Socialist leaders meet in 'Mont des Arts' prior to the European Council in Brussels.

meeting of the European Council

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

European Council meeting 16 December 2021 (T)

Socialist leaders meet ahead of the European Council : arrivals and statements

Arrival of David SASSOLI, President of the EP

Arrival of Nicolas SCHMIT, European commisioner for jobs and Social Rights

Arrival of Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World. 

Arrival of Sanna MARIN, Finnish Prime Minister 

Arrval of Olaf SCHOLZ, Chancellor of Germany, and Katarina BARLEY, Vice-President of the EP

Arrival of Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister,

Arrival of Magdalena ANDERSSON, Prime Minister of Sweden

 Arrival of Ant&oacute;nio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, and Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Secretary of State for European Affairs

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, President of the EP, I wanted to say hello. First of all, I greet Chancellor Scholz, who is proof that if we have faith in ourselves, and the socialists trust in themselves, there is certainly no shortage of results. We need to insist on common policies because only with common policies can we have a Europe that is at the service of our citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Olaf SCHOLZ, Chancellor of Germany, There is this aspect of a union that is working together, that helps all countries in their own struggle. And so solidarity works. And it is a good sign for Europe. And if we look at the future, it's about all the questions that are important for a future, how we can organise digitalisation, how we can change our industry that will be climate friendly and how we will have good jobs in Europe that are competitive on the global market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Magdalena ANDERSSON, Prime Minister of Sweden, How can we build houses for all the new workers coming in? How can we build roads, schools, day-care centres, employ bus drivers, open restaurants in the pace that goes with all these new jobs that are coming in right now. And I want this transition to be not only in the part of northern Sweden or northern Finland, they should be moving south and all over Europe. There is such a potential to create new jobs, and I want these jobs to be good paying jobs for European citizens. And I really think this is the time to take that potential, bring it forward. And I want the social democratic parties to be in the lead in that transition.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, I think it's also very important to include gender equality as a horizontal policy and throughout all the plans in our recovery plan.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Ant&#243;nio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, Portugal plan has very concrete goals. Firstly: in lifelong learning, the goal that at least 50% of the active population participate in a learning activities every year, and has the very strong objective of increasing the employed population to 78% in 2030, and has one that should mobilize us all to eradicate poverty, eliminate 15 million poor people in Europe, as well as the, at least, 5 million poor children in Europe in order to stop this tragedy that is the generational reproduction of poverty.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sanna MARIN, Finnish Prime Minister, I think later today we will also discuss these issues in European Council. We have discussed these issues also also in the past, and I see very troubling troubling situation in some European countries Poland, Hungary. But also this is something that is spreading more conservative voices, voices that are challenging the fundamental values, the fundamental rights of people. And we have to say no to this.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert ABELA, Maltese Prime Minister, As you know, Malta is very much dependent on the maritime transport, being an island, a small island at the periphery of the Mediterranean. So we definitely depend much on on the maritime industry. And the shore to ship facility basically allows us to switch off the engines of ships and harbour. Unfortunately, most of of maritime vessels up till up till now are operating on heavy fuel oil, which is a huge pollutant. But that allows us the facility of switching off the engines and generators of these vessels and having them having the electricity supply being being given to them through through a short supply.