PES President Sergei Stanishev commented: “The idea has already gained momentum in our family. After a first exchange took place between Heads of States and Prime Ministers in December, they reconfirmed their support to the Plan for the European Youth at their 12 March Meeting in Paris. Several prominent leaders of the PES family have already publicly supported a plan for the European Youth. We need to show our capacity to act for and with young people, we need to show that the EU can bring answers and a positive impact to its citizens’ life. There is now a momentum that we must seize. The review of the EU’s Multiannual financial Framework will be one of the crucial tools to achieve our ambitious goals.”
Pervenche Berès, the Chair of the Network added: “We want to ensure that the Youth Guarantee continues to be fully operational after 2016 and turn it into a permanent mechanism. This will require renewed financial support. We join François Hollande and Matteo Renzi, in their call to increase the existing Youth Employment Initiative funding by 20 billion until 2020. This will allow not only to maintain the level of yearly financial commitment but also a 33% increase to start extending the scope of the Guarantee, including to young people up to 30 years old.”
The PES Social Europe Network serves as a platform for social-democratic parties to debate, coordinate, and develop concrete proposals for a more social Europe. Its work is focused on issues such as fostering the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union, ensuring decent minimum wages in Europe, or adopting a plan for the European youth. The PES’ European Youth Plan will be presented at the PES Presidency meeting of 22 April 2016 in Brussels.
