The Conference started with a speech by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, who emphasised the importance of the “Arab spring” both for the region and for Europe. He said we need to listen to the people from the Arab world. He also drew attention to the Tunisian elections held in the weekend which are the first elections after the start of the uprisings and he called up everyone to go out and vote. He also explained the importance of the democracy which means having a job, a vote and a role in society and implies the existence and functioning of political parties. And last but not least, he stated that the President of the S-D Group Martin Schulz and himself supported the bid of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

First Round Table - Democratic transitions: Fears and Hopes

Chaired by Véronique de Keyser, Vice President of the S&D Group, this round table allowed a first evaluation of the political, economic and social situation in the different countries in the 'Arab World', especially regarding Human rights, election procedures and hopes that come from democratisation processes, but also obstacles on the way to transition.

Veronique de Keyser MEP said that the Europeans were powerless to help changing the authoritarian regimes and the changes in the region happened thanks to the people. Europe must now improve, in order to be able to support transition in these countries and revolution in others, such as Yemen or Syria for example. She added that it is difficult to know who the people are who are doing the revolutions and that is why this conference was organised. She concluded by saying that the “Arab Spring” is also the Palestinian spring and the people in Palestine made the current things happen themselves.

The first round table on democratic transitions raised the issue of Palestine. According to the Palestinian representative there is a Palestine spring also going on in addition to “Arab spring” and he also thanked EU for supporting Palestinian recognition bid in the UN.

The issue of political Islam was discussed and many people wanted to know European answers to the questions. In that regard, the role of women in Libya, Yemen and elsewhere in the Arab world was stressed: the women participants wanted that both the men and women who both made the revolutions would be in political positions, not only men. At European level, this issue of secularism is also central, as conservative parties tend to embrace Christian values and to make politics also religious. The situation of the Copts also was discussed and a participant said that there are no problems between Muslims and Christians in Egypt. One participant was sure that there will never be an Islamist Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood will not receive more than 20% of the votes.

The role of the EU in the democratic transitions remains a key issue, incl. the role of the NATO in Libya. There was criticism also against EU that there has not been enough support and Europe was before supporting the regimes.

The issue of Democratic participation was also discussed. In Tunisia, Tunisian many people were actually not eager to register which is a problem especially after the revolution, but the social problems are more important.

Presentation of the Regional Integration Network by Mohammed HUSSAINY, Director of Identity Center, Jordan.

The second day started with a presentation of the (social democratic) Regional Integration Network (CNCR) of the youth in the region who deals with the exchange of ideas and expertise, monitoring reform and trials, observing elections and sending right people where their help is needed. It was suggested that the network could be a partner to the S&D Group and GPF. The speaker finished by saying “We don’t want your compassion, pity or finances but we want a partnership of equals.”

Second roundtable: new partnership for new democracies - concrete steps

This second roundtable on "new partnership for new democracies - concrete steps" was chaired by Hannes Swoboda and allowed S&D members that are involved in trade, development and human rights issues, to discuss the role of the EU institutions in the democratisation process, from financial aid to election watch, from capacity building to creating new grounds for cooperation and trade relations, including the issue of the ongoing negotiations between EU and Gulf Coop Council (GCC).  Officials from the European Commission would be welcome to attend this part of the conference. In this workshop, the MEPs and the participants would be invited to turn ideas into concrete steps, concrete legislation.

Hannes Swoboda MEP started by saying that the fight for democracy is a permanent one. Even in Europe, where Democracy has existed  for years, there are setbacks: authoritarian politicians, extremist groups etc. He also stressed there is no emancipation of our societies without the emancipation of women. He concluded by saying that partnership between Europe and the Southern Mediterranean countries is not about teaching but sharing experiences.

Said El Khadraoui MEP reminded the participants that Europe did not see the growing anger of the population under the repressive regimes in the Arab world. Even though Democracy was an important demand of the European countries, association agreements were concluded and implemented, meaning that Europe had the tools but did not always use them. But now we have to look at the future and how European parties can now play a role. He also stressed that pluralism should be encouraged and after elections are held, the democratic result must be respected.

Proinsias da Rossa MEP spoke about Palestinian reconciliation, which is important to unite for Democracy.  Veronique de Keyser MEP announced that among the Sakharov Prize candidates and there is a big chance for the best result. Maria Badia i Cutchet MEP stressed that the transitions should not be mystified and they are never easy for Democracy, looking at the experience in Europe. 

Debate discussion:

- Participants stressed the importance of the he role of the civil society, and the fact that funding always goes to the same NGO's in the region.

- There was no concensus among the participants on the support for a Libyan type of intervention.

- Tunisian elections were discussed.

