. Opporuniy is no a sel-managing uni, a guaraneed ai

accompli. We need o inves in high-sandard educaion and schooling or everyone.

Tird, we have o decrease inequaliies in income and wealh. Income rom work as a per-

cenage o oal wealh coninues o all in comparison o income rom capial.1 Curren

global wealh saisics are mind-boggling. Te world’s riches 62 people now have more

wealh han he poores 3.6 billion combined.2 Equal opporuniy involves a poliical

choice regarding he redisribuion o wealh. We need o make he employmen o low-

skilled workers cheaper, preven ax evasion by mulinaionals, and reinjec he profis o

hese big companies back ino sociey.

Fourh, we need o simulae a new, susainable economy ha provides he middle class

wih 21s-cenury jobs. So we have o embrace innovaion bu on our erms by invesing


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52 GLOBAL PROGRESS

in uure-proo educaion, creaiviy, and our workorce. We have o aim a real labor mar-

ke reorm by making a radical decision or higher produciviy raher han cheaper labor.

We should op or work securiy raher han job securiy. Te righ o raining should be aundamenal righ or all workers.

Fih, we also have o ackle growing alienaion and he increased eelings o uneasiness.

Progressives need o develop a new sense o naional pride, no by raising he whie flag o

he populiss and he haemongers, no by ignoring or wishing away real problems, bu by

building a sociey based on solidariy in which people are seen as individuals insead o

members o heir group and someone’s background remains jus a background.

Tis means ha we have o each immigrans our values and persuade hem o oser our

values. We need o show hem ha our sociey is based on he principle o give and ake:

You can only be par o sociey when you paricipae in i. Everyone should accep he

basic premise ha i you wan o be acceped, you have o accep ohers.

Furhermore, we have o empower our children so hey can resis he sick ideologies oexremiss. We need o educae hem and suppor hem in heir long and hard sruggle o

make heir own choices.

Finally, in his sociey based on solidariy, here is no room or discriminaion ha wases

alen and desroys dreams. We need o accelerae and increase our figh agains discrimi-

naion, or example by reusingas a governmeno do business wih companies ha

have discriminaed agains minoriies, women, or older workers.

Is social change o his magniude even conceivable in his day and age? We know i

will no be easy and i will no go as as as we would like. Bu we are making progress,

and I believe we have ime on our side. Inernaionally, he indignaion abou inequal-

iy is growing. Even he Inernaional Moneary Fund is now advocaing redisribuion

o income.3 In he Unied Saes, here is a lively discussion abou raising he ederal

minimum wage. Moreover, he minimum wage inroduced by he Grosse Koaliion in

❛❛The road toprosperityshould not bepaved withdisposablework. After

all, disposablework createsdisposablepeople.

❜❜

Germany has given many people a decen income wihou being he brake on economic

growh so firmly prediced by neoliberals and economiss.4


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And here is more ha gives us hope. A couple o monhs ago, I wen back o ha same

school in Amserdam o atend he esive opening o heir new building. Te room wasfilled wih people who had become closely involved wih he school. I made me proud

when I realized ha here were an overwhelming number o progressives among hem,

boh wih and wihou pary membership. Over he years, hey had ormed a collecive

orce o change or good. People who had boh he ury and he impaience, boh he

indignaion and he samina o make a difference. I is easy o ge fired up by indignaion

over injusice, bu i is hard o have he samina o make a real difference.

Tese people showed ha samina. Tey all conribued in heir own way o bring abou

change because hey simply could no look away and give up on hese kids. Tey did no

do so because i was writen in he pary maniesos or even because i was heir job. No,

hey did so because o wha is in our progressive DNA: sharing responsibiliy, challenging

he saus quo, reaching or he impossible, and keeping up he figh.

In ha classroom in one o he mos roubled neighborhoods o Amserdam, he audaciyo hope was almos palpable. We have a job o do.

Endnotes

1 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,“Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Ri sing” (2011),available at http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-mi-gration-health/the-causes-of-growing-inequalities-in-oecd-countries_9789264119536-en.

2 Oxfam Internati onal, “An Economy For the 1%” (2016), avail -able at https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/economy-1.

3 Aditya Tejas, “IMF Study Says Inequality Is Hurting Growth,Calls For Wealth Redistribution,” International Business Times, June 16, 2015, available athttp://www.ibtimes.com/imf-study-says-inequality-hurting-growth-calls-wealth-redis-tribution-1968563.

