Porto Social Summit: A New Paradigm for SGI at the heart of Social Europe

On Friday 7 May, Pascal Bolo, President, Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary, and Luis Natal Marques, President of SGI Europe - Portugal, represented SGI Europe at the Social Summit in Porto, organised by the Portuguese presidency of the EU.

Taking the floor during the high-level closing session with EU social partners, President Pascal Bolo said:

“Services of general interest are key actors of social Europe. The current challenges require an ambitious implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, based on a new paradigm recognising productive investments in "essential" services as levers for an inclusive recovery, as well as a new impetus for national labor market reforms based on social dialogue.”

“We call on Member States to approve the three new ambitious targets on employment, vocational training and the fight against poverty put forward in from the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. These must become the beacons of new investments and must be accompanied by new quantitative targets on access to quality services of general interest.”

“Beyond, we believe that it is also time to question the EU economic governance, distinguishing ‘good debt’ for education, research and infrastructure from ‘bad debt’ financing current expenditure.
We need to place this reflection at the heart of the debate on the future of Europe, whilst looking at ways to measure growth beyond GDP. Social and political sustainability, with indicators pointing to the quality of our societies’ social fabric, should be accounted for as strategic elements when attempting to build back better.”

Commenting the Porto Social Commitment signed by the leaders of EU institutions and social partners, General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti said:

“SGI Europe welcomes the commitment of the Portuguese presidency of the EU and of the EU leaders to reinforce the social dimension of the EU project. Social partners have a central role to play in this process, and the joint declaration signed today should pave the way to bring to life the European Pillar of Social Rights. SGI Europe is committed to work together with institutions to that aim and calls on Heads of state and of Government to be ambitious and recognise the role of social partners to deliver a Social Europe in their joint statement on the 8^th of May.”

You can find here the full speeches from SGI Europe speakers during the Social Summit.