Quote of the week
Raif Badawi is a world symbol for freedom of speech. As Sakharov Laureate he speaks out loudly again for all those that are forced to stay silent by oppressive regimes all over the world. It is our wish now that this Prize helps Raif and his family. We once again call on Saudi authorities for the immediate and unconditional release of Raif so he can reunite with his loved ones. - Elena Valenciano, 29/10/2015
Events
It's been a full week in Strasbourg, but our job is not done yet. This weekend is a busy one for our Group's President, who has already started his visit in Lebanon. The Western Balkans is also on our agenda for next week, so stay tuned to socialistsanddemocrats.eu for more details!
Lebanon is one of the hottest spots on the planet right now. The conflict in Syria has added more than one million refugees to the already incoming Palestinians searching for safe heaven. A delegation headed by Group leader Gianni Pittella is already on the spot, and during the following days will be meeting local authorities, volunteers and NGOs in order to see what more we can do to help.
We're already active online with our #EUwakeUP campaign. Check our social media updates using the hashtag and join this ongoing debate!
Our President is also traveling to those regions that need our help in implementing EU policies. To show our support of its European integration, our Group leader will, therefore, be on mission to the Western Balkans from the 2nd until the 6th of November. He will be meeting with local and regional authorities, but he will also be engaged in debates with local media and NGOs on topics such as media freedom, the refugee crisis and the rule of law.
Inside the EP we've got important issues on our hands. We're in the middle of the EU Budget negotiations. For the next three weeks we're debating with the Council until the 18th of November. Our priorities include getting sufficient resources to tackle the refugee crisis and having enough money to go to research and infrastructure, so that we can create the jobs and industries we need in the 21st Century.
Check out a colourful overview of our week in Strasbourg on our Instagram account!