With citizens struggling to cope with the increasing cost of living, S&D Parliamentary leaders are committing to building a fairer and more progressive Europe that improves people’s lives.

At a summit of Socialists and Democrats parliamentary leaders, MEPs and national MPs from 19 member states are meeting to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the progressive response to high inflation and energy prices.

With just over a year left in the current European Parliament mandate, the S&D Group is determined to work side-by-side with national Parliaments to deliver fair and sustainable solutions to the challenges ordinary people face in the EU.

Iratxe García, S&D Group president, said:

“Inter-parliamentary cooperation is crucial for us to succeed in building a fair and progressive Europe. Citizens are faced with many challenges, from finding decent housing to paying electricity bills or providing food to feed their family. Only when we work together can we bring effective solutions.

“Our political family has been the driving force to bring solutions to the economic and social effects of the COVID pandemic first, and then to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and its consequences. We have secured a strong EU response with the Next Generation EU, and then the REPower EU. In many ways, the EU is supporting measures taken at national level, because we must complement each other to make sure nobody is left behind as we make the transition to a more sustainable economy, where we are not dependent on fossil fuels.”

Biljana Borzan, S&D vice-president, said:

“As we enter the final year of the current mandate in the European Parliament, we are strengthening our ties with colleagues in national Parliaments. Since 2019, crisis after crisis has required common European responses, and we are united on those responses: strong social measures rooted in reducing inequalities and eradicating poverty. Crisis after crisis has taught us that we achieve far more together than we ever could alone.

“Too many people still struggle with the cost of living and too many people worry about job and housing security. With more coordinated policy responses, we can bring the bills down, we can reduce inflation and we can ease the heavy burden that the cost of living crisis is having on households in Europe. By working closely together with national Parliaments, we are focusing our collective energy on delivering people a brighter future.”