Meeting ahead of today’s General Affairs Council, PES EU Ministers called for European unity in the face of major challenges that affect all European citizens and that will continue to have an impact in the years to come. Russia’s appalling and illegal war of aggression on Ukraine affects the European Continent as a whole. Challenges include rising inflation and high energy prices.
This call was reflected in today’s meeting agenda which included a general discussion on the upcoming European Council, a debate on the situation of the rule of law in Hungary in the framework of article 7 TEU procedure and a sharing of views on the Commission’s work programme for 2023.
Chair of the PES Europe Ministers network, Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Tytti Tuppurainen, said:
“The current energy and economic crisis are a great concern where we must stand united. The EU must find ambitious solutions to support workers, families and small and medium-sized enterprises this winter and in the future.
On the economic front, we know that many rules are no longer adequate to the evolving realities around us. European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni has just initiated very important proposals on revising the EU’s economic governance. This is a discussion that the progressive family has supported for years, and it has once again underlined this point in the PES Congress resolution in Berlin.
Most importantly, we must continue to stand firm in the face of Russia’s war of aggression and remain committed to providing further support to ensure that Ukraine regains its freedom and territorial integrity.
We will continue to work for the protection of the rule of law and in today’s discussion with Hungary we expect clear commitments by the Hungarian government on the implementation of the measures agreed with the European Commission in September.”
PES Ministers also congratulated the Danish Social Democratic Party on the election results in Denmark earlier this month, stressing that this was not only a victory for social democratic ideas, but also a victory for democracy on a continent threatened by the rise of anti-democratic movements and the far-right.
The meeting was attended by:
- Tytti Tuppurainen, Chair, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Finland
- Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission – Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight
- Jeppe Kofod, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark
- Tiago Antunes, Secretary of State for the European Union, Portugal
- Marko Štucin, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia
- Pedro Marques, MEP, Vice-President of the S&D Group
- Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General, PES
