Quote of the week by Agnes Jongerius:
“The new European law on adequate minimum wages will boost wages across Europe. Today, many workers struggle to make ends meet: shop assistants, parcel deliverers and distribution workers keep our societies afloat. Even though they work a tough 40-hour week they are unable to pay for exploding grocery bills and energy prices.
By setting the standards for adequate national minimum wages, the new European law will tackle the scandal of the working poor. Together we are stronger. Collective labour agreements with good working conditions are the best tool to combat in-work poverty.”
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Next week, our President Iratxe García will head a mission to Palestine and Israel. From 12 to 16 June, S&D MEPs will be meeting leading politicians in Ramallah and Jerusalem, as well as civil society representatives from Israel and Palestine. During their visit, they will meet Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, together with other representatives of the Palestinian Authority. They will also meet Tony Abu Akleh, the brother of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian journalist recently killed in Jenin. The MEPs will visit the Aida refugee camp as well as Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills, where over a thousand Palestinians are facing the demolition of their homes and displacement by the Israeli army. In Jerusalem, they will hold meetings with members of the Israeli government and progressive Israeli leaders.
Iratxe Garcia will be joined by vice-president Pedro Marques and our members Evin Incir and Elena Yoncheva. Details here.
On June 15 we will be co-hosting a new Global Progressive Forum debate entitled A New World Order – What does the Global South want? Join us live on www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu from 14:30 to 15:30 CET as our MEPs Andreas Schieder and Kathleen Van Brempt engage in a discussion with specialists from across the globe.
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Committee work is underway as well next week. On Tuesday 14 June, members in the committees on environment and economy will cast their votes on whether fossil gas and nuclear should be defined as sustainable energy through the taxonomy classification. The S&Ds joined a cross-party coalition in the European Parliament against this proposal, as it would increase our dependence on Russian gas and give more power to Putin.
Also on Tuesday morning the Pegasus committee will have a hearing on Big Tech and spyware, with Meta and Apple representatives joining, among others.
On Wednesday 15 June, we stand ready to react on the European Commission’s follow-up on our call for a EU Convention on revising the EU Treaties to wrap-up the work started with the Conference on the Future of Europe. Our Group is also continuing its consultation with citizens online on our #Progressives4Europe debate platform.
On the same day, members in the committees on gender equality and civil liberties will hold a joint meeting on the EU anti-trafficking plan to protect people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
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