Europe must urgently address social and economic insecurities

Yesterday’s European Parliament election results are a wake-up call. Years of economic austerity, attacks on good quality jobs, and ever-growing inequalities have left unprecedented marks on people across Europe. Democrats must work together to deliver what Europe needs to tackle the challenges of our times: investment, cohesion and solidarity. Democratic parties must not compromise with the far right and their toxic recipes based on hate and division.

We will now, more than ever reinforce our actions and messages towards policymakers in the weeks ahead in a new, more challenging context.

Judith Kirton-Darling industriAll Europe General Secretary says: “IndustriAll Europe reiterates a very basic fact: there is no national solution to transnational problems. We need European solutions! To do that we need a social, fair and future-proof Europe which delivers concrete solutions for EU citizens wherever they live, that has workers’ rights and good industrial jobs in a democratic Europe at its heart.”

There is no ambiguity: far right parties are no ‘friends of working people’, as they like to introduce themselves. They have voted against major EU actions meant at improving workers’ conditions – be it the Directive on adequate minimum wages or the European law on human rights’ due diligence. Once in power, they attack trade unions and workers’ rights as we have seen in Finland or Hungary.

We will now, more than ever reinforce our actions and messages towards policymakers in the weeks ahead in a new, more challenging, context.
Our message to policymakers, governments, MEPs is clear:

• Don’t work with far right parties – oppose them and their toxic ideas!
• There is a democratic majority in the European Parliament, which means there is no need, or excuse, for backroom deals with any part of the anti-worker far-right. Cooperation with far-right forces in the European Parliament must be rejected.
• The election results make clear that there cannot be a “business as usual” approach. Europe needs to urgently resolve the economic and social insecurity that lies behind growing anger and fear in our society. Europe needs to keep our compass to ensure a Just Transition of workers to a sustainable future of industry in Europe and counter the threat of deindustrialisation.
• All democratic forces must rally behind a project of hope to deliver good industrial jobs and better working and living conditions throughout Europe.
• We call on all MEPs and governments to ensure the inclusion of our 5 demands outlined in the industriAll Europe manifesto for the priorities of the European institutions for the mandate.

Isabelle Barthès industriAll Europe Deputy General Secretary says: 

“Europe must urgently resolve the economic and social insecurities. Politicians must urgently rebuild trust and deliver well paid and sustainable industrial jobs for all. We call for a just transition for ALL where workers have a real say and no country or region is left behind.”