The Case for Social Democracy as the Trade Union Perspective in Europe by Otto Jacobi - The trade unions are lacking a modernization programme for Europe. In terms of ideas and organization they are lagging behind to a significant degree. - Social democracy is the trade unions' guiding line for establishing a policy on Europe. - The trade unions are indispensible as a force for social protection. - The shaping of the European Social Union requires better use of existing op­portunities on the part of the trade unions. - The trade unions can make use of their diversity as a source of energy for cross-border cooperation and cooperative pluralism. - The European Trade Union Confederation: A solid pillar of support for compre­hensive trade union activity in Europe. - The internationalization of trade union operational structures is long overdue. Abstract 1. In view of the rapidly progressing integra­tion of the world economy, continuously grow­ing political cooperation between nations and the convergence of Western European so­cieties, the need to overcome trade union lag­ging behind in matters of policy and organiza­tion has become an obvious and crucial task. Until now the trade unions have lacked a"self­prescribed modernization programme" cast in the same ambitious mold as the one estab­lished by the West European countries to carry out the task of creating the European Union. Could modernizing the welfare state in the West and establishing it in the eastern part of the continent eliminate this lagging behind and also lead to the training of a Euro-trade unionist? 2. Western Europe has assured itself"pros­perity and peace through an irreversible pro­cess of integration"(Engholm), The European Community is more than the cheap slogan "Europe of capital" bandied about by certain trade union groups stuck in left-conservative, anti-European nationalism. The political culture_ of Western Europe, its peoples and its welfare-state character con­tinue to be the foundation stones of a pan-Eu­ropean perspective and require that the trade unions overcome the fearfulness for which they themselves are responsible. The continu­ation into the 21st century of democracy char­acterized by a welfare-state under the rule of law is the trade union contribution to the Eu­rope of the modem age. Séries Eurokolleg