PES President Sergei Stanishev said: “Climate change is the most important challenge of our times, and we need to embrace and manage the transition to a greener economy. Our policy as socialists is to leave no-one behind in this transition, because no-one should suffer from doing the right thing. If we get the transition right, it will not be a story of winners and losers. As he promised during the EU election campaign, Frans Timmermans will work to deliver a European Just Transition Fund, so that the green economy is economically, socially and politically sustainable and so the most affected communities and industries are not left without assistance.”
“We have already seen what Frans can deliver in this field from his work in the Commission on single-use plastics, tackling deforestation and implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We also know what a passionate European he is and how he has courageously championed European values. We are now looking forward to seeing this next chapter in Frans’ European career, starting with the first European Climate Law in the coming months”.
Frans Timmermans, who was the PES Common Candidate in the European elections in 2019, has served for over 30 years as a diplomat and politician. He was Foreign Minister of the Netherlands between 2012 and 2014, and since November 2014 he has served as First Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Relations, the Rule of Law, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and sustainability.
