Speeches

Mr President, President of the Commission, colleagues, as you mentioned in your speech, today not only Europe but the whole world is still fighting the consequences of the pandemic and this fight is not over. This pandemic has completely changed our lives, and it is a pity, but for the majority it is only for the worse. The pandemic has highlighted structural problems in the EU and the Member States, especially in the social field. The pandemic hit those with lower incomes, simpler and unstable jobs hardest and hardest. These people were left without income and without any guarantees for the future. There are also workers in the healthcare sector who have saved lives and who are unfortunately among the lowest earners. Yes, we must now concentrate and effectively revitalise the economies of the Member States, but this recovery cannot come at the expense of the people. We must ensure that this is a socially oriented and sustainable recovery in which people are at the centre, guaranteeing decent wages that allow them to live in dignity and take care of their families. We must pull children out of the cycle of poverty and social exclusion. This pandemic has exacerbated child poverty and exclusion, and distance education during lockdowns has not ensured access to continuous education for children living in poverty. So there is a lot of work ahead of us, and I very much hope for understanding and, above all, action from the Commission.

President, Dear Vice-President of the Commission, colleagues. Subcontracting chains and intermediaries must not become a means of circumventing workers' rights and exploiting workers. Today, however, too often we see the opposite picture: lower wages, precarious working conditions and the exploitation of workers. This is a matter of social justice. When responsibility is spread over too long subcontracting chains, workers are left without real protection, while responsible employers face unfair competition. This report makes it clear: The European Union must ensure that workers’ rights apply to everyone, regardless of the number of intermediaries between the worker and the ultimate employer. Joint responsibility throughout the subcontracting chain, more transparency and effective control are needed. And we must achieve this by creating a legal framework at EU level.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President of the Commission, colleagues. More than 90 million people, including 20 million children, are at risk of poverty and social exclusion in Europe. And these are not statistics. This is a sign of political failure. If we want a true social Europe, we need an ambitious and coordinated EU poverty strategy. Strategies to guarantee a decent minimum income, combat in-work poverty and ensure access to housing, healthcare, education and social services. It is particularly important to end the intergenerational transmission of poverty. The European Child Guarantee must therefore not be a symbolic commitment, but a genuinely funded instrument. And there is certainly a need to allocate EUR 20 billion to the implementation of the Child Guarantee. I therefore call on the Commission, the Member States to invest in people and to ensure that economic growth is fairly distributed.