Speaking at the Congress L’Europa che Vogliamo, hosted by Partito Democratico on 15 and 16 December 2023 in Rome, S&D leader Iratxe García today stressed the responsibility of the Socialists and Democrats family as the major pro-European force to push back the creeping alliances between conservative and far-right forces all over Europe.

S&D leader Iratxe García said:

“The Socialists and Democrats family is a whole-heartedly pro-European force, because we know that the European project unites our citizens and makes our societies the most progressive in the world. During every crisis, doomsayers predict the end of our European project, but we emerge stronger from every challenge that we confront together. Out of the pandemic we came with NextGenerationEU, the climate emergency we confront with our Green Deal with a red heart, to the backlash on women’s rights we respond with strengthening women’s rights on the European level. Because we know: together, we are stronger; united, we can make people’s lives better!

“But there is an alternative to our societies of progress: regression propagated by reactionary forces. The alliance between the right and the far-right in Italy, Sweden, Finland, and Spain is hell-bent on erasing equality policies, pausing the fight against the climate emergency, and leaving the most vulnerable behind. Today, from Rome, from the heart of Italy – a founder of the European project – we raise our voices to defend the rights and freedoms that Meloni's government is trying to curtail. 

“Together, with our friends from Partito Democratico, under the strong leadership of Elly Schlein, we will beat back this unholy alliance of reactionary forces. Guided by our progressive values, we will continue to build a prosperous, open, and inclusive Union and make peoples’ lives better!”

Brando Benifei, leader of the Partito Democratico delegation in the European Parliament, added:

“Social, green, just: this is our Europe, the Europe we have been working for as the leading progressive force in the European Union for many years. However, today we stand at a critical juncture: our European project has come under heavy pressure in the current complex economic and geopolitical context. We will not allow right-wing forces to dismantle the achievements we have secured for people. We have gathered today in Rome to proudly affirm our European vision and relaunch our reform agenda.

“We are determined to reinforce our action and our efforts to manage the necessary transition of our economy and society towards a more sustainable, more social model –  a model, which has at its heart the protection of the environment and biodiversity, the protection of jobs and working conditions and the respect of the very fundamental rights, upon which our Union is founded. Partito Democratico and the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament stand ready to fight for our goals and our vision for a better tomorrow.”