Participants also stressed that the visa policy of the EU is unacceptable. One fourth of the participants of this conference could not come to because they could not get a visa.

The discussion about Democracy was also very important: that it is not about importing Democracy but taking into account the experiences and empowering and inspiring them, but an own path should be found for the countries of the region. We have to learn from each other, since the Democracy in the North is in crisis while it is resurrecting in the South.

The Palestinian participants stressed that everything is connected to the Middle East Peace Process and that Palestine has an experience of democracy. Other participants stressed the need for a common European position on Palestine and recognition of Palestine as a full member of UN. Third participant asked European companies active there who are discriminating Palestinians not to be supported by the EU.

Syrian participant also spoke about the impossibility of a dialogue with Syrian authorities, since the experience when they tried to have it in the past and the authorities always persecuted them. Also Europe was invited upon by a Syrian SNC member to recognise them as a legitimate body of Syrian people. Another Syrian participant talked about the awful situation on the spot.

What can EU really do and how to have a partnership of equals? Participants argued that people in the Arab region should not take any financial help from EU and US. Others on the contrary said that if the financing is clear and agreed beforehand, then it is accepted since the countries are poor. He asked rhetorically that should he accept then an Islamist financing?

European previous (and current) actions were also heavily criticised: some participants even questioned the legitimacy of EU to act now due to the past, also the double standards in European human rights guidelines were criticised. EU and Moroccan partnership was criticised due to the current Moroccan regime, and in Yemen, the revolution would not have started then the Europeans would have supported the Saleh regime.

The moderator concluded that it will be vital to restore its credibility and partnership of equals means that the Arab world is in the driving seat.

Third roundtable : the role of women in Democracy - chaired by Maria Badia i Cutchet

The roundtable on "the role of women in the revolution and the democratisation process" was chaired by Maria Badia i Cutchet, Vice President of the S&D Group, and allowed the S&D Members to have feedback on the situation of women in that region, to discuss their role in the democratic transition process, and to exchange best practices. The issue of women status in a religious State or a State with a State religion in Mediterranean and Europe countries was tackled.

Maria Badia i Cutchet stressed the importance of women rights and of new information technology (ICT) like blogs and twitter, which are very well used by women. She also recalled the VP/HR’s three M's: money, mobility and market and added herself three W-s: women, websites and welfare states.

A Swedish MP stressed that when she visited Tahrir square during the revolution, then half of the people were women and that women need to be more active and organise.

Participants said that the revolutions were done by women but the women have not benefitted from the revolution. The best way to deal with women rights is addressing them as citizens not as someone different. The ban on veils by some European countries was also mentioned and said that it might be that now women from the region will not anymore visit EU. The Tunisian experiences was mentioned as an model. Indeed, the legal status of women was changed: marriages are now with consent, divorce possibilities, access to education etc.

It is also important that women have financial autonomy, otherwise the laws do not help women, and that they would be in decision-making positions. It was also stressed that the projects for women in the region would be long term, not just one time. Libya was brought as a good example where women participated or pushed their men to participate in the revolution. One participant also stressed that continuing asking for women rights in a way that puts them in special position might actually weaken these demands. So women should come now to power and also new generations should be recruited.

It was also stressed that women are not responsible for the past mess and some of the current so called democrats are actually against women rights. Others said that actually many Islamists are very progressive on women rights. In Palestine the situation for example is that women do not want to participate in the society since the Islamist movements say it is a sin and also the women are sometimes not interested themselves in their rights because they have other problems, mainly social. So everything depends on the country.

Some men also spoke agreeing that there is lack of equality in the societies and that in Tahrir square there was a special demonstration asking for more rights for women. At the same time there are quotas introduced as well. Also it was said that EU should push the transitional governments to adapt the laws to respect women rights.

Pervenche Beres MEP said that we do not want to give lessons, but that women are often the first victims of the economic crisis, so that is why there have to be gender equality. If the women’s issue is important then it cannot be as a simple window dressing but it has to be real.

Edit Herczog MEP mentioned that the debates here resemble her debates 20 years ago after the fall of the iron curtain. It is important to keep the women who were in the revolution involved, otherwise the women rights might go back, as it happened in the Eastern Europe. She said that the most important is to get women to use the ICT.

Maria Badia i Cutchet MEP concluded by saying that it is not a question what women have to do but how we can help each other, since the problems in Europe are the same and that we are here to work with everyone in the region.

Javier Moreno Sanchez, Secretary General of the Global Progressive Forum, closed the conference: "we are all Embassadors of the Democracy, and the participants we have brought together today for this conference, will go on working together to promote Democracy, through a transnational network".