Quote of the week by S&D president Iratxe García Pérez, on the rule of law in Poland:
“After yesterday’s ruling by the PiS-controlled Tribunal questioning the primacy of the EU law, we are more worried than ever about the path taken by the PiS government. We call on the European Commission to immediately trigger the new rule of law conditionality mechanism and to open infringement proceedings against Poland for breaching the Treaty.”
WHAT'S COMING UP
After a full plenary session in Strasbourg, this Saturday, our leader Iratxe García Pérez will be in Warsaw, taking part in the Congress of the New Left (Nowa Lewica) party. She will also meet Polish LGBTI organisations and judges fighting to save the rule of law in Poland and attorney Michał Wawrykiewicz, co-founder of the Free Courts Civic Initiative.
On Thursday, our members in the committees on civil liberties and legal affairs will be voting on proposals for legislation on strategic lawsuits against public participation. Widely known as SLAPPs, these are basically tools that big enterprises and public figures use to silence their critics - ranging from journalists to NGOs. S&D MEP Tiemo Wölken is our spokesperson for an ambitious EU-wide SLAPP legislation.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Our group will be hosting three debates as well, next week.
We’re dedicating this Wednesday, 13 October, to providing citizens with a better understanding of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) works and what implications it has on people’s lives. To this end, we’re organising two debates. The first one, titled AI Technological Diversification to Counter Market Concentration, will be hosted by the AIDA committee starting from 13:30, until 16:30. The second debate of the day will start at 17:15 and last until 19:00 and will focus on AI, Automation and Mental Health at Work. Both will be streamed live on our website.
On Thursday, we change topics to discuss an issue that must be dealt with at European, national and local levels: integration of refugees. In the framework of our GPF (Global Progressive Forum) conferences, we will be discussing, alongside S&D Group vice-president Pedro Marques, and GPF president Andreas Schieder, how community sponsorship at local levels can be a useful tool in achieving full integration. We’ll be live on our website and any comments or questions sent on social media will be answered by our speakers. Full list and programme - here.
S&D Facebook talks on the Future of Europe continue next Friday, 15 October at 10:00, on LGBTI+ rights in the EU. You can ask any questions on the #Progressives4Europe platform using the hashtag #Progressives4Europe. We will be speaking to Marc Angel, S&D MEP and co-chair of the Parliament’s LGBTI intergroup in the EU, and Camila Garfias, president of Rainbow Rose, about their work to defend the rights of LGBTI+ people and families in the EU and their ideas for what more needs to be done in the future.
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Since the next plenary session is just one week away, our members will be working on the topics on the agenda - preparations for the next EU Council, the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow and the much-awaited Farm2Fork strategy.
Time for a new podcast next week! With energy prices soaring all over Europe, we’re talking about concrete solutions to help citizens. Stay tuned for the third episode of your new favourite podcast.
Take a Left is the Socialists and Democrats podcast, looking at the challenges facing Europe and what answers social democracy has to offer. Our first episode interviewed S&D MEP Fred Matic and focused on how, despite conservative opposition, we got the Parliament to adopt a very progressive resolution on sexual health and reproductive rights. In the second episode, we looked at the victory of the SPD in the recent German federal elections, speaking with leading German S&D MEPs Jen Geier and Udo Bullman. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or search in any podcasting app. Please subscribe and share the link.
And don’t forget to stay updated on all our initiatives and reactions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and Spotify.
