[Visit to Europe ⑥] Governor Nam discusses successful unification and federation of Germany with former Chancellor Gerha
Createdd 2014-11-14 Hit 527
Contents
Meeting held with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on Oct 15
Governor Nam: “Decentralization and unified political system are required”
Former Chancellor Schröder recommends job creation thru manufacturing expansion
◇ During his visit to Germany, made with the aim of drafting a blueprint for ‘Next Gyeonggi,’ Governor Nam Kyung-pil shared opinions about the process of reunification and ways in which to achieve economic success with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on October 15.
During his visit to Germany, made with the aim of drafting a blueprint for ‘Next Gyeonggi,’ Governor Nam Kyung-pil met the former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on October 15, and discussed the process of reunification and ways in which to achieve economic success.
At the office of former Chancellor Schröder, Governor Nam said, “I admire the Agenda 2010 reforms of former Prime Minister Schröder. There is so much work to be done for Korea to resolve internal conflicts and be reunified. The will to work for one’s country, like that of former Chancellor Schröder, is critical.”
In response to a question from former Chancellor Schröder regarding which pending issue is most important, Governor Nam stated that a change in the political system would be the leading issue.
Governor Nam emphasized, “There are many issues to be addressed including education, labor, economic growth, jobs, preparation for reunification, youth unemployment, low fertility, and population aging. But I think our biggest concern is the fact that political leaders come into conflict with each other. Since the Sewol ferry disaster, not even a single bill has been passed by the National Assembly. As the opposing parties are pitted against each other, bills are continuously being postponed.”
“As it is a structural problem, a change should be made in the political structure which centralizes power. Rather than the current two-party system in which the election winner takes it all, what we need is a German-style political system in which power is decentralized and federal politics by multiple parties is possible,” added Governor Nam.
In response, former Chancellor Schröder said, “It would be important to go over the factors which made it possible for Germany to advance ahead of other European countries. There are many similarities between Germany and Korea.” He then made a number of recommendations.
First, former Chancellor Schröder suggested continuous efforts to create jobs in manufacturing areas, citing the fact that both Korea and Germany are more dependent on manufacturing than service industries. Second, emphasizing the importance of labor-management relations, he said that in Germany, employees and employers try to avoid excessive conflicts and find middle ground that considers the good of the country while addressing their own interests.
Lastly, he emphasized the successful results of the Agenda 2010 reforms, commenting that other EU countries including Italy and France should implement the reforms that Germany carried out 10 years ago. In addition, former Chancellor Schröder said, “If I were to add one more item to those three major points, it would be education, for which a ‘system combining school with work-based education’ is critical. In Germany, young people who do not go on to college can receive education while working, and that is why the youth unemployment rate in Germany is the lowest among EU countries.” He also put more weight on the importance of federal politics, saying, “All of this is possible if a politically sound foundation is provided.”
Coming to power in 1998 as a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder carried out the Agenda 2010 reforms in an effort to overcome a high unemployment rate of over 10% and an economic recession. He is credited with establishing a foundation for economic growth in Germany.
On October 13, Governor Nam met Chairwoman Ursula Männle of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. He also met Chairman Hans-Gert Pöttering of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (policy center of CDU) on October 15 and discussed the unification and federation success factors of Germany.
◇ On the morning of October 15, Governor Nam Kyung-pil shares opinions about the unification and federation success factors of Germany with Chairman Hans-Gert Pöttering of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (policy center of CDU).
