On the occasion of the visit of Pope Francis to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, S&D Group president Gianni Pittella stated:

"This was a message of truth which must wake up Europe. A historic moment of reflection on the values that should enrich Europe. It was a speech which also had some tough and severe messages aimed at waking up Europe to its original and most important mission: putting human dignity and fundamental rights at the centre of its actions.

"Europe is only faithful to its mission if it doesn't focus just on the economy but also on human beings.

"Europe is only faithful to its mission if it fights strongly against discrimination, against unemployment, against fundamentalism and extremism – and against those that allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery.

"Europe is only faithful to its mission if it wakes up from this malaise of loneliness and indifference, and offers an alternative path to selfishness and to blind consumerism.

"Europe - and we thank the Pope for reminding us of this - is Europe if it is based on solidarity, peace and humanism. The S&D Group values the words and the highly moral stance shown by Pope Francis."