When did Pour La Solidarité (PLS) come about and why did you set up this European think-tank? 

PLS came about in 2002 out of the firm conviction of its founders that there was an urgent need to invest in solidarity for at least four reasons: 

• ethics: inequality is morally unacceptable; 

• economics: a fairer distribution of wealth guarantees more robust economic  demand; 

• social aspects: poverty compromises people’s ability to participate in society;

• security: an excessive gap in people’s purchasing power can lead to social unrest.

Back then, we also noted that despite the few positive elements of globalisation in terms of efficiency and competitiveness, the price to be paid in terms of environmental damage and social harm was and would remain enormous.

Unfortunately, the vision of the founders is proving to be terribly accurate and extremely topical, resulting in a tendency towards isolationism that has been successfully exploited by certain political parties. This can be seen in many European countries and more widely on other continents.

Your motto is “Understand to Act”, why is that? 

This motto reflects the importance we place on understanding social, economic and environmental issues in order to take effective and relevant action. Over the years, this motto has grown to become “Understand, Connect and Support to Act”. 

Our society is changing faster than ever before and is becoming more complex by the day. If we are to adjust our actions we need to understand the consequences of these changes. The specialisation of all the socio-economic players has strengthened their expertise but has also led to incomplete responses to societal issues. Working in a multidisciplinary environment is no longer an option. If we want to have a powerful impact, each area of expertise must be confronted with other areas of knowledge, and we must support each other in order to propose inclusive solutions that have an impact on all citizens.

How does this translate into your day-to-day work? 

We carry out in-depth analyses of all issues relating to solidarity, and we choose subjects based on questions that have come to light or that we anticipate. We do everything we can to explore them in collaboration with stakeholders and experts from other disciplines, backgrounds, cultures and countries, so as to be open to responses other than those derived from our European vision.

We run transnational projects funded by the European Commission, which give us the opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders from other Member States, to confront ourselves with their vision in order to find common ground for solutions that are as inclusive as possible.

Finally, we run social inclusion programmes dedicated to the most vulnerable people. These initiatives, based on our analyses and our European partnerships, test theories, experiment with hypotheses and, for those that work best, confirm the accuracy of our recommendations.

Who works with you and who do you work with? 

We work with civil society organisations, European institutions, mainstream and social enterprises, universities and other think-tanks. Our network is diverse in terms of disciplines, territories and cultures.

In the design and implementation of our initiatives, we involve the target audiences for whom they are intended, with a view to improving efficiency by bringing together scientific, professional and life expertise, which is seen as an equivalent contribution to the search for solutions.

If I say Europe, you say...

“United in diversity!”

Solidarity, diversity, cooperation and opportunity. Europe is an ambitious and utopian project, created to prevent another conflict as devastating as that of the Second World War and to raise living standards by pooling economic interests (Schuman Declaration, May 1950).

Europe is the only region in the world where social and environmental issues are just as important as economic ones, even though implementation still gives priority to economic issues. It is our collective responsibility to contribute to a better balance: what an excellent programme! 

Europe is also the recognition - through treaties, legal texts binding on all States and their governments - of a threefold model of democracy: representative democracy, social democracy and participatory democracy.

What is a social Europe? 

A goal to be achieved!

It is a Europe that guarantees social rights, reduces inequalities and promotes cohesion between its citizens.

Our European social model should be a subtle balance between economic development that respects the planet and focuses on people, and social justice that enables everyone to lead their lives with respect for human rights.

We can, of course, welcome the progress made by Europe in the social field - in particular the 2017 adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights - but we must remain demanding and combative in order to achieve a Europe that is based on solidarity and sustainability. It is not yet the case!

What about the social economy? 

We see the social economy as a real alternative to the liberal economic model. This form of business accounts for 10% of European GDP and represents 19.1 million jobs in the EU, according to the 2017 report by the European Economic and Social Committee.

We like to present the social economy - the definition of which between Member States remains a problem - on the basis of four fundamental principles: 

• individual non-profit status (equitable distribution of profits among employees/members or reinvestment for non-profit organisations); 

• democratic management (1 person = 1 vote); 

• social or collective utility (serving the common good); 

• a mix of private and public resources (independence from public authorities).

We believe that this way of doing business is the right response to building a sustainable society based on solidarity. Its capacity for resistance and resilience in the face of the crises of recent years has been demonstrated, but needs the political will to increase its influence in the European economy.

Your fondest European memory?

Françoise Kemajou: “Personally, I would like my fondest memory to be an unprecedented decline in the far-right parties at the next European elections! We have to keep dreaming”.

Denis Stokkink: “December 2021, the adoption of the European Social Economy Action Plan: the culmination of so much effort over so many years by European players - civil servants, elected representatives, activists, entrepreneurs, etc. - and the prospect of further progress in the years to come!

What are some projects you are proud of?

Of course, we are proud of all our projects! But we are also aware that they don’t all have the same impact.

Above all, we are proud of the longevity of our organisation: 22 years for an organisation that survives almost entirely thanks to the projects it secures! We are also proud of the issues we have sometimes pioneered in the debate. We are proud of the teams that have supported us over the years.

What about the future? 

In the future, we will continue to work towards a more united, inclusive and sustainable Europe, with the aim of having the greatest possible impact.

[Translate NSS EPALE France]