“This week, the European Parliament sent a message of support to Polish women and to the Strajk Kobiet organisation that leads protests throughout Poland: You are not alone. The Socialists and Democrats will continue to fight for your fundamental rights. Our commitment and our solidarity is global, from Argentina to Poland. Together we are unstoppable. We cannot allow our daughters to have fewer rights than our mothers.”

S&D Group leader Iratxe García Pérez 

The S&D Group led a cross-party majority to support Polish women’s rights which are under attack following a de facto ban on the right to abortion in Poland. Watch the Group leader’s speech in plenary.

SPECIAL MEETING WITH PM COSTA

There will be a special meeting between European Parliament political leaders and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa to discuss the upcoming Portuguese Presidency of the Council. At the meeting on Wednesday 2 December, S&D Group leader Iratxe García will highlight the importance of Europe’s social policy with a Porto Agenda that defines binding targets for member states to decrease inequalities.

S&D ONLINE EVENT ON HEALTH UNION

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join S&D Group leader Iratxe García for an online event on a Strong and Inclusive European Health Union.

The first panel on How to improve European co-ordination and the response to the health crisis will be opened by Heléne Fritzon MEP, S&D Group vice-president, and include a discussion with Salvador Illa Roca, health minister of Spain, Roberto Speranza, health minister of Italy and Lena Hallengren, health minister of Sweden.

The second panel on What we want from an EU Health Union will be opened by Jytte Guteland MEP, S&D ENVI Co-ordinator. There will also be contributions from Kaisa Immonen, Director of Policy at the European Patients’ Forum (EPF), Jan Willem Goudriaan, General Secretary of the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), Marta Branca, Vice-Secretary General of the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM), Prof. Dr. Frank Ulrich Montgomery, President of the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) and John F. Ryan, Director of Public Health, European Commission. The event will be moderated by Jennifer Baker, EU Policy Journalist.

The event takes place on Tuesday 1 December, from 3pm-5pm and will be webstreamed on the S&D website between. You can read the full programme here.

NEXT WEEK

On Monday 30 November, civil liberties, justice and home affairs MEPs will discuss the Article 7 procedure and the situation of rule of law with representatives from Hungary and Poland, as well as representatives of the Germany Presidency and Commissioner Didier Reynders. On Tuesday, Members will question the Frontex director on allegations of involvement in pushbacks at Europe’s external borders.

On Monday, there will also be a Schengen Forum to discuss the rules and future of the Schengen area. S&D LIBE Chair, Juan Fernando López Aguílar, and Chair of the Schengen Scrutiny Group, S&D MEP Tanja Fajon, will represent the European Parliament at the meeting with home affairs ministers and the Commission.

On Monday, we will be following the final efforts in trilogue negotiations to find an agreement on the European Defence Fund, with Patrizia Toia MEP representing the S&D Group’s position.

On Tuesday 1 December, the subcommittee on tax matters will be discussing harmful tax practices and how they distort competition in the EU. For the S&D Group, the aim of the subcommittee is simple: tax justice. Here’s why. 

On Wednesday, the employment and social affairs committee will vote on a report on the Right to disconnect led by S&D MEP Alex Agius Saliba. In the new digital world of work, we need safeguards in the EU to ensure a minimum level of protection for workers.

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