15
Jan
2024
Watch
Commemoration of Jacques Delors
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, this moment of commemoration is an opportunity to look back on the decisions taken during the whole period when Jacques Delors chaired the European Commission between 1985 and 1995, because these decisions shape the architecture of today's Europe. Jacques Delors, like the great majority of the political leaders of the time, believed that the relaunch of European integration must go first and foremost through the deepening of market logics and that, of course, social was important, but that social harmonisation would naturally happen once allegiance was made to the dogma of competition. Instead of social Europe, we were entitled to a brutal Europe, a Europe that hurts: austerity, free trade, single act and single thought, Maastricht, ever more sacrosanct competition, relocations in turmoil. Experience has shown us that social has not arisen spontaneously from the market and that, if we want social in Europe, we need political will, we need concrete decisions in this area. But then, some, among the most fervent defenders of liberalism, panic as soon as they find themselves faced with a European text that could improve the lives of workers. They are also the same people who claim to be the heirs of Jacques Delors in the desire to relaunch a European construction and who stand in the way of texts that improve the lives of workers at European level. To put it clearly, I rage to hear leaders like Emmanuel Macron position himself on the national scene as a great defender of a Europe that protects and at the same time to see this same Emmanuel Macron, here, at the European level, working hard to bring down a directive that should give some rights to platform workers, all in order not to offend Uber's interests. In a few months the European elections will take place. Believe me, we are going to make sure that European citizens know that those who boast of being the most pro-Europe are actually those who are blocking advances that could improve the lives of millions of Europeans. To the most zealous defenders of European integration, I say: By taking up the dogmas of brutal Europe, you will achieve European destruction.