The European elections will be a face-off between those who push for a Europe that champions equal rights and environmentalism and those who question fundamental rights and hold positions contrary to the EU in the run-up to the European elections in June, warned Spanish Employment Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz on Thursday.
“Two models of Europe are at stake here: the Europe of workers, of women, the Europe of environmentalism, the green Europe, the Europe of the future, of hope. Or a Europe that questions fundamental rights, openly defends sexism and positions contrary to the very heart of the Union”, Díaz stressed, Euractiv’s partner EFE reported.
Europe “must be more social than ever”, said Díaz on her arrival at the meeting of EU Employment Ministers in Namur, Belgium.
“If not, the positions of scepticism and disaffection will surely advance”, the leader of the left-wing platform Sumar warned.
“We will work to ensure that social Europe moves forward and that the next European elections, of course, are for the common good, for hope, for feminism, for environmentalism and a better life”, she added, recalling the opportunity for EU citizens to change Europe’s political direction with their votes.
The Namur meeting is the first informal gathering of ministers of Belgium’s six-month rotating Council presidency, which began on 1 January and will run until the end of June this year.
Díaz also commented on Wednesday’s failed vote in parliament on the reform of unemployment benefits, which, among other issues, was to increase the monthly unemployment benefit in Spain from € 480 to € 570, and which did not go ahead due to the opposition of the five MPs of the left-wing Podemos party, a former ally of the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE/S&D) and now at loggerheads with Sumar.
Díaz announced that on Friday, she would “immediately convene the social partners” to work with them on reforming this subsidy and try to push it through.
Spain’s main trade unions, UGT and CCOO, have opposed some aspects of the reform, approved in the last week of December, and have criticised the fact that these changes were not addressed in the framework of social dialogue.
(Julio Gálvez | EFE, Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.Euractiv.es)
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Source: euractiv.com