4 Joris Kooiman, “Gevreesd effect Duits minimumloon blijftvoorlopig uit,” Het Financieele Dagblad , January 5, 2016, avail-able at http://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1133973/gevreesd-effect-minimumloon-in-duitsland-blijft-voorlopig-uit.

http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-causes-of-growing-inequalities-in-oecd-countries_9789264119536-enhttp://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-causes-of-growing-inequalities-in-oecd-countries_9789264119536-enhttp://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-causes-of-growing-inequalities-in-oecd-countries_9789264119536-enhttps://www.oxfam.org/en/research/economy-1http://www.ibtimes.com/imf-study-says-inequality-hurting-growth-calls-wealth-redistribution-1968563http://www.ibtimes.com/imf-study-says-inequality-hurting-growth-calls-wealth-redistribution-1968563http://www.ibtimes.com/imf-study-says-inequality-hurting-growth-calls-wealth-redistribution-1968563http://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1133973/gevreesd-effect-minimumloon-in-duitsland-blijft-voorlopig-uithttp://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1133973/gevreesd-effect-minimumloon-in-duitsland-blijft-voorlopig-uithttp://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1133973/gevreesd-effect-minimumloon-in-duitsland-blijft-voorlopig-uithttp://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1133973/gevreesd-effect-minimumloon-in-duitsland-blijft-voorlopig-uithttp://www.ibtimes.com/imf-study-says-inequality-hurting-growth-calls-wealth-redistribution-1968563http://www.ibtimes.com/imf-study-says-inequality-hurting-growth-calls-wealth-redistribution-1968563http://www.ibtimes.com/imf-study-says-inequality-hurting-growth-calls-wealth-redistribution-1968563https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/economy-1http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-causes-of-growing-inequalities-in-oecd-countries_9789264119536-enhttp://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-causes-of-growing-inequalities-in-oecd-countries_9789264119536-enhttp://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-causes-of-growing-inequalities-in-oecd-countries_9789264119536-en


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CHALLENGES OF TODAY: Sigmar Gabriel 55

Writing the Future of Germany Progressive Politics in Turbulent TimesSigmar Gabriel, Vice Chancellor of Germany

❛❛Socialdemocratsmust avoidsurrenderingthe centerof our societyto fear.

❜❜

Europe has reached a turning point in history. 2015 marks he

end o a European era ha began wih an enire coninen embarking on a new age oprogress. weny-five peaceul years since he all o he Berlin Wall had raised everyone’s

hopes, and he uure o Europe seemed o promise democracy, prosperiy, securiy, and

sabiliy. Now, hese hopes have been replaced by uncerainy. Francis Fukuyama’s “end o

hisory” wih he anicipaed riumph o liberal Wesern-syle democracy, is normaive

consensus, and is marke-oriened economy has no come abou.

Insead o a world o peace and progress, we are experiencing a world o uncerainy and

insecuriy: Te Ukraine crisis has brough war back o Europe. Te Greece deb crisis

brough he eurozone o he brink o ailure. Te nihilis murderers o he Islamic Sae

o Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, are exporing heir error o Europea coninen ha a he

same ime appears incapable o finding a common response o millions o reugees seek-

ing proecion and a new home in Europe. Wha’s more, alhough a unified Europe was

blessed wih many years o growing prosperiy aer he ounding reaies o he European

Union were signed, he Europe o oday is economically and poliically insable and

increasingly perceived as a source o incalculable risks.


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56 GLOBAL PROGRESS

❛❛A strongdiversesocietyrequiresstronginstitutionsthat generate

trust, promotethe commongood, andenforce therules.

❜❜

On he oher hand, auhoriarian saes and nongovernmen players nowadays seem able

o achieve heir goals more easily han he democraic saes o Europe and heir hisori-cally unique projec o European inegraion. Whereas liberal-capialisic democracy

gained he upper hand in he conflic o sysems merely 25 years ago, he Wesern sysem

currenly sees isel conroned wih an unprecedened loss o confidence. In almos all

European democracies, voer urnou is dwindling inexorably.

A he same ime, we are experiencing he rise o radical elemens on he poliical ringes:

Hungary is governed by a righ-wing adminisraion, righ-wing naionaliss have won heelecions in Poland, and in Sweden, surveys have shown he populis righ-wing Sweden

Democras pary o be in he lead. In Grea Briain, he U.K. Independence Pary is puting

he Briish governmen under pressure wih is middle-class bearing and aggressive policies.

In France, he campaign slogan o he Fron Naional is “naionalis and social,” and wih 28

percen o he voe, i was he sronges pary in he firs round o regional elecions.1

In Germany, oo, here is a clear maniesaion o misrus and, more and more requenly,o open rejecion o he sysem o which he Social Democraic Pary, or SPD, belongs as

an esablished pary. Te poliical cener is coming under increasing pressure.

