Quote of the week by S&D president, Iratxe García Pérez, on a fairer and more sustainable society
“As Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, we are working daily on legislation that serves our citizens, but as a political family we also constantly need to look ahead to respond to future challenges. That is why we are devising a thorough strategy to make progress in a co-ordinated way in all policy areas. We need a global vision translated into very concrete proposals in order to move towards a fairer and more sustainable society, based on solidarity. We want to overcome the logic of economic growth to put people at the centre of our political action.”
NEXT WEEK
Get ready for a full week! The plenary session in Brussels, events and important announcements regarding upcoming events. Stay tuned!
Next week, on 10 - 11 November, we’ll be holding a Plenary session here, in Brussels. In the mini-plenary on Wednesday, MEPs will debate EU proposals to end abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing critical public voices and suppressing media freedom. Tiemo Wölken is the rapporteur for the legal affairs committee and Łukasz Kohut is the shadow rapporteur for the civil liberties committee.
On Wednesday, MEPs will also endorse new rules on public country-by-country reporting by big multinationals. In June, S&D MEPs and Parliament negotiators Evelyn Regner and Ibán García del Blanco closed the successful deal on meaningful financial transparency to oblige multinationals to publicly disclose where they make their profits and where they pay their taxes.
On Thursday 11 November, MEPs will vote for the European Asylum Agency. Led by S&D MEP Elena Yoncheva, the creation of the new agency marks a first step towards meaningful solidarity in the EU’s common asylum policy and will lead to more effective asylum procedures and stronger protection of fundamental rights.
Our members in the employment and social affairs committee will also hold a vote on minimum wages. Agnes Jongerius is co-rapporteur on this important file, leading the fight for equality on the labour market.
Ahead of the Plenary, on Tuesday, our group will hold a special event to present the new S&D position paper on Gender Equality and Women’s Rights. Despite some important efforts, the progress for gender equality and women’s rights in the EU is going far too slowly. Our paper calls for concretes measures in 10 thematic priorities: breaking stereotypes; fighting for women’s rights to decide over their own bodies; ending all forms of violence; ensuring women’s equal representation in decision making; enhancing their economic independence; tackling gender bias in taxation; prioritising gender equality in digital and green transitions and in foreign policy; and the consequent use of gender mainstreaming and budgeting will break patriarchal structures and set people free. Join our president Iratxe García, and the team behind the position paper, to learn more at 12:30.
On Friday, 12 November, our Progressive Society Report The Great Shift will be politically launched in Paris, in the presence of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spanish Minister for an ecological transition Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, and PES president Sergei Stanishev. This event will be the kick-start for turning ground-breaking new thinking into political action to build a sustainable and fair future for all.
UPCOMING EVENT
We’re almost ready for the most ambitious event of the fall! On 17 - 18 - 19 November we’ll be hosting a marathon of workshops and debates with high-level speakers as the Global Progressive Forum 2021 kicks off. Check out the GPF site for the updated programme and the entire list of confirmed speakers.
This weekend marks the end of this year’s UN Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. A delegation of our MEPs was present, to stand up for our commitments on addressing the climate emergency, while making sure that it’s not the people who foot the bill. Follow us on Twitter for reactions as the climate event of the year draws to a conclusion.
And don’t forget to stay updated on all our initiatives and reactions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
