20
May
2026
Watch
Recent proposals to fight poverty in the EU (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome the launch of the European strategy against poverty, because it is a necessary act. They finally open their eyes to reality. Because of your neoliberal policies, cuts in social spending and the warmongering choices of the von der Leyen Commission, poverty bites more and more citizens and workers. Let me give the example of Italy, where Istat numbers are lapidary: more than 5.7 million people live in absolute poverty, almost 10% of the population, with one in seven children deprived of the future. There are 2.6 million workers who, despite having a contract, are considered poor. In the face of this catastrophe, the antisocial response of the Italian government of Giorgia Meloni was to dismantle welfare and citizenship income. Lack of funds? That's not true, because there's money. It is unacceptable that, while cutting the welfare state, you give billions to the lords of arms and war industries. I want to remember that poverty does not arise from the scarcity of wealth, but from its confiscation. The need for many is the speculative fortune of a few. Europe must now decide which side to stand on.