Speech by Björn von Sydow, Defence Minister of Sweden and member of programme commission of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.
Mõõdukad Congress, Tallinn 19 May 2001

Modern Social Economy - Modern Social Democracy - Modern Security

Ladies and Gentlemen!

First of all I would like to thank Mõõdukad for the invitation to the congress. I hope you will get a successful result and that we continue to build ties between Mõõdukad and the Swedish Social Democratic party.

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Recently Estonia was the winner in the Eurovision song contest in Copenhagen. And you are very good in winter sports. We are competing in sports and have a lively cultural exchange. This is just example on relations between our countries on a modern Nordic European level.

This relation will demand a continued struggle for more and better jobs, economic reforms, investment in education and in new technology as well as in social security.

These projects require a modern Social Democracy.  

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Today, the European Union is developing towards a union of active welfare states. Full employment is at the top of the agenda!

A few years ago the conservative parties still regarded this a childish dream.

They claim that we have to choose between justice and growth, between equality and development.

We know that the opposite is true. Development and equality go hand in hand in a Social democratic society.

I'm happy to say that enlargement of the EU is the first and foremost priority for us during these six month of our presidency.

The enlargement is a historical opportunity to create a united Europe. We should not miss this opportunity.

The most important is the basic idea of the Union itself. EU was founded after the two world wars to ensure that there would never be another war between the countries in Europe. This is still the most important task for the organisation.

If EU should be able to succeed in being a guarantor for peace and stability in Europe it has to include the entire continent. In terms of security, Europe must be united. This was something the founding fathers understood and EU has always been built on the idea that every country on the European continent that is a democracy and respect human rights should be able to be a member of the Union.

Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are asking for membership in both the EU and NATO. The perspective of EU membership given by the European Council in Luxembourg in 1997 is of great importance to the security. It is also positive that all the three states, in accordance with a decision at the NATO Washington Summit, are now described in the same way as other applicants for NATO membership.

It is important that the principle of each country's right to choose its own security policy to be respected. The process of overcoming the divisions of the past is not yet finished.

The Baltic area is one of the areas where the security architecture has not yet been finally settled. This will only be achieved when the EU has expanded to include the present candidates, when the Baltic States have reached their security goals, and when Russia's ties with the EU and NATO have grown to include much more substance than now.

Multinational measures to promote security in our region are by no means in conflict with individual efforts of small states to strengthen their national security. Sweden's historical experience supports a broad approach to national security, including, i.a., the democratic basis, a community founded on the rule of law, the integration of minorities, a stable economy, a firm and predictive foreign policy, and also a well functional defence system.

Since 1991, Sweden has been a committed supported to the Baltic States in most of these respects. Our motives should be well understood. It is true that there is an altruistic element to them. But our main incentive is deep interest in the stability and security of our neighbours.  

At the same time, work is in progress in the Union to improve the Common Foreign and Security Policy by better utilising the opportunities the Treaty of Amsterdam offers. To improve the continuity between the first and second pillar, that is to say the Community and the CFSP.

Although the EU and NATO serve different purposes, they are both founded on the same set of democratic values. The enlargement of the two organisations are parallel but related processes, since both represent the mending of the artificial division of Europe that persisted for so long. The community of interests is also demonstrated by the considerable attention that both organisations are now devoting to crises management and support for peace on the European continent. This is a big chance for both organisations.

Security is indivisible, and cannot be maintained in the long run without a functioning relationship with neighbouring countries.

We cannot allow areas in our neighbourhood to be left out of co-operation. We have a common task in our parties to improve contacts with politicians in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to promote democracy and respect for human rights.

Russia is a key to security and stability in most contexts - globally, in Europe, and in the Baltic Sea region.

Thursday this week the Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson visited Moscow and in a joint statement between the EU and Russia and I quote from the statement. We, leaders of the Russian Federation and the European Union, having assembled in Moscow reaffirm the special importance that we attach to the strengthening of our long-term strategic partnership based on the principles of democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law and market economy. Our aim is to foster economic growth and prosperity, social development, a clean environment and strengthened security and stability is Europe, on the basis of shared values.

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New technology is rapidly transforming our labour markets. Muscle-power is steadily replaced by brainpower. Knowledge and skills are ageing quickly, forcing people to learn more and learn again.

Add to this the demographic development, and the way we handle our labour forces will be absolutely essential for future development.

A society that excludes groups - whether in the educational system or at the work places - will loose ground in the forming economy.

We will not be able to afford to build socially decent societies in the future unless we take full advantage of the resources of all our citizens. Everyone must be given the opportunity to contribute and to share responsibility - irrespective of their gender, ethnic or social origins.

This gives our struggle for equality between women and men, and our fight against discrimination and intolerance, a whole new meaning.

If our welfare systems are built on the necessary condition that they stimulate citizens to participate in the labour force, then welfare is a productive force in modern economy.

Another subject that I also want to mention actually the agriculture and the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) in the EU. The Swedish position is short when comes to CAP and the enlargement is that we should not create a A-team and a B-team within the EU. All countries in the union must have the same presumptions.

Therefore the direct payments and subsidies must gradually be reduced. And I am aware of that's what you already done in your country.

I wish you a continued successful congress and I send our warm regards from the Swedish Social Democratic Party.

Thank you!

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