Siim Kallas: free movement of people in Europe must not cease

Photo: Eero Vabamägi

Migration crisis should be managed in such a way that it would not stop free movement of people in Europe, said Siim Kallas during European Parliament plenary meeting in Strasbourg last week where he was seeking support among liberals in the body.

What would being ALDE party president offer you?

I am excited. It’s a totally new challenge. I have not won it yet, and it won’t be easy. ALDE is an organisation that basically should play an important role in shaping policy and defending standpoints, AND I see an opportunity to defend the ideas that have always been important for me.

The commission was a very great and exciting time for me but there, especially under José Manuel Barroso, the entire activity was politically neutral. ALDE’s challenge is to create a unified concept which would be convincing enough to make liberal parties in nations like Bulgaria and Spain to want to join ALDE.

In that sense, it’s a typical European challenge where 28 nations have joined forces, there are the varying views on history and political sympathies, and it all put together makes it very exciting. In ALDE, thus far the Benelux nations have been dominant, as well as Germany and the UK. Now, Eastern Europe and the Nordics want to have more of a say as well. In Southern Europe, we do not have many strong partners.

How do you assess your chances to win?

Supporters and opponents are everywhere. But I may rather confidently say I have got the support in the Nordics and Baltics. To win, it is too little.

Meanwhile, it seems to me I have rather much popularity in the ALDE company. People like the ideas I am talking about. The picture is promising, as if, but there is the hidden political work underway where supporters are being recruited.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent Hans van Baalen?

It is risky to characterise your opponent, but his main strength is that he is deeply into the system. He knows the people and is known. Also, he is member of a strongest party in ALDE, which is VVD in Holland.  

What would European liberals win if you win?

The broader goal is that at 2019 European Parliament elections liberal democrats would get more seats.

How do you plan to achieve that?

The whole time it has been said in Estonia that do not vote for liberals as they are marginal in Europe. But we will make them matter.

The entire liberal movement must very clearly map its fundamental policies, common for all. Let’s take the four freedoms i.e. freedom for the movement of people, goods, services and capital. These might be things that ALDE parliamentary faction and ALDE prime ministers push jointly.

In the years of the economic crisis, conservatives rose to power in a large part of EU member states. In light of such developments, how will liberals stay in the race?

In the economic crisis, it were primarily the European conservatives and such liberals as adopted conservative ideas into their political infrastructure, and who offered trust to voters, who were successful. It worked in all of Europe as no-one believed anyone has a better model.

Nationalism and protectionism – this now is the place where liberals must counter decisively. In migration crisis, we must cooperate with all parties. People are afraid and this cannot be underestimated. Our interest is for the migration crisis to be managed so as it would not stop free movement of people in Europe. Of course we will survive it, we survived the Soviet time, we will survive this also. But giving up Schengen system would be a very big step backwards.

What are your plans regarding Presidential elections in Estonia?

I take running for ALDE party president very seriously as I am also expected to do in Europe. If I get elected, it is my aim to serve two terms at helm of ALDE (one term is two years – edit) and take the liberals successfully to 2019 European Parliament elections.

If somebody would say how to make me President of Estonia, I would be very interested to listen to that, I do not know that. Today, there is no such offer.

I have been offered a seat at the council of a largest airline in the world, but I declined. That was a definite offer. To be President, no-one who could do that has offered that to me.