The Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament is hosting a hybrid event in Palma, Spain, ‘Towards a fair Europe shaped by our youth’, on 26 May from 16:30 to 19:30.

As part of a series of citizens’ debates on the Conference on the future of Europe, citizens will have the opportunity to learn more and share their ideas about how Europe can better address issues young people face in their daily lives, such as finding quality jobs and affordable housing, as well as combatting the climate emergency and poverty.

Among the speakers are politicians and leaders including President of the Balearic Islands government Francina Armengol, S&D Group leader Iratxe García Pérez, Head of the Spanish PSOE delegation in the European Parliament Javier Moreno, S&D MEP and President of the Young European Socialists Alícia Homs, and Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and EU José Manuel Albares.

Participants also include civil society representatives including Eduardo Magaldi, General Secretary of RUGE, ETUC Youth, Dara Turnbull from Housing Europe, Victor Camino from the Young Spanish Socialists, Agata Meysner from Generation Climate Europe, Andrés Conde from Save the Children, and María Rodríguez Alcázar from European Youth Forum.

The event will take place on Thursday, 26 May from 16:30 to 19:30 at the Palacio de Congresos, Palma de Mallorca, and will be livestreamed on the S&D Group’s website. You can register here for in-person participation, and contribute to the discussion on our debate platform #Progressives4Europe. Journalists are kindly asked to confirm their participation with georgina.momborasero@europarl.europa.eu.

Iratxe García, leader of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, said:

“Young people’s voices must be heard when shaping Europe’s future. The Conference on the Future of Europe was a milestone in citizen participation. People, and especially young people, made clear demands: stronger rights for children and youth, decent wages and working conditions, a minimum income, reinforced social dialogue and collective bargaining, affordable housing, day-care, and gender equality. Now it is time to turn these proposals into reality, it is time to establish a true social Europe that puts young people at its heart.”

Alícia Homs, S&D MEP and President of the Young European Socialists, said:

“Too many young people are trapped in a vicious circle of unpaid internships, unemployment and precarious jobs. They depend on their parents for a roof over their head and a warm meal, are unable to move into their own home, start a family and build a good future. This must change. To empower young people to fulfil their dreams and their potential, Europe must fulfil its social promise.

“We are fighting to ban unpaid internships, because when you work you must get paid. Anything else is exploitation. We are making concrete progress towards guaranteeing decent minimum wages for all Europeans. It’s a scandal that people working 40-hour weeks cannot make ends meet, do not know how to pay for their rent, or afford the exploding prices of energy and food. Deprivation in childhood increases the likelihood of experiencing poverty later in life. To break this vicious circle, we must ensure all parents earn living wages and no child grows up in poverty. One in five children in Europe goes to bed on an empty stomach, does not have a roof over their head, or their parents cannot pay for kindergarten, school supplies or essential medicines. Our initiative, the Child Guarantee, will soon ensure decent housing and adequate nutrition as well as free quality education, childcare and healthcare for all children in need.”