Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today we are voting on a fundamental act on the use of the European Trust Funds and the Refugee Fund in countries such as Central Africa, Syria and Turkey. We are talking about the relationship between Europe and migration flows, between Europe and rights, between Europe and reception. So, if we talk at the bottom of rights and democracy, let's say loudly that we can no longer accept blackmail from countries like Turkey or recently Belarus, which use migrants as goods or as beasts to be moved or transferred here or there according to their national interests. Let us say loudly that we cannot accept that the countries receiving the funds use Europe as an ATM, which is not optional to respect people's fundamental rights. We say strongly that we cannot accept that the goals of development, employment and education are subject to logic of power and the horrendous exploitation of human beings. And we say strongly that we cannot accept that European funds finance the Libyan coast guard, perhaps to bring hundreds of migrants back to the port of Tripoli and send them to detention centers where contempt for human life reigns. As Socialists and Democrats we call for the establishment of an independent monitoring mechanism to monitor the destination of these funds. Parliament cannot be cut off! The rights are not for sale, "les droits ne sont pas à vendre": Ursula von der Leyen said it, let's say it too!

Mr President, platform workers represent maybe the newest form of work of the new millennium. Their numbers have increased with no bounds. Let me say that we are not afraid of innovations. We are not afraid of these disturbing and dystonic times in which you click a button and a arrives directly in your kitchen. We are not afraid even of flexibility – if it is a good thing. But innovations and transformations in the labour market have to move forward with social protection – the safeguarding of the dignity and safety of workers. Social rights are, at the very end of the day, human rights. We have been ambitious here. There is a three—step revolution going on. The rebuttable presumption of the employment relationship – if you have an obligation as an employee, you must have a right as an employee. There is no third way. We have put the burden and charge of solving eventual court conflicts between a platform and workers on the shoulders of platforms, of employers. Finally, transparency and clear information coming from algorithms. We do not want to see any more shameful salaries in what we call a ‘democratic Europe’. We don’t want to see new forms of slavery in what we call a ‘social Europe’. We don’t want to see forms of labour force exploitation and abuse in what we call a ‘fair Europe’. We do not ask much. We ask simply for a good balance between rights and duties, between economic growth and social compensation. We ask to build a new social, progressive, compassionate Europe.