Debate: La Hulpe declaration on the future of social Europe
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Nicolas Schmit
Language: EN

So, I know that the declaration is, by itself, not yet an achievement. We have now to develop and that has to happen now. The political will, as it has existed during this mandate and during this legislature, we have to develop the political will to put the declaration and the different objectives into concrete policies. That’s what we have to do. And I think that the fact that we have the La Hulpe Declaration, that the Belgian Presidency managed, and it was not so easy we have to say it, to manage to have such a declaration and to describe or to open this kind of roadmap for strengthening further social Europe is an achievement, which we have now during the next mandate to give a concrete direction, a concrete content. And there are many issues you have mentioned a lot, and I also regret that this declaration could not be signed, was not signed by an important so-called social partner. I really regret that. And they have really to reflect about their own role in building Europe, not just social Europe, but Europe, and social is part of Europe. I also regret that two Member States just did not sign. This is also some kind of a regrettable but also negative attitude. But well, that was their decision. But now we have this declaration and I think we can build on it. Now I have to say it, I am really shocked by those who attack Europe, attacked social Europe and, by the way, out themselves as the friends of Putin. They are not the friends of European citizens. They are not the friends of working people who need a strong social Europe. They are the enemies of working people, as they have shown in many of their votes, because they always voted against social progress which was achieved in this House. And this has to be said and this has to be known outside. Now, on the few remarks on the declaration, I think many issues have to be treated. Yes, housing is a big issue everywhere, and that’s why Europe has to become more active on the housing policy and support the idea of affordability and accessibility of houses all over Europe for people, for youngsters, as it has been said. Yes, we have to make clear that the future governance in Europe does not leave social aside. And again, this is a question of politics, of political will. And we have to make sure that what has been decided, nevertheless, the social component in the future governance has not, should not and will not be abandoned or neglected. My last word, I would like to insist on public procurement. I was very positively surprised by the fact that four groups in this Parliament, with all the differences, managed to adopt a clear declaration, and alliance even, to say public procurement is so important, there’s so much money going through that we really have to review and strengthen public procurement with a stronger social dimension. Well, I can only congratulate those four groups who have done that. And I just also to finish want to mention that here, perhaps the wording of the La Hulpe Declaration is quite cautious, but there is a wording on an eventual evaluation and also further steps are there. And we know when the wording is there and the political will comes, it’s possible to make change real.