Social summit in Brussels: Merkel tired, Barroso blablate and the social partners are bored
(B2) The tripartite social summit meeting has been postponed. Even before its end, the European Commission had already published a press release welcoming the result of the social dialogue. The same goes for the diplomats of the European Council who had already integrated its result 10 days before the meeting (unsurprisingly).
During the presentation to the press, Angela Merkel seemed extremely tired and stuck to vague generalities on flexicurity, globalization, and the need for social dialogue. Questioned by journalists on salary moderation, discrimination between subcontractor employees and others or Airbus, she refused to answer. Like José-Manuel Barroso, she clung to figures of growth (rising) or unemployment (decreasing) to proclaim her unwavering optimism in the… Lisbon strategy.
As for the social partners, their speaking time was very limited. Both Ernest-Antoine Seillère for BusinessEurope (private employers) and even more John Monks for the ETUC (unions) had a minimal portion of the speaking time. The UEAPME was silenced and the CEEP (public employers) chose not to come to the press conference. Likewise, the Federal Vice-Chancellor, F. Müntefering, and the European Employment Commissioner, V. Spidla, have been silent….
So this meeting is useless? It would be too easy... The meeting has an interest, to involve and keep the social partners informed of the European summit. But certainly there is a problem of method and content to be resolved. Methodological, because we cannot mix social subjects with all the subjects on the agenda of a Summit, from the Middle East to flexicurity. In terms of content, too, an agenda, a little more dense, precise, with expected decisions could be programmed. Even if it means failure if there is no agreement. But such a reign of emptiness is harmful for everyone. For Europe's credibility among citizens. For the credibility of social Europe and the social partners in the eyes of other European actors.
