The S&D Group in the European Parliament, the initiative Progressive Society and the Portuguese think tank Res Publica are hosting a conference on the ‘Well-being for all in a sustainable Europe’ next Monday, April 8, in Lisbon.
Along with the leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Udo Bullmann, the speakers at the conference will include Prime Minister António Costa; the mayor of Lisbon Fernando Medina; MEP Pedro Silva Pereira, and former prime minister of Denmark Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.
Bullmann will also meet further representatives from society and politics and visit the ‘Portuguese Association for Victim Support’, an institution that fights for the rights of women in particular, who have experienced violence.
Udo Bullmann said:
“We European progressives have a long term plan for a socio-economic and ecological revolution. We will be presenting it in Lisbon, because the Portuguese government is a clear example of how progressive policies can overcome a crisis unleashed by neo-liberal greed. The progressive government led by Prime Minister António Costa has turned the page on austerity, showing that there are better ways to handle the crisis than the unfair austerity mantra of the Troika.
“We want to reform European economic governance to make sure that people are put at the centre, and governments are not punished for investing in people. This is our common goal for the next term of the European Parliament and the European Commission after the upcoming elections: to put an end to a system that destroys our planet and leaves many people behind.
“António Costa is showing the way. Only last week his government introduced a new measure promoting clean mobility by lowering transportation costs for citizens. It will not only reduce traffic and pollution, but it will also allow families to save, in some cases, up to €100 per month, per person on travel costs.
“The earth demands urgent action, but we cannot ask people to shoulder the costs of the ecological transition while the rich get richer and big companies pay almost zero taxes. Greening our economic model has to go hand in hand with good jobs, social housing, decent wages, child support and fair taxation. We will frame these policies in the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
See the full programme of the conference here.
