Modern Liberalism

[p. V]

Uxori

[p. IX]

Foreword

This book is about liberalism in its European, not its American, variety. It consists of conversations with nine prominent liberal politicians, each from a different country. All member-states of the European Community are represented except Ireland and Greece; Minoo Masani provides an Indian point of view. The conversations are not with academics, civil servants or journalists because only politicians know what it means to depend on popular favour and to have to compromise. Only one of those interviewed has at present executive power: Gaston Thorn, from Luxemburg, who is President of the European Commission. Jo Grimond and Wolfgang Mischnick are active parliamentarians in London and Bonn, respectively. Seven have been, at one time or another, members of government. Because of the British electoral system, Jo Grimond has never enjoyed the traditional rewards of a politician, while for Minoo Masani the tide of Mrs. Gandhi's Congress Party proved too strong. Apart from Gaston Thorn, the European Commission is here represented by Jean Rey, who was its President and is now Minister of State in Belgium; and by Jean François Deniau, who was in charge of the European Community's relations with developing countries before becoming Minister for Trade in the previous French government. Per Federspiel has been a member for many years of the Council of Europe for Denmark; he was President of its Assembly from 1960 to 1963. Also the three last Presidents of the Liberal International, an organisation of all liberal parties, present their views: Giovanni Malagodi from Italy (1958-1966); Edzo Toxopeus from The Netherlands (1966-1970) and Gaston Thorn, who has fulfilled this function since 1970. All look back on long and distinguished careers: their average age is 68 years.

[p. X]

Many subjects come up for discussion in these pages: industrial policy and protectionism; trade unions and industrial democracy; decentralisation and the function of Parliament; the integration and defence of Europe; and of course the meaning and future of liberalism. The various dilemmas of the welfare state are discussed repeatedly and at length. Liberal parties may not have pat solutions to these dilemmas but at least liberalism points in the right direction. As Jean Rey said: ‘Liberalism does not belong to the nostalgia of the past but to the hope of the future’. Hence this book. By way of summary, an attempt is made, in a final chapter, to gather the various strands of thinking; they are interspersed with some comments. It will be seen that on almost all matters there is a considerable measure of agreement.

Thanks are due, first of all, to the politicians interviewed, some of whom are very busy men indeed. I must also thank my wife and my secretary, Miss Laila Jansen, for typing and retyping large portions of the text. Both my wife and Mr. B.P. Rauwerda encouraged me to undertake this project, for which I am grateful.

F. Bolkestein

The Hague, 15 June 1982