20
May
2026
Watch
Recent proposals to fight poverty in the EU (debate)
Madam President, Madam Executive Vice-President, today I want to talk to you about António. The name is fictitious, but I assure you that the person is real. A few years ago, when I was mayor, Antonio approached me desperately: alone, raising two children, one of them with a deep disability, the other still a child. António did not know if he would be able to keep his job, because he had to take care of his son, given the lack of a care network. What would happen to him then? What would happen to your children? Across Europe, millions of people with disabilities and their families live in distress in or close to poverty and exclusion. The European anti-poverty strategy is a good first step, but it will be of little use if the proposal to reduce the European Social Fund is taken forward. The millions of Antonios throughout Europe do not need words, but concrete actions. Supporting people with disabilities, like all combating poverty, is not an option – it is an obligation.