Tripartite Social Summit: SGI Europe addresses the building blocks for a successful European economy

On Wednesday 25 October 2023, Pascal Bolo, SGI Europe President, and Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary, addressed the Tripartite Social Summit in the presence of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain.

Taking the floor in the opening round, Pascal Bolo, SGI Europe President, said:

"The year ahead of us is a pivotal one. With the EU elections approaching, we must, more than ever, demonstrate that Europe works in the interests of both workers and enterprises. In an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, a united and strong Europe has never been more necessary, and must rely on key fundamentals: an economic governance that avoids mistakes of the past and prepares for the future, a legislative environment adapted to the challenges of the environmental transition and supports the development of SGIs and strong social dialogue in all Member States.”

“While controlling debt and deficits, removing barriers to countercyclical public investment must be a priority to address the investment challenges facing SGIs. We call for improving the coherence and relevance of our common action beyond the crisis response, including through the creation of EU Public Goods in key strategic sectors.”

“SGI Europe also calls on the European Commission to propose a "Blue Deal" to safeguard water, one of our most precious assets. Without an adequate and sufficient water supply, the reindustrialisation of the EU will be hampered.”

In the moderated discussion, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, emphasised the key role of social partners and social dialogue, including in the enlargement process:

“SGI Europe calls for EU leaders to better include social dialogue in the enlargement process, and make clear that efforts are needed by EU candidate countries to be a part of the European social dialogue. We believe that a dedicated Social Partner Summit, with the Ukrainian social partners, should be held ahead of the upcoming EU-Ukraine Summit.”