Quote of the week by President Iratxe García Pérez:
“The problem is that far-right populism undermines institutions. They use democracy to weaken freedoms and rights. When they enter the institutions, they use them for their sectarian interests. They are the friends of Trumpists in the US, who do not accept an electoral result when they lose. They are the friends of Putin, who violates human rights and promotes anti-system movements in Europe.”
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The third edition of the European Gender Equality Week will take place on 24-30 October, 2022 in the European Parliament and a series of other institutions. Here you can find more details on the scheduled events. On Monday, during a break of the EIGE Forum, the European Commission will host a lunchtime discussion on cyber violence from 12:20 to 13:30 in the European Parliament (József Antall (JAN) building, room 2Q2). After opening remarks by European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli and vice-President of the European Parliament, Evelyn Regner, you will be able to join a debate which will start by viewing extracts from the award-winning documentary #SalePute. Florence Hainaut, one of the journalists behind the film, will be present to share her views and hold a discussion with MEPs, staff, and civil society. Registration is open here.
Next Tuesday, we would like to invite you to follow our next Global Progressive Forum (GPF) webinar on the state of democracy in the Western Balkans. Our two MEPs, GPF chair Andreas Schieder and Thijs Reuten, will be joined by Former Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, and Balkan Insight’s Marija Ristić (tbc). The event will be streamed live on our site and on Facebook.
Starting from 29 October up to 2 November, our MEPs will be on mission to Mozambique, with the ACP-EU JPA. The Joint Parliamentary Assembly among the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries and the European Union (ACP-EU JPA) is the only multilateral institution putting together different continents’ lawmakers to face common and global challenges such as food security, fight against terrorism, and climate change. Our Group will be represented by Carlos Zorrinho (ACP-EU Co-President) and 10 other members of the European Parliament. Follow us on Twitter for updates.
On Tuesday, a special attention goes to the public hearing on the Uber Files scandal, organised by the European Parliament’s employment committee. Ever since the unprecedented revelations of Uber’s abusive practices, we have been insisting that platform workers must be considered employees with all applicable rights. Ensuring the protection of all workers in the digital era is one of the biggest challenges of our time.
In the committee on budgets meeting on Wednesday, 26 October, we will insist to put an end to the plan to exchange an existing building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg for a new one. First, we don’t need this exchange, and second, and perhaps most important, it will not be for free, contrary to what the EPP and the proponents of the project say. Our negotiator on the matter, Nils Ušakovs, and our Group in the European Parliament committee on budgets will continue to fight against this absurd idea.
Also on Wednesday, 26 October, our Vice-President Biljana Borzan will present her report to her colleagues in the European Parliament committee on the internal market and consumer protection. This legislative file deals with empowering consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair practices and better information.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the Parliament’s special committee on Covid-19 will exchange views with ministers from the Global South. They will focus on efforts to ensure equitable access to vaccines. The S&Ds have been leading the calls to lift the patents for Covid-19 vaccines in the form of a temporary Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). We demand a clear commitment to finalise the negotiations concerning the scope of the TRIPS waiver by the December deadline.
On Thursday, we will closely follow the European Central Bank meeting in Frankfurt, from where we expect a further increase of key interest rates in yet another attempt to tame record high costs of living.
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And save the date! On November 8 we will host an important event on tackling forced labour in our global supply chains. We have long been fighting to ban products made with forced labour from entering the European market. Finally, the Commission has answered our call and proposed a law. Join our event to discuss chilling forced labour cases and assess future laws with key S&D MEPs, experts and activists, including Adrian Zenz, the academic behind the ‘Xinjiang Police Files’ on China’s abuse of Uighurs.
