Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats
Yesterday the S&D Group organised a meeting with the Socialist and Democratic Group Leaders of the national parliaments from all over Europe in Brussels. The meeting was chaired by Hannes Swoboda, S&D Group President.
During the meeting S&D President Swoboda and Mogens Jensen, Chair of the Socialists in the Danish Parliament, agreed with the other participating leaders on new initiatives for sustainable growth, jobs and social protection.
The group leaders agreed to use the discussion and decision of the Fiscal Pact to demand from their governments respective measures on the national but especially on the European level including tax measures such as the Financial Transaction Tax or measures against tax evasion and tax fraud.
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting Hannes Swoboda said:
"There was a clear agreement on the need for fiscal responsibility and discipline. But at the same time there was a rejection of the Conservative project to get balanced budgets in the short term by mere austerity measures.
"The austerity policies often do not reach the aim of balancing budgets and endanger the welfare state. We need a package of measures which combine growth, a "greening" of our economies and sustainable social protection".
With regard to the Fiscal Pact, Mogens Jensen, Chair of the Socialists in the Danish Parliament, added:
”The problem with the Fiscal Pact is that some see it as the complete answer to the current crisis. It is only part of the answer. We are letting young people of Europe down if we do not make a strong effort to combine fiscal responsibility with measures to reignite Europe’s growth.”
With regard to a debate about the EU budget, Sergei Stanishev, President of the Party of European Socialists, who also attended the meeting, concluded:
“We must remember why we need the European budget: to promote solidarity and cohesion. We must ensure there is progressive political vision underpinning the next financial framework”.
S&D Press contact: Utta Tuttlies
Head of Press and Communications
Spokesperson of the Group Leader
+ 32 2 284 37 44
+ 33 3 88 17 29 98
+ 32 495 19 26 67
Contact
SWOBODA Johannes (Hannes)
+ 33 3 88 17 57 16
+ 33 3 88 17 97 16
+ 32 2 284 57 16
+ 32 2 284 97 16
hannes.swoboda@europarl.europa.eu
+ 33 3 88 17 57 16
+ 33 3 88 17 97 16
+ 32 2 284 57 16
+ 32 2 284 97 16
hannes.swoboda@europarl.europa.eu
Associated media
S&D Group Leaders of National call for action to strengthen European welfare state. Hannes Swoboda said: 'There was a clear agreement on the need for fiscal responsibility and discipline. But at the same time there was a rejection of the Conservative project to get balanced budgets in the short term by mere austerity measures'
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