The European Union, a supra-party platform consisting of Social Democrats (SD), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Liberal Party (LP), non-party associations, and individuals, was presented. The alliance of these three parties participated together in the extraordinary local elections in Budva in May and won one mandate. The European Union prioritizes the economy but also emphasizes the importance of identity. The leaders of the parties, Damir Šehović, Ivan Vujović, and Vatroslav Belan, along with economic analyst Mirza Mulešković and historian Miloš Vukanović, participated in a panel discussion. The European Union aims to build a partnership with non-party associations and prominent individuals. The LP leader, Belan, emphasized the need for strong institutions and a reform of the education system. The European Union is open to citizens and advocates for an independent and civil Montenegro. The European Union aims to counter nationalist, national-chauvinist, and big-state policies that threaten state sovereignty and regional stability. [f52a6c61]
In preparation for Hungary's EU presidency in the second half of the year, National Economy Minister Márton Nagy met with EU Commissioner Thierry Breton to discuss economic challenges, the EU's competitiveness and industry policy, and the Hungarian presidency's priorities. Hungary aims to boost the common market and industry, support SMEs, establish a competitive financial services sector, and mobilize labor market reserves. They want to develop the EU's industry, foster connectivity, and avoid blocks forming within the EU. Hungary also wants to create a coherent framework for proposals from industry players in sectors such as e-vehicles and AI. They emphasized the importance of promoting the EU's competitiveness through cooperation, breaking down energy prices, curbing energy dependency, and bolstering the bloc's green transition. They also discussed cutting red tape for economic players and member states' governments and keeping the internal market free from new limitations. [55e74a81]
EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, emphasizes the importance of a people-centric Europe and good social policies. He states that the recent cost-of-living crisis is driven by increased profits, not wages. Schmit highlights the need for targeted social policies such as creating quality jobs, a minimum wage, affordable housing, and labor rights for platform workers. He also discusses the impact of AI on the labor market, the potential benefits of a shorter workweek, and the need to provide better conditions for platform workers. Schmit emphasizes the importance of empowering trade unions and combating social inequality to counter the rise of the far-right. He outlines his priorities for a social democratic candidacy for the leadership of the European Commission in 2024, including social justice, combating poverty, and making the Green Deal more social and acceptable for everyone. [9d7b1f52]
Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, spoke at the Tripartite Social Summit on the theme of 'Europe's global role and our social and economic strength'. The summit discussed topics such as the industrial strategy complementing the Green Deal, tackling skills and labor shortages, and attracting talent from outside the European Union. Dombrovskis highlighted the importance of the European Green Deal in giving Europe a competitive advantage in clean technologies. He also emphasized the need to invest in up-skilling and reskilling, improving working conditions, and making it easier to move within the EU. The summit aimed to promote social dialogue and will be followed by the La Hulpe conference in April.
A conference on the European Social Charter took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, under the auspices of the Lithuanian presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The conference focused on addressing the 'polycrisis' caused by four decades of deregulated markets and the need to socially re-embed those markets. The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) noted a cultural shift towards social rights and recommended that the charter be updated to address contemporary challenges such as a safe and healthy environment, atypical work, and artificial intelligence. Non-governmental organizations called for more voice and dialogue and for states to make up shortfalls in their charter commitments. The European Union has yet to accede to the charter. The conference also expressed solidarity with Ukraine in its war against Russia and discussed the association of social rights with the Soviet dictatorship during the Cold War. The need to translate commitment into political resolve and make social rights part of any strategy to respond to crises was emphasized. The article was written by Robin Wilson, editor-in-chief of Social Europe. [5304b747]