38th CSSD CONGRESS. An Efficient and Equitable Welfare State Programme Resolution for the 38th CSSD Congress. Prague

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1 38th CSSD CONGRESS An Efficient and Equitable Welfare State Programme Resolution for the 38th CSSD Congress Prague Submitted by Mgr. Bohuslav Sobotka Chairman of CSSD

2 A functioning and equitable welfare state 38th CSSD Congres Programme Resolution of the 38th Congress of CSSD NOTES: 38th CSSD CONGRESS DRAFT RESOLUTION: The 38th Congress of CSSD Carries the programme resolution of the 38th Congress of CSSD A functioning and equitable welfare state. After seven long years in opposition, CSSD now has, thanks to the support of voters since last January, an opportunity to pursue the centre-left policy in government. We have succeeded in incorporating most of our programme ideas about a functioning welfare state into the coalition agreement and then began to put them into action in the form of concrete changes in laws and daily activities of the government. We have abandoned the misguided rightist policy of across-the-board cuts and privatization of state functions and we focus on the promotion of employment, social cohesion and increased safety of our citizens. CSSD thus consistently fulfils the election manifesto with which it won the parliamentary elections in October In this Congress Resolution we want to look into the future, focusing on problems that the citizens consider pressing and that Social Democracy wants to resolve. We respect the coalition agreement and the government s policy statement and if we fail to agree about these our goals with the current coalition partners, we will implement them after the parliamentary elections in Economic Growth Fast drawing of EU funds will support economic growth and job creation. We want to use the new European funds from the middle of this year. We are committed to ensuring that they are used for technological modernization of Czech enterprises, research and innovation, new motorways and repaired roads, construction of starter and social housing, as well as expansion of the capacity of kindergartens and elementary schools. We want to improve the country s energy security and we strive for sustainable energy, reducing energy and raw material consumption while maintaining reasonable energy prices for enterprises and individuals, so that the Czech economy remains competitive. We approach with special responsibility the debate on the future energy policy of the Czech Republic, so that this year we can adopt the updated State Energy Concept of the Czech Republic and Raw Material Policy of the Czech Republic envisaging further development of our nuclear power plants. As we draw up the state budget for 2016 and 2017 we want to continue the steps that will help our economy and the good functioning of public services. We assign a high priority to public expenditure on education, the universities, and support for science and research. We also support the continued stabilization of the health sector through further increase in payments for the state insured. We will stand for fair pension indexation, ensuring real rises of salaries of public sector employees and adequate funding of social services and the family policy, which will reflect the current needs of children. We will support all steps taken to enhance the transparency of the management of public resources and to limit the scope for corruption, including an effective model for the publication of public-authority contracts, and expanding the powers of the Supreme Audit Office. We want to further restrict the grey economy. Therefore, we insist on the rapid introduction of electronic records of sales and the passing of a law for proving the origin of property so that both laws are in force from the beginning of The state must intervene more emphatically to prevent tax evasion connected with the sales of spirits, imported wines, and illegal employment. It is essential to accelerate the construction of the transport infrastructure. In addition to completing the motorway connection with the neighbouring states and construction of the R35 as an alternative to the D1, we consider it important to connect Vaclav Havel Airport by rail with the city centre. We will start the construction of a high-speed line in the Czech Republic in conformity with the EU White Book that should link us with western Europe and to link Prague with Brno. We also demand a timely implementation of the transparent selection procedure for the operator of the toll system for the new period beginning in 2017, so that no one becomes disadvantaged. One way to accelerate and streamline public investment is the unification of the authorization process for building permits, zoning and EIA into one process. It is necessary to sign this reform into law in We want to stimulate investment in new technologies and human resource development. We will improve in this respect the conditions for entrepreneurs, guarantee linkage between vocational training and the needs of the economy, balancing protection of employees and 2 3

