Prime ministers from the Party of European Socialists called for an urgent action plan to give effect to recent declarations on the European pillar of social rights when they met to prepare common positions for the European Council meeting this afternoon.
 
Socialist and social democrat prime ministers expressed their concern at the lack of a social dimension to the planned discussions at the EU summit later today.
 
PES president Sergei Stanishev, chairing the meeting, said:
 

“After our long campaign, the European Commission has finally made a step in the right direction by proposing a European pillar of social rights. But so far it has very little content and no legal weight.
 
“We are determined to complement this proposal with a real plan for immediate action. That’s why we are disappointed to see that there is still no mention of Europe’s social issues on the agenda of today’s European Council meeting, despite the urgent need for action. PES will continue to seize every opportunity to promote these issues. We will continue to fight until citizens’ expectations for more jobs, stronger social protections and equal rights are satisfactorily addressed.”

 
Prime ministers also discussed the upcoming Brexit negotiations, and the recent developments and next steps needed to solidify the common European defence and security policy.
 
In attendance at the meeting were:
 

• Sergei Stanishev, PES president (chair)
• Paolo Gentiloni, prime minister of Italy
• Christian Kern, chancellor of Austria
• Stefan Löfven, prime minister of Sweden
• Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta
• Alexis Tsipras, prime minister of Greece (observer)
• Lodewijk Asscher, interim deputy prime minister of the Netherlands
• Fofi Gennimata, leader of PASOK, Greece
• Jean Asselborn, minister for foreign affairs of Luxembourg
• Gianni Pittella MEP, leader of the S&D group in the European Parliament
• Federica Mogherini, high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, European Commission
• Frans Timmermans, vice-president of the European Commission

For more information, please contact Toby Wardman toby.wardman@pes.eu, +32 491 86 97 48