It has made this economic success possible. Contrary to what you read in some newspapers, Europe is not lagging behind. Europe is catching up in terms of productivity. Thirdly, economic and social progress have contributed to political stability and cohesion. Social policy is the bedrock upon which the Union's political success is built.
Social policy is a productive factor and a peacekeeping factor.
We should all be proud of these European achievements. They are, in my view, the very best arguments for maintaining and developing the European Social Model. First the shortcomings. We have still 50 million people below the poverty line. We have still 25-30 million people unemployed or discouraged from participating in the labour market.