Five years after the Porto Social Summit, the Party of European Socialists (PES) calls on the European Union to step up efforts to deliver on their social commitments and strengthen Europe’s social model.
The European Pillar of Social Rights remains central to ensuring fair labour markets, quality jobs and social protection across Europe. Built around 20 key principles, the Pillar reflects a shared commitment to putting people at the heart of the European project.
The Social Pillar has been driven forward by progressive leadership, notably by Stefan Löfven, who as Prime Minister of Sweden played a key role in its proclamation at the 2017 Gothenburg Summit, and by António Costa, who as Prime Minister of Portugal hosted the Porto Social Summit in 2021, under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, and led the adoption of the Porto Declaration and the EU’s 2030 social targets.
Five years on, progress is visible. The EU has reached its headline target of 78% employment by 2030. The EU has also successfully delivered on legislative initiatives addressing minimum wages and better working conditions for platform workers. However, more needs to be done and, efforts must now accelerate to meet the remaining objectives of the Social Pillar, notably reducing poverty and increasing participation in training.
At a time of economic uncertainty, rising inequalities and growing pressure on social rights, the PES stresses that Europe’s priorities on competitiveness and security cannot be achieved without investing in people’s wellbeing and ending precarious work. This also includes our strong support for trade unions and collective bargaining. Their fight is our fight.
The PES also expresses its strong support for the Commission Executive Vice-President, Roxana Mînzatu, who leads the Commission’s work on employment, social rights, skills, and inclusion. Her role is key to advancing legislative and policy initiatives that promote equal opportunities, fair working conditions, and access to social protection.
PES President, Stefan Löfven, said:
“Five years after Porto, Europe must deliver on its social promise. There is no strong Europe without a strong Social Europe.
The commitments we made on jobs, social protection and equal opportunities were not symbolic, they were a contract with our citizens.
Workers’ and trade union rights are crucial to this contract. As socialists and social democrats, we will always stand up for them and quality jobs.
Today, as social rights come under pressure and inequalities persist, we must act with determination. Europe’s competitiveness and security will only be sustainable if they go hand in hand with people’s needs.”
