Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 21 October 2020 - Brussels

Economic policies of the euro area 2020 - Employment and social policies of the euro area 2020 (debate)

  Marc Angel (S&D). – Madam President, the past financial crisis and the answer the EU has given show how cuts in public services had a negative impact on our economic, environmental and social recovery. No progress in poverty reduction and social inclusion shows that many of our social welfare systems are not robust and resilient enough to absorb social shocks during a crisis and also transition. This is why we Socialists and Democrats urge Member States to stop considering public services as a cost but, on the contrary, as an investment to guarantee a decent life for all of us in the Union. And a decent life means wellbeing that includes access to quality education and jobs, as well as social security, healthcare, housing, justice and social services, and also especially for vulnerable groups.

To achieve this, it’s important to change the mind-set of many EU leaders and to come forward with a model that puts social and environmental challenges on an equal footing with economic ones. This is the only way to align our EU policies with the three dimensions of the SDGs and to avoid a lost generation. If we want our next generation in Europe to be strong and resilient, we must invest in their future and therefore must consider Child Guarantee and Youth Guarantee amongst the most precious instruments we have.

Dear colleagues, Child Guarantee and Youth Guarantee can only be successful if we allocate sufficient financial means and if we are able to show creativity when it comes to shaping them and implementing them. Let me finish by thanking Ms Dobrev and Mr Schuster and the shadows for their excellent reports.