20
May
2026
Watch
Recent proposals to fight poverty in the EU (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, poverty in Europe is no longer a marginal emergency, it is becoming an ever deeper, more visible and more violent social fracture. In Italy almost 6 million people live in absolute poverty. But poverty is not a fatality, it is not an accident of history, it is the precise result of an economic and political model called capitalism: As long as governments continue to serve the interests of capitalists instead of workers, poverty will continue to grow. We reject this model. Europe must not be a space built to maximise profits, but a space based on social cooperation, dignity and rights. So what are we discussing today? A European strategy to combat poverty without adequate financial cover? That's ridiculous. To really fight poverty, we need economic resources, public investments. We need good wages, affordable housing, welfare, health, public education. We need money, money that, when it comes to rearmament or supporting banks and large companies, is always found. If we really want to fight poverty, we need serious policies for the redistribution of wealth.