Building ‘Social Europe’ is Needed More Than Ever After COVID-19

He explained that the two-day Porto Social Summit, part of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council that's due to end on June 30, was an opportunity to give renewed political impetus to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its Action Plan, which was launched in 2017 to ensure the bloc's economic freedoms are framed by strong social policies to achieve fair competition, social cohesion and improvements in the living standards of all EU citizens.

The new momentum for Social Europe will come from the EU's giant 750-billion-euro coronavirus recovery project, dubbed NextGenerationEU, which looks to rebuild member states' economies post-pandemic in a way that makes them more sustainable, resilient, and better prepared for green and digital transitions.

"The extraordinary resources are a chance that cannot be missed to progress towards a better implementation of the necessary reforms at the national level in line with Social Pillar principles and goals… to deliver an inclusive, sustainable, socially-just recovery, where jobs are decent, work pays, and people can live fulfilled lives," Sadowski said. "If the EU says it is committed to recovery, well, now is the time to commit to social investment and upward social convergence."

And those who advocate for merely a voluntary approach to social issues "will directly fail those 88 per cent of Europeans who consider Social Europe to be so important," he added. "With nine in ten Europeans stating that Social Europe is a top priority for them, it is high time for the social agenda to be dealt with at the highest level of EU decision-making."

Demonstration by the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP-IN) during the Social Summit, organised by the Portuguese...