Socialists want more EU social protection

STRASBOURG – The work programme for the commission in 2008 must be heavily socially-orientated, said PES leader Martin Schulz.

Setting out his priorities for the November plenary session, the socialist MEP said in a press conference on Tuesday that greater protection of social services should be a top priority.

"A socially-orientated Europe is the only way the EU will be accepted by its citizens," he said

“Our group is urging the commission to reinforce the social aspects of the new legislative programme, which should be included more intensively,” he added.

This goal, Schulz added, was hindered by the political make-up of the institutions.

“There is a centre-right majority in both the commission and the parliament. We need to be the counter-weight to this majority,” he said.

Schulz was angry at the fact that commission president Barroso did not give priority to greater social protection.

“It [also] does not help if the president of the commission is not at the forefront of the movement,” he added.

Additionally, Schulz welcomed the recent collapse of the far-right ITS group.

“The break-up is excellent news…it was clear from the outset that ultra-nationalism wasn’t going to work,” he said.

“They were a group full of internal contradictions, the members all with completely different interests. The only common position was to use money from EU taxpayers to damage the EU,” he added.

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