25 progressive policies highlight social democratic ambition for 2024 European elections
Congress delegates of the Party of European Socialists (PES) today adopted the 2023 PES Congress Resolution – a key step towards a common socialist and democratic manifesto for the upcoming European Elections.
Grouped under three pillars – Protecting citizens through transitions, Promoting democracy and gender equality, and Securing Europe’s position in the world – the Resolution sets out 25 common progressive priorities for the future of Europe.
Protecting citizens through transitions
- Quality jobs for all, by implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights, platform work, collective bargaining, banning zero-hour contracts and fake self-employment, and regulating artificial intelligence.
- Fighting unemployment, exploitation and poverty with a European Anti-Poverty Strategy, EUR 20 billion for the European Child Guarantee, new Local Employment Guarantees, and measures to provide adequate minimum income.
- Secure, sustainable and affordable energy for all with a target of 100% renewable or low-carbon energy mix, reform of the wholesale electricity market, and a strategy against energy poverty.
- The Green Deal for a just transition, ensuing we reach climate neutrality by 2050 or before, introducing green social protection schemes with EU support, and an Investment Plan for the Green and Digital Transitions.
- Preserving biodiversity by restoring Europe’s forests, air, sea, water, and soil, reducing deforestation through sustainable forestry and protecting natural reserves.
- Resilient economies through a reformed EU economic governance framework, permanent SURE instrument, and Social Convergence Framework integrated into the European Semester.
- An economy serving people with more investment in the green transition, fossil fuel divestment, and action to combat greenwashing.
- Ensuring all pay their fair share of tax with coordinated taxation of capital gains, a wealth tax and a tax on top earners, and harmonising corporate income tax at the EU level.
- Quality of life in cities and regions strengthened with simpler and more flexible rules and procedures for Cohesion Policy, and stronger involvement of local and regional actors in decision-making processes.
- Affordable and quality housing for all with a European Plan for Affordable Housing, an EU-wide residential fire safety strategy, and action based on a new European definition of areas vulnerable to energy poverty.
- Affordable and accessible quality care and healthcare for all by implementing Principle 16of the European Pillar of Social Rights, improving the EU health emergency governance framework and including the European Health Union in a future revision of the Treat.
- Quality public services supported though public procurement rules with binding clauses on quality, environmental and social standards and collective bargaining.
Promoting democracy and gender equality
- Support for Ukraine through political, financial, humanitarian, and military means, severe sanctions on Russia, and ICC investigation of war crimes by Russia.
- Defending democracy and the rule of law by extending Qualified Majority Voting in Council, reforming the Article 7 procedure to ensure the Commission and Member States can act more swiftly, and defending a “cordon sanitaire” of democratic and pro-EU political groups in the European Parliament.
- A Europe free from discrimination by unblocking the Anti-Discrimination Directive, fully transposing the EU Women on Boards Directive, EU Work-Life Balance and Pay Transparency Directives into national law, and by creating a holistic “Care Deal for Europe”.
- Eradicating gender-based violence through an enhanced directive on violence against women and domestic violence, an extension of the list of EU crimes, and monitoring the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by member states.
- A Europe that works for its youth and children with at least 20 billion of funding to the European Child Guarantee, binding quality standards for offers under the Youth Guarantee, and the introduction of a “green Erasmus” to raise awareness of green jobs.
- Fostering intergenerational solidarity in Europe with more support for age-friendly cities and communities, combatting agism in society, and support for lifelong learning as part of the European Education Area.
- Coordinated asylum and migration policy through the adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the Single Permit Directive, and strengthening the Anti-Trafficking Directive.
- Strengthening citizens’ rights online by adopting the e-Privacy Regulation, improving broadband connectivity and access in every member state, and progressing the Liability of AI Directive.
- Security of all citizens with a strengthened Europol, revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive to fight trafficking in human beings, and an independent EU Child Centre to fight against Child Sexual Abuse.
Securing Europe’s position in the world
- Promote strategic investments and innovation witha new Investment Plan for the Green and Digital Transitions, a European rescue framework to protect firms from unfair foreign competition, and a “Made in Europe” 2030 strategy.
- Support international partnerships by reforming the World Trade Organization, creating an EU comprehensive strategy for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, and addressing the shortcomings of the EU Global Gateway.
- A forward-looking EU with Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area, continued support for the enlargement process, and the right of initiative for the European Parliament.
- Cooperation on security and defence by implementing the Strategic Compass, building stronger EU Common Security and Defence Policy, and supporting the European defence industry.
With the 2023 Congress resolution, the PES makes its next strong move towards the 2024 European elections. The document – with PES policy proposals in all policy areas – offers the EU a progressive path forward which will put Europe in the lead. Europe’s social democratic family stands determined, with a resolution that acts as a cornerstone for the PES election manifesto. The Resolution is the starting point from which the Europe’s social democratic family will create its manifesto over the coming months.
The adopted resolution is available to read in full in English and Spanish.
