site.btaPES Leader Stanishev Urges for Social Action Plan for Europe

PES Leader Stanishev Urges for Social Action Plan for Europe

Brussels, June 13 (BTA) - Meeting with European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and EU Commissioner for Employment Marianne Thyssen in Strasbourg on Monday, Party of European Socialists (PES) leader Sergey Stanishev said that only a social Europe can restore trust in the institutions. "Loud
declarations are not enough. The European Pillar of Social Rights should be implemented as soon as possible. The future of the EU lies in the preservation of its unique social model," urged the PES leader.

Stanishev led a PES delegation to Strasbourg. He said: "I took advantage of the meeting to raise the issue of Bulgaria's entry into Schengen.The upcoming Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2018 is another argument to speed up the process. It is clear for all that Bulgaria has met all criteria and the issue is political."

On the agenda was multi-speed Europe. The Social Europe project should be implemented in all EU member states and not just in the eurozone countries in order to avoid a further fragmentation of the EU into different categories of EU membership, said Stanishev.

The PES leader said that the division lines in Europe have become too many: austerity measures, the migrant crisis, the cohesions funds.

"We should find a common approach and avoid turning the social policy into the next bone of contention," said the PES President.