Συνεδριάσαμε σήμερα με τους εκπροσώπους των Σοσιαλιστικών κομμάτων – μελών του PES, Της Νότιας Ευρώπης. Ελλάδα, Κύπρος, Ιταλία, Γαλλία, Ισπανία, Πορτογαλία και Μάλτα. Με βασική ατζέντα το προσφυγικό – μεταναστευτικό αλλά και την οικονομική στήριξη των κρατών μελών της ΕΕ για την αντιμετώπιση των οικονομικών και κοινωνικών επιπτώσεων της κρίσης του Covid-19.

Συμφωνήσαμε τη στενή συνεργασία μας από εδώ και στο εξής για την ισχυρότερη εκπροσώπηση μας και εντός του PES, για τα κοινά θέματα που απασχολούν της χώρες μας, τις χώρες της Μεσογείου και του Νότου.

Όλη η τοποθέτηση μου:

«It’s a real pleasure to have, today, the chance to discuss and work together all the representatives of the Mediterranean Socialist Parties, and focus on really significant issues of our countries, such as illegal immigration and the economic support of EU member states affected by the pandemic.

To start with the migration issue, I believe we should all agree, that the refugee and migrant crisis that Europe is facing over the last years, in addition to its economic, social and political aspects, is primarily a matter of human dignity and human rights. The EU, unfortunately, has so far not risen to the occasion, and its role is often a balancing instead of a leading one.

No country by itself, and of course not ours which are in most cases the first reception countries, can bear the “excessive burden” of migrant crisis management. The situation clearly has a strong European dimension and consequently, a European response should be agreed and implemented as soon as possible.

In the following days, EU and its Member States must agree on two major issues: The funding of recovery from the crisis provoked by the pandemic and a new agreement on the migration.

The reform of the Dublin Regulation is, in our view, a key precondition. This Accord reflects needs of the past, with much less severity of the issues the current refugee crisis bears. It served its purpose, however now it is outdated. A new, fair and sustainable mechanism must be put in place. A mechanism which should take into account all the recent elements, highlight the common European will, for the protection of the European borders, and facilitate the integration process. And by this, to send a strong message to countries such as Turkey, for example, and authoritarian leaders such as Erdogan, that Europe is united against populistic policies that exploit human suffering for their geopolitical goals.

We strongly believe that the relocation mechanism must finally be agreed upon, in a proportionate manner for all EU member-states, as the few Mediterranean countries cannot endure the most of the burden. 

The pandemic of covid-19 is certainly the biggest challenge that the EU has faced in recent years. This crisis brought once again at the forefront of the political agenda the need for stronger Europe and welfare states, the need for social investments and the need for more unification.

This must become the priority of all European political forces. 

Regardless of the deaths recorded in each country and the effectiveness shown by each government, it is accepted by everyone that the economic impact is significant for all countries. Thus, the support programs and the Recovery Plan under discussion must have at their core the loss of GDP for each country.

Now. Speaking of the Mediterranean countries, it is important to highlight that our economies are being severely affected, as they rely heavily on tourism, which, due to health measures, the previous economic hardship and the fear of a pandemic, is almost nullified.

As for the support of the EU in the Member States health sector, it is important that we do not miss this opportunity, that this support is transformed into the development of strong public national health systems, which will convince European citizens that the EU is driven by the idea of social solidarity.

The same applies in the field of labor policies. New ways of working and teleworking, introduced in our everyday life, should not disturb the social gains and workers’ rights. 

Furthermore, I would like to highlight that the support of businesses through the banking system must be done in a brave and decisive way, for their survival. Especially for the small and medium-sized enterprises, which in countries like Greece, are the backbone of our economy.

To conclude, Europe needs to come up with new policies that reduce inequalities, invest in people and make our societies more resilient to the challenges that we are facing. Such as the socio-economic impact of covid-19 and climate change, utilizing the potential of the digital age.

We need to stand up against those conservatives who do not believe that solidarity is the right way to overcome the crisis.

We need now, more than ever, to fight united for a Europe that takes bold, unprecedented and progressive decisions.

We must pave the way for a Europe that stands next to its citizens, which keeps the economies alive, but mainly upholds fundamental social values.

And of course, as Socialists, we must lead the way.

And of course too, as the Mediterranean representatives of Socialist Parties, I strongly recommend that we should insist on initiatives, such today’s one, that bring us together in common issues that our countries and our parties face. This makes our voice even stronger.»