The S&D Group together with its progressive partners will organise its next #EuropeTogether conference this Friday, 15 March 2019, in Leipzig in Germany. The topic to be discussed is ‘We need to be Digital, Successful and Social. How do we get there?’

The event will be open to the public and will involve various speakers, including S&D Group president Udo Bullmann, German Justice Minister, Katarina Barley, S&D MEP Constanze Krehl, and other German and European politicians, entrepreneurs, NGOs, academics and youth representatives. The interactive conference is open to the press and will also be webstreamed under the following link.

The full programme of the event is accessible here.

Commenting on the upcoming event, S&D Group president Udo Bullmann said:

“Today we live in a fully digital world and this brings many opportunities with it. We have to embrace these opportunities and make sure that we fully exploit the potential which digitisation brings. Yet at the same time, we must ensure that the digital revolution does not only benefit some. We have to fight against the dominance of tech giants, against tech companies not paying their taxes and ensure that the digitisation reaches everyone. A digital divide is not an option. Tomorrow´s technological world must be inclusive and benefit the many, not the few!”

S&D MEP Constanze Krehl added:

“As Socialists and Democrats, we want to shape our digital future in a fair way. Especially in rural areas, digital infrastructure needs to be developed so that local industry can benefit from 5G technology as well. Investing in innovation and fast internet connection in all regions of Europe is an investment in our common future and social equality. The future of work is digital - we must ensure fair working conditions, especially for those working with online platforms. To prepare our citizens for this rapidly changing working environment and the required skills, digital education should be tackled on a European level. We can work better together to make sure digitisation becomes an opportunity for the EU and its citizens.” 

#EuropeTogether is an initiative of the S&D Group in the European Parliament to bring citizens closer to Europe. It brings together politicians, universities, civil society representatives and citizens to debate and propose new ideas for the future of Europe. 

Tomorrow evening, on Thursday, 14 March, the S&D Group will start with a #GoLocal event ‘Our Road to a Social Europe’ to discuss with young people about the steps and policies that we need to reach our goal of building a Europe of solidarity for the many. 

MEPs involved
Coordinator
Germany
S&D press contact