3 38th CSSD Congres support for the social dialogue. We will support the activities of the innovation community through unification of the academia and public and private partnerships in support of innovation and the creation of a knowledge society. We will press for an amendment to the law on significant market power in order to improve the standing of our farmers. A Secure Future The basic guarantee for a safe and free future of our citizens is the close integration of our country within the EU and NATO structures. An important condition is also maintaining a functioning democratic system that will be capable of guaranteeing in the long term all our citizens respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms. 38th CSSD Congres The government should continue in its economic and budgetary policy the preparations for the adoption of the common European currency around the year 2020, so that our country remains attractive for investment and the risk of wide currency fluctuations is reduced. Last but not least, we want to make better use of economic diplomacy in order to find new opportunities for Czech entrepreneurs, to attract foreign investors and to help to create new jobs. Social Cohesion The goal of the Social Democratic policy is that economic growth benefits equitably the entire society, not just large enterprises and the rich. Therefore, we want to develop a modern, efficient, supportive and functioning welfare state, which alone can ensure long-term preservation of social cohesion and permeability in Czech society. Security risks in today s world are on the rise again. CSSD is convinced that only an internally strong, united and integrated European Union is able to face the threats of international terrorism, economic fluctuations, security instability in our immediate surroundings, or uncontrolled waves of migration. In terms of our security it therefore makes sense for us to be an active member of the EU and to contribute to its further integration. For security in Europe it is important to maintain peace and respect for international law. We are aware of the seriousness of the crisis in eastern Ukraine for Europe s future and we support its diplomatic solution. It is also important for us to be ready to meet our allied commitments within NATO. This goal should be achieved by gradual increases in defence spending, which, unfortunately the right permanently reduced in the past. Seeing the growing danger of terrorist activities in the EU countries, we are ready to strengthen the capacity of the security services for the security of our citizens and, simultaneously, improve the monitoring of their activities. We enforce stricter conditions for agency employment, so that it is not abused as unfair competition with permanent employment. An amendment to the relevant law should be passed in We consider it fair to restore sick benefit in the first three days of sickness. Limited income in sickness is a major problem for middle and low income groups as it affects the whole family. Those who work should have higher incomes than people who live on social benefits as working must be worthwhile. In 2016, therefore, we will promote a significant increase in the minimum wage, so that by the end of the electoral period it approaches 40% of the average wage. Increasing the minimum wage should apply to people with disabilities this time. We will propose a reform of the social benefits in order to increase incentives to work. We insist on a speedy solution to the difficult situation of single mothers and single parents, especially in those cases where they care for the education of their children without financial assistance from the other parent. We believe a suitable instrument for this would be a law on substitute alimony. We will actively support assistants to teachers and specialist teachers in order to strengthen inclusion, so that a maximum of children are integrated into mainstream education. The Czech democracy must remain credible, strong and able to cope with waves of populism or various forms of extremism. It is therefore important for it to continue to grow out of a strong civil society, whose parts are clearly defined political parties. Our democratic system may not become the object of manipulation by wealthy oligarchs owning and controlling simultaneously businesses, media and political groupings. Therefore, if we are not to have a mere parody of the democratic system in which instead of political programs and democratic parties only wealthy business clans will compete for influence on the future of the state, we need laws that clearly define conflict of interest, tighten the rules on the financing of political parties and election campaigns, and refine the media legislation. The planned amendment to the Constitution should confirm the fact that our country will continue to be a parliamentary democracy and the Chamber of Deputies will continue to be elected on the basis of a proportional electoral system. We consider it important that the government makes conceptual decisions in its migration policy which will not aggravate the security situation in the country in the future. The Czech Republic will continue in the spirit of its humanistic and democratic traditions to be ready to help those who are politically persecuted or their human rights are violated. Regarding economic migration, we will adopt such rules in order to enable it from countries that we are close to us in cultural and religious terms. We propose capping the age for retirement. We reject the current system, which permanently extends the retirement age without a limit and without a real chance to stay long in the labour market. We will create a patient ombudsman institute under the Ministry of Health. We want to guarantee the provision of quality health care and to obtain feedback for the elimination of bureaucratic problems, errors, or failures. We will enforce a complete ban on smoking in restaurants as an expression of consideration not only for visitors but also for their employees. Sport must not be an activity reserved for the rich. With higher taxes on gambling we want as early as 2016 to strengthen the financing of sport by 3 billion crowns per year. These funds will support youth sports, sport in the country and school sports in particular. Budget cuts and flawed reforms in recent years have decimated the police and contributed to the total collapse of the state s ability to guarantee its citizens basic security. CSSD is already working hard to ameliorate this situation and will continue to strive to further stabilize the budget and the staffing of the police and to restore a functioning state in the field of security, including the fight against economic crime, tighter regulation of trade in arms and ammunition, and more detailed rules relating to gun ownership. CSSD is ready to pursue consistently its programme as part of the government coalition, to act correctly, honestly and with openness, in conformity with the values of freedom, justice and solidarity, and proceed responsibly, mindful of the interests of our country and all of its citizens. In 2015 we want to adopt a law on non-profit hospitals so that hospitals remain in public hands, and in 2016 a law on social housing, which opens the way to ensuring affordable and decent housing for all those whose right to housing is threatened as a result of economic or social problems. We will press for territoriality of distrainors that is far more consistent with the performance of state administration. The state must guarantee the protection of the property of its citizens. Debts must be paid, but distraint must not multiply them and must be subject to strict regulation to prevent abuse. We insist on the adoption of legislative measures against usury and radical regulation of non-banking financial institutions to prevent abuses of ignorance or the plight of the citizens leading to their impoverishment. All lenders must be licensed by the Czech National Bank and illegal loans must be sanctioned. 4 5

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