Convening by videoconference, progressives met to discuss the COVID-19 crisis recovery fund and the new EU long term budget.
PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“Our family is approaching these discussions constructively, pushing for the progressive priorities that lie at the core of our mission and supporting mechanisms that will bring a solid recovery and a fairer and more sustainable Europe.
“The PES welcomes the Commission’s Next Generation EU and budget proposals. Now it is vital that the European Council reaches the right agreement, and quickly. We must not hesitate on the recovery.
“As a Union we will either thrive together or fall together. The recovery must be the moment we finally weave the Social Pillar and the Green Deal into the political, social and economic fabric of Europe. This is how we ensure a fair and sustainable recovery and future.
“As a family we are united in our determination to avoid the mistakes from 2008. This recovery must promote the progressive agenda, strengthening health systems and welfare states, promoting a green future, ensuring digital giants and other companies pay their fair share, and achieving shared prosperity. It cannot mean forcing wage competition, privatisation and public service cuts on Member States again. No to austerity, and no to a single euro of recovery funding going to companies in tax havens or to Member States who undermine the Rule of Law and democracy in Europe.
“I want to thank all our leaders and our Commissioners who contributed to the very bold proposal that is now on the table.”
The recovery must protect jobs, and relaunch a social, sustainable and feminist economy anchored in the European Green Deal and the Social Pillar. It must move us towards a carbon-free, digital, democratic and gender equal future. The PES strongly welcomes efforts by its commissioners to achieve this aim, including Executive Vice-President Timmerman’s leadership on the European Green Deal, Commissioner Gentiloni’s work to achieve a strong recovery fund, Commissioner Schmit’s push for the Youth Guarantee, and Commission Ferreira’s efforts on the Just Transition Fund.
The meeting agreed that there was a need for very significant EU resources to help societies recover and discussed the need to boost own resources.
During the meeting Sergei Stanishev also thanked outgoing Eurogroup President Mario Centeno:
“I would like to thank Mario Centeno for his work and his service as Eurogroup President. Under his guidance many important agreements have been reached, not least the bold and necessary action that was taken at the beginning of this crisis. His action put the Eurozone in a better place going into this crisis and because of him the Eurogroup has remained strong.”
The meeting was attended by:
- Sergei Stanishev, PES President
- Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain
- Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden
- Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal
- Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight
- Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union
- Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality
- Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms
- Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy
- Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
- David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament
- Iratxe Garcia, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament
- Maria Joao Rodrigues, President of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, Chair of the PES Financial and Economy Network
- Christophe Rouillon, President of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions
- Achim Post, Secretary General of the PES
- Paul Magnette, Leader of PS Belgium
- Conner Rousseau, Leader of sp.a Belgium
- Maria Vasiliadou, EDEK Cyprus
- Tomas Petricek, CSSD Czech Republic
- Jari Luoto, SPD Finland
- Norbert Walter-Borjans, Co-leader, SPD Germany
- Fofi Gennimata, Leader of PASOK Greece
- Bertalan Toth, Leader of HSZP Hungary
- Nicola Zingaretti, Leader of PD Italy
- Nils Usakovs, Leader of Saskana Latvia
- Colum Eastwood, Leader of SDLP Northern Ireland
- Andrzej Szejna, SLD Poland
- Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament and interim leader of SD Slovenia
- Radmila Shekerinska, SDUM North Macedonia
- Alicia Homs, President of YES and Member of the European Parliament
- Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women
- Alexis Tsipras, Leader of Syriza, Greece (Observer)
- Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General of the PES
- Giacomo Filibeck, Deputy Secretary General of the PES