A his urning poin, German and European social democras are fighing a criical

batle or he poliical cener. In he course o his, hey are fighing agains conemp

or he sysem, naionalism, marginalizaion, isolaion, inolerance, and racism. Tey

are fighing or a ree and open Europe, or cooperaion and reconciliaion, or plural-

ism and commimen o sociey.

Up o now, esablished poliical pariesincluding he SPDhave responded o he

increase in righ-wing populiss and righ-wing radicals by osracizing hem. Indeed,

when righ-wing orces sar o publicly sir up hared and do no shy rom digial irades

ha include open hreas o murder and when sociey is experiencing poliically moi-

vaed acs o violence, srong, deensive democracies mus enorce he rule o law.

However, we canno confine ourselves o his measure alone. Even an effecive, capable

consiuional sae is no able o ulfill he ask o compensaing a massive loss in polii-

cal confidence As democras especially as social democras we canno simply rejec or


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CHALLENGES OF TODAY: Sigmar Gabriel 57

cal confidence. As democras, especially as social democras, we canno simply rejec or

dismiss hose secions o he populaion ha no longer eel adequaely represened. On

he conrary, we should address he reasons or his growing alienaion.

Te deermined prosecuion o criminals mus hereore be supplemened by a dia-

logue offensive and by poliical offers rom he SPD o hose who are no righ-wing

radicals bu have neverheless sared o shun democracy and have no been able o

relae o he dialogues o he poliical and economic elie and media repors or some

ime. Tere is a risk ha hese people will urn heir backs on democracy permanenly

and dri ino a dismal parallel sociey and an obscure digial shadow world o disin-ormaion, conspiracy heories, and resenmen rom which he pah o radicalism and

exremism is oen righeningly shor.

We mus rebuild confidence in an efficien democrac y ha is able o ensure he

reedom, saey, and prosperiy o is c iizens; ha offers individual opporuniies

and proecion o a solidariy-based sociey; and ha is no only aware o he realiies

o everyday lie, bu also is prepared o alk abou and find effecive soluions or isproblems. In a lo o insances, confidence in our counry has been shaken. Nowadays,

he rusraion o effors o climb he social ladder and ears o alling down i clash

more srongly and jeopardize social cohesion in Germany. Even hough Germany, on

he whole, is excellenly posiioned in erms o economic growh and employmen and

mos people in his counry are doing well economically, he ear o social exclusion

can oen be depressingly real.

Under hese circumsances, he curren reugee siuaion acs as a caalys in our sociey:

I escalaes he loss o confidence in our democraic sysem, is conrol compeence, and

is abiliy o solve problems. A he same ime, i adds o he ear o social exclusion in

view o new, perceived compeiion on he job and housing markes. Las bu no leas,

ears o being swamped by oreigners are growing in view o so many new neighbors

arriving rom largely unamiliar culures. Here, social cohesion hreaens o disinegrae,

and he cener o sociey is in danger o being marginalized.

❛❛We must rebuild confidence in an efficient democracy able toensure the freedom, safety, and prosperity of its citizens.

❜❜


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58 GLOBAL PROGRESS

Social democras mus avoid surrendering he cener o our sociey o ear wihou puting

up a figh. I is, indeed, heir duy o resrenghen he roos o social democracy in he main-sream, o ake a closer look a he populaion’s everyday ineress, and o rea he eeling

o insecuriy no wih disdain bu wih compassion in he same way ha ormer German

Chancellor Willy Brand did. Te SPD mus no be araid o commi isel o he working

middle o sociey in is programmaic debaes.

A he same ime, he SPD mus underpin his atiude wih wide-scale social policies

designed o achieve double inegraionhe inegraion o newcomers ino exisingsociey and reinegraion o hose already living in Germany who hreaen o move away

rom he cener o our sociey.

In order o achieve his goal, we mus coninue o develop and enhance he insiuions

o our social and democraic consiuional sae and is normaive oundaions. Tis

includes invesing in amilies, educaion, urban developmen, he labor marke, and equal

opporuniies or all, as well as invesing in public insiuions ha ensure social and innersecuriy. Boh are core compeencies o he SPD. We need, hereore, economic policies

ha coninue o suppor innovaion and invesmen and provide he required ramework

condiions in he orm o modern inrasrucure. Economic success is essenial in order o

creae he financial oundaions or a ormaive social policy.

In order o mee coming challenges, we need a sae ha is

global progress: new ideas for the future of the global progressive movement

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