Following yesterday's Relaunching Europe event on "The digital workplace" in Koblenz, Germany, the S&D Group reiterates its call for an inclusive and social Digital Union.

The event was open to the public and during a debate in the room about concrete measures needed for Europe to face the digital revolution, the event was widely followed via webstreaming and trending high on Twitter under #RelaunchEU. The event was opened with a video message on the Digital Agenda from EP president Martin Schulz.

A video from the event can be downloaded here

Commenting on the outcome of the discussions, Gianni Pittella said:

"The digital revolution is here, in our everyday lives, in our workplace, at home and during our leisure time.

"Access to the internet cannot be yet another fence in Europe dividing people between the haves and have-nots. We must fight increasing inequalities in our societies including the growing digital divide, both in digital skills and access."

Udo Bullmann, head of the German S&D delegation, concluded:

"The great engagement by the audience, both in Koblenz and online, demonstrated once again that digitisation is not an abstract debate about technology held in international capitals by policy-makers. No - it is a very concrete discussion affecting directly the people and their local lives. Questions such as access to infrastructure, education, media literacy and all kinds of e-services matter to the people.

"Digitisation can be an effective modernisation strategy - but only if responsible players in this process play hand in hand. It is our duty to make this happen. We social democrats want to shape the digital change – so that it can enable fair wages and create good jobs for all employees."

Note for editors

Key speakers present at the event included S&D Group president Gianni Pittella, Malu Dreyer, Prime Minister of Rhineland Pfalz, Nicolas Schmit, Luxembourg Minister for Social Affairs and several German S&D MEPs, including Udo Bullmann, head of the S&D German delegation, Jutta Steinruck, Norbert Neuser and Evelyne Gebhardt.

Please see the full programme here

The next Relaunching Europe event will be organised in Porto, Portugal on 29 April 2016. For further information, look at the #RelaunchEU website 

 

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