The event – #PESTalks: a plan for people, jobs and the economy – saw European Commissioners, leaders, government ministers, trade unionists and academics gather for a live discussion on Europe’s post-COVID19 recovery. The event was broadcast on the PES Facebook page.
PES President Sergei Stanishev, who opened and concluded the discussion, said:
“There are six key dimensions: health, social, economy, green, democracy and the international dimension. This is how we see the future of the recovery.
“Firstly, health must be a public good. There can be no more short-sighted budgetary cuts in health. Especially not for the nurses and doctors who are risking their lives to save ours. On top of that, we need an Action Plan for the Social Pillar, so we can achieve the Anti-poverty Strategy, education, the Youth Guarantee and the Child Guarantee.
“On the economy, there is no time for half measures. We were the first political family to publicly back the European Commission’s Recovery Plan. This is the minimum the EU should expect. And it must be complemented by an ambitious review of the MFF and new own resources for the EU budget.
“For us, the green economy is a priority. There must be no moratorium on the just transition. This crisis must result in a new type of society and economy, based on sustainably. The Green Deal must be the engine for growth.
“And lastly, the rule of law and democracy. This is fundamental and there can be no negotiations. In this recovery, we must protect and promote our values, inside and outside the EU.”
The livestream was moderated by Karen Kaneza, Co-Chair of the African Diaspora Youth Forum in Europe. It featured contributions from:
- Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal
- Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy
- Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms
- Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament
- Tytti Tuppurainen, Finnish Minister for European Affairs
- Svenja Schulze, German Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
- Ana Mendes Godinho, Portuguese Minister for Labour, Solidarity and Social Security;
- Paul Magnette, Leader of PS Belgium
- Pelle Hilmersson, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
- Ann Pettifor, Director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics at PRIME
- Damon Silvers, Policy Director of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
- Xavier Timbeau, Principal Director of the Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques at SciencePo.
The livesteam was broadcast simultaneously, and available to rewatch, in English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.
Further #PESTalks livestreams are planned for the future.