Quote of the week by S&D president Iratxe García Pérez on energy security:
“Winter is coming and we cannot accept that millions of EU citizens are condemned to choose between eating or heating. It is an exceptional situation that demands exceptional measures. We must use a broad array of tools to act on different fronts: from reforming the wholesale electricity market to combatting speculation in the CO2 emissions trading scheme (ETS). It is time to secure our energy security by diversifying our sources, providers and routes, together with more energy efficiency.”
THIS WEEK
It’s a wrap for another Plenary session in Strasbourg. Check out our site for the latest press releases and comments.
WHAT'S COMING UP
Today and tomorrow, citizens, MEPs, national representatives and civil society will gather in Strasbourg for the Conference on the Future of Europe. Over the weekend, different working groups on health, democracy and the rule of law will meet ahead of the plenary session and citizens will report back from thematic panel discussions held in recent weeks.
S&D Group resident Iratxe García Pérez is chairing the working group on the economy, social justice and jobs. Today, the S&D Group will also co-host the second Progressive Caucus meeting with the Party of European Socialists ahead of the full plenary on Saturday 23 October. Any journalists present in Strasbourg looking to arrange interviews with S&D MEPs can contact S&D spokesperson Utta Tuttlies. .
To be able to better listen to our citizens, we have launched our own debate platform on the Conference on the Future of Europe. Everyone is invited to login and join the debates they feel most interested in.
On Wednesday, 27th of October at 10h00, our leader Iratxe García will, together with S&D vice-president Eric Andrieu and former Danish Prime Minister and co-chair of the ICSE Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, present the brand-new Progressive Society Report: The Great Shift. 242 policy proposals and 10 game changers are the result of a 22-head strong expert group working together under the leadership of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera, to find solutions on how to overcome today’s meta-crisis and build sustainable well-being societies. This report will - as did its 2018 predecessor - feed into the 2024 election manifesto of European Social Democracy and into the legislative work of the S&D Group in the European Parliament. You are welcome to join us in the European Parliament’s press conference room or follow us online here: socialistsanddemocrats.eu.
Also next week, on Wednesday, S&D MEPs will be calling for new avenues for legal migration to the EU in a vote in the civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee. With labour shortages of all skill-level set to rise across Europe according to demographic trends, the S&D Group wants to see the Commission come forward with proposals that also guarantee decent working conditions and stop exploitation of workers.
As we approach the end of the week, we are getting ready to closely monitor the discussions and expected commitments at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. Check out a video stating our Group’s position.
And don’t forget to stay updated on all our initiatives and reactions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and Spotify